Starting September 1, 2026, Texas requires a photo, signature, and location for every check-in and check-out for students who receive child care subsidy funding.
What's Changing
The state of Texas now requires programs to capture a photo, signature, and location (GPS) from the person signing a subsidy student in or out. This is a state requirement, not a Playground policy.
It applies everywhere you check in or out — the Kiosk, the Playground mobile app, and the web app all require a photo, signature, and location now.
The first time you check in or out after September 1, you'll see a one-time notice explaining that this is a Texas requirement and that your photo is sent along with the attendance record.
Camera and location permissions are required. Without them, you won't be able to complete a check-in or check-out.
Check In or Out With a Photo, Signature & Location
You'll take the same steps you're used to for signing your student in or out — you'll just also be prompted to take a quick photo, and your location will be verified automatically.
QR Code Check-in/out
Open your Playground app and tap the QR icon in the top-right of your screen.
Scan the QR code.
Tap Sign for students.
The Texas Subsidy Requirement will populate the first time a student is checked in or out. Tap Got it after reading.
Tap Take photo when prompted.
Tap Use photo to continue signing the student in.
Tap Retake to retake the photo.
Add a signature and click Submit.
You'll see a green confirmation message letting you know your check-in or check-out was recorded successfully.
PIN Code check-in/out on a Kiosk
Enter your student's PIN code on the school's Kiosk.
Tap Sign for students and sign for your student.
When prompted, allow the app to take a photo using your device's camera.
Tap Submit to submit the attendance.
You'll see a green confirmation message letting you know your check-in or check-out was recorded successfully.
💡 The photo is only used for the attendance record required by the state of Texas — it isn't shared anywhere else in Playground.
Turn On Camera & Location Access
If you're not able to complete a check-in or check-out, it's usually because camera or location permissions aren't turned on for the Playground app.
Enable camera permissions. On iPhone, go to Settings → Playground → Camera and turn it on. On Android, go to Settings → Apps → Playground → Permissions → Camera and allow access.
Enable location permissions. On iPhone, go to Settings → Playground → Location and set it to While Using the App or Always. On Android, go to Settings → Apps → Playground → Permissions → Location and allow location access.
Make sure your Playground app is updated to the latest version. Older versions of the app don't support this requirement.
Add a Missed Check-In
If you forgot to sign your student in or out, families can add a missed check-in.
🚨 You'll need to be at the school to add a missed check-in, since your location is still verified.
From the Playground mobile app, tap the menu icon in the top left-hand corner.
Tap Add missed check-in.
Tap the student you want to add a check-in time for.
Add a Date, Time-in, and Time-out.
Tap Continue
Follow the same steps above to sign, take a photo, and confirm your location for the missed date.
🚨 If a subsidy day is missing a check-in/out time, photo, signature, or location, schools won't be able to submit that week to the state until it's fixed. Adding missed check-ins promptly helps them keep their subsidy funding on track. You can add a missed check-in for up to the last 6 days.