After-School Care Pod preset: setup and host workflow

The After-School Care Pod preset is designed for shared-host sessions where one organiser creates the event and families can take turns volunteering to host. After-school care is one example, but the same workflow can also suit other unpaid, community-style sessions between people who already know each other.

What this preset is for

• One organiser creates the session and shares it with families.
• Parents or caregivers can volunteer to host that specific session.
• The organiser reviews volunteer requests and approves the host.
• RSVPs stay locked until a host is confirmed.
• Once approved, the host is added as a co-host for that event.

How sharing and access work

• Private event: invite only. Guests need their own invite link, so this is the strongest way to control who can access the event.
• Public event: anyone with the link can view the event.
• Community discovery: if enabled, the event can appear in Discover so other families can find it.
• Not on Discover: if discovery is turned off, the event must be shared manually by the organiser or host, usually by sending the link directly.

Care Pod events can default to public and discoverable in the create flow, but the organiser can change those settings before creating the event.

How the workflow works

1. Create a new event and choose After-School Care Pod.
2. Add the session date, start time, finish time, and any notes families should know.
3. Turn on Host rotation if the session needs a volunteer host.
4. Choose whether the event is private, public, and/or listed in Discover.
5. If using Discover, add the region, category, and summary.
6. Create the event and share the link or invite links with the families involved.
7. Parents who want to host submit a volunteer request for that session.
8. The organiser reviews requests in Manage volunteers.
9. The organiser approves or declines a volunteer request.
10. Once a host is confirmed, final session details can be completed and RSVPs open for families.

How parents volunteer to host

A parent or caregiver usually opens the event page and selects Volunteer to host.

The volunteer request includes:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Proposed host address
• Address visibility preference
• Optional message to the organiser

The organiser then reviews the request and can:

• Approve the volunteer and confirm the hosting location
• Decline the request, optionally with a note

Address sharing and guest privacy

When a volunteer host applies, they can choose how their address is shared on the invitation.

• Public: the host address can be shown on the invitation once the host has been approved and confirmed.
• After RSVP: the address is hidden until a guest has RSVP'd.
• Withheld: the address is not shown on the invitation. The host should share the location directly with confirmed guests.

For Care Pod and similar shared hosting events, Discovery does not show the exact host address. Guests will only see general location messaging until the event and host details are confirmed.

Hosts should only volunteer an address they are comfortable using for the event, and should choose the visibility option that best matches how they want location details shared.

Host statuses explained

• Host required: no host has been approved yet
• Pending: a volunteer request has been submitted and is waiting for review
• Pending signup: the volunteer was approved, but still needs to complete ShareDay signup
• Host confirmed: a volunteer host has been approved and assigned
• Declined: the volunteer request was reviewed but not accepted

After host approval: final session details

Once a volunteer host is approved, the organiser should confirm the final session details before families start responding.

• Confirm or update the final event location if needed.
• Add the Care Pod host contact phone number so attending families know how to reach the confirmed host.
• Check the approved host's chosen address visibility setting.
• Make sure the event notes still match the final plan for that session.

This is the point where the session moves from a host request workflow into a confirmed, RSVP-ready session.

What happens after approval

• If the volunteer already has a ShareDay account, they can be linked and added as host or co-host straight away.
• If they do not yet have an account, they can receive a signup invite and the request may remain Pending signup until complete.
• Once host assignment is complete, the location, host phone, and visibility rules can be applied.
• RSVPs then open for children.

RSVP sequence

The operating sequence is:

1. Main organiser creates the event
2. A volunteer is approved and host confirmation is completed
3. Final session details are confirmed
4. Parents can RSVP children

If there is no confirmed host yet, RSVPs stay blocked.

Host contact visibility

Once a host is assigned, the invitation includes a Care Pod host contact section so families can get in touch more easily.

• For guests using their own invite link, the host phone can be shown in RSVP context.
• For broader public viewing, contact details may be more limited until RSVP context applies.

Optional capacity limit

You can set an optional capacity limit for the session.

• This lets you cap how many children or spots can be accepted.
• Capacity can be useful when the approved host only wants to supervise a set number of attendees.
• If capacity is enabled, families can see how full the session is as RSVPs come in.

Managing who can attend

Even when an event is public or listed in Discover, the organiser and approved host still have responsibility for deciding who is appropriate for the session.

• You can use private access and invite-only links if you want tighter control.
• If you are not comfortable with a person or family attending, you can remove them from the guest list.
• As a practical step, it is a good idea to send a text or email first so they are clearly informed before access is removed.
• Hosts should only accept attendance where they are comfortable with the family arrangement, supervision plan, and suitability for that session.

Notifications and reminders

• The organiser can receive a notification when a new volunteer request is submitted.
• The organiser can also receive reminder emails if the event is approaching and no host is confirmed yet.
• Volunteer parents can receive outcome emails such as approved, declined, or signup-required messages.

Important limits of this preset

This preset is for unpaid, parent-organised coordination between people who already know each other, or who are choosing to connect directly at their own discretion. It is not intended for operating a paid childcare service, daycare business, nanny service, or any other regulated or commercial childcare arrangement.

If you are charging families for care, offering childcare as a business, or running a service that requires licensing, vetting, registration, insurance, or regulatory compliance, this preset is not the appropriate workflow.

Disclaimer and responsibility

ShareDay provides event coordination tools only. ShareDay does not employ hosts, does not supervise children, does not verify the suitability of any venue, does not police-vet participants, and is not a childcare provider, placement agency, or licensed care service.

Care Pod and similar host-rotation events are organised solely by the participating adults. All decisions about supervision, attendance, transport, medical needs, emergency contacts, handover, host suitability, and child safety remain the responsibility of the organiser, host, and participating families.

By using this preset, organisers and hosts are responsible for ensuring that their event complies with any local legal, safety, or regulatory requirements that may apply to them. For the full platform rules and responsibilities, please also read the Terms and Conditions and Terms of Use articles.