Field trip permission slip.

A slip that just says "my child may attend the field trip" consents to almost nothing in particular. The version that protects you names the trip — because on-site, your enrollment paperwork already covers emergency care, but twenty minutes away it's this slip you'd show at urgent care. That off-site authorization line, and the named transportation, are the two pieces most homemade slips are missing.

• Prefer per-trip slips over blanket permission. A blanket form can't show a parent knew about this destination or this van. A sensible middle ground: blanket consent for routine on-foot outings like the neighborhood walk, a fresh slip for anything with a vehicle, water, or an admission gate. Some states require per-trip consent — check your licensing rules.
• Send slips home one to two weeks out with a due date a couple of days before the trip, and chase the stragglers by name rather than counting a pile.
• Hold a firm no-slip-no-trip line with an alternate-care plan for children who stay back — spelled out in your handbook so nobody meets the policy on trip morning.
• File slips in each child's record, not a trip folder — when licensing reviews a child's file, their permission history should be in it.