New baby: the 11 items
Most of the pile can wait. A few pieces genuinely can’t. In the order they will come at you.
Scope: United States. Deadlines vary by state, employer and plan — confirm the ones that matter.
| Document or task | Why, where, how urgent |
|---|---|
| Birth certificate | |
| ☐ Order two or three certified copies from the state or county vital records office | Order in week 1–2; it usually takes a few weeks |
| ☐ Keep the hospital discharge summary and the birth registration receipt | Interim proof while you wait |
| Social Security number | |
| ☐ Say yes when the hospital offers to apply as part of birth registration | The card arrives by mail a few weeks later |
| ☐ If you missed that step: apply at a Social Security office with the birth certificate and your own ID | |
| ☐ When the card arrives, photograph it and put the paper somewhere safe | |
| Insurance — the one with a real deadline | |
| ☐ Add the baby to your health insurance | A birth is a qualifying life event; the window is commonly around 30 to 60 days but varies by plan — call HR in week 1 |
| ☐ Ask about a dependent care FSA | Often has its own enrollment window tied to the same life event |
| Pediatric records | |
| ☐ Vaccination record | The most-requested document of the first five years — photograph it after every visit |
| ☐ Visit summaries, growth charts, referral letters, test results | |
| Childcare contracts and receipts | |
| ☐ Enrollment contracts and deposit receipts | |
| ☐ Weekly invoices | No receipt, no reimbursement — needed for a dependent care FSA or tax credits |
Copied from the scenario page: New baby
How to use this list
Tick each box as you find or file the document; the count at the top of the widget updates and the ticks are kept in this browser’s local storage, so the list is where you left it next time on the same device. Print gives a clean page with boxes; the .txt download gives the same 11 items with [x] marks to paste into a note or send to family.
For the reasoning behind each item — why it matters and what to keep afterwards — read the full New baby scenario page. The other four lists are on the document checklist page.
How to use the document checklist
- Pick the moment. Choose moving, new baby, death in the family, new job or travel from the menu. The list loads with its groups in the order the paperwork arrives.
- Tick what you have. Tap a box as you find or file each document. The count at the top updates; ticks are saved in this browser so the list is where you left it next time.
- Print or download. Print gives you a clean paper checklist with boxes. Download .txt gives you the same list as text, with [x] for ticked items.
- Read the full scenario when something is unclear. Every list links the page it was copied from, which explains why each document matters and what to keep afterwards.