diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-docs-current.yml b/.github/workflows/check-docs-current.yml
index 78a2e50..1d15fe6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-docs-current.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-docs-current.yml
@@ -3,8 +3,63 @@ name: Check docs current
 on:
   workflow_call:
 
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
 jobs:
+  scaffold-changes-template:
+    # Runs once, when the PR is first opened, to drop a copy-paste-ready
+    # .changes/*.yml template into the branch. Skipped for fork PRs.
+    if: >-
+      github.event.action == 'opened' &&
+      github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          token: ${{ secrets.GH_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Checkout PR branch
+        run: |
+          git checkout -B "$BRANCH_NAME" "origin/$BRANCH_NAME"
+          git pull --rebase origin "$BRANCH_NAME"
+        env:
+          BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
+
+      - name: Skip if a changes entry or template already exists
+        id: existing
+        run: |
+          if ls .changes/*.yml >/dev/null 2>&1 || [ -f ".changes/TODO.yml.template" ]; then
+            echo "skip=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "skip=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Download changes-template.yml
+        if: steps.existing.outputs.skip == 'false'
+        # Hardcoded to the changelog POC test branch for now (see GA-1035597).
+        # Update this ref once that work lands on main.
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p .changes
+          curl -sSfL \
+            "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fivetran/dbt_package_automations/refs/heads/changelog-poc/initial-test/templates/changes-template.yml" \
+            -o .changes/TODO.yml.template
+
+      - name: Commit and push the template
+        if: steps.existing.outputs.skip == 'false'
+        run: |
+          git config --global user.name "fivetran-data-model-bot"
+          git config --global user.email "fivetran-data-model-bot@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git add .changes/TODO.yml.template
+          git commit -m "Add .changes/*.yml template" || echo "No changes to commit"
+          git push origin "$BRANCH_NAME"
+        env:
+          BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
+
   check-docs:
+    if: github.event.action != 'opened'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -42,7 +97,7 @@ jobs:
 
           RELEVANT_DOCS=$(relevant_since_last_touch 'docs/')
           RELEVANT_CHANGELOG=$(relevant_since_last_touch 'CHANGELOG.md')
-          RELEVANT_CHANGES_YML=$(relevant_since_last_touch '.changes/')
+          RELEVANT_CHANGES_YML=$(relevant_since_last_touch '.changes/*.yml')
 
           echo "BASE: $BASE"
           echo "HEAD: $HEAD"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5f4caa2..b58e285 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ This repository includes:
 
 - **GitHub Actions workflows** (`/.github/workflows/`)
   - `auto-release.yml` – Automates GitHub release creation
-  - `check-docs-current.yml` – Checks three things on every PR push: docs regenerated, `CHANGELOG.md` updated, and a `.changes/*.yml` entry present. Reports a single `docs/generated` commit status naming specifically which of the three are missing, and removes the `docs:ready` label if any are stale
+  - `check-docs-current.yml` – When a PR is opened, drops a `.changes/TODO.yml.template` into the branch if no `.changes/*.yml` entry exists yet (skipped for fork PRs). On every subsequent push, checks three things: docs regenerated, `CHANGELOG.md` updated, and a `.changes/*.yml` entry present. Reports a single `docs/generated` commit status naming specifically which of the three are missing, and removes the `docs:ready` label if any are stale
   - `generate-docs.yml` – When the `docs:ready` label is applied, generates dbt documentation **and** runs the changelog update (see below) in one job, committing both to the PR branch in a single push. Reports a `docs/generated` failure status and removes the `docs:ready` label if either step fails
 
 ## Changelog generation
@@ -94,4 +94,6 @@ contributors:
 
 Only `version` is required — omit any section with nothing to report for this release. A blank,
 copy-paste-ready starting point lives at
-[`templates/changes-template.yml`](templates/changes-template.yml).
\ No newline at end of file
+[`templates/changes-template.yml`](templates/changes-template.yml), and `check-docs-current.yml`
+automatically drops a copy into new PRs as `.changes/TODO.yml.template` (the `.yml.template`
+extension is deliberate — it's never picked up as a release until renamed to `.changes/{version}.yml`).
\ No newline at end of file