diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index 7dd83390..d076b2de 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -8,8 +8,19 @@ Closes #
 <!-- describe the changes comprising this PR here -->
 This PR addresses ...
 
-**Checklist**
-- [ ] Added entry in `CHANGES.rst` under the corresponding subsection
-- [ ] updated relevant tests
-- [ ] updated relevant documentation
-- [ ] Passed romancal regression testing on Jenkins / PLWishMaster. Link: https://plwishmaster.stsci.edu:8081/job/RT/job/romancal/XXX/
+<!-- if you can't perform these tasks due to permissions, please ask a maintainer to do them -->
+## Tasks
+- [ ] update or add relevant tests
+- [ ] update relevant docstrings and / or `docs/` page
+- [ ] Does this PR change any API used downstream? (if not, label with `no-changelog-entry-needed`)
+  - [ ] write news fragment(s) in `changes/`: `echo "changed something" > changes/<PR#>.<changetype>.rst` (see below for change types)
+  - [ ] [start a `romancal` regression test](https://github.com/spacetelescope/RegressionTests/actions/workflows/romancal.yml) with this branch installed (`"git+https://github.com/<fork>/roman_datamodels@<branch>"`)
+
+<details><summary>news fragment change types...</summary>
+
+- ``changes/<PR#>.feature.rst``: new feature
+- ``changes/<PR#>.bugfix.rst``: fixes an issue
+- ``changes/<PR#>.doc.rst``: documentation change
+- ``changes/<PR#>.removal.rst``: deprecation or removal of public API
+- ``changes/<PR#>.misc.rst``: infrastructure or miscellaneous change
+</details
diff --git a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
index 66b7e7c1..cb5c44f4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
@@ -1,25 +1,30 @@
-name: Changelog
+name: changelog
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-    types: [labeled, unlabeled, opened, synchronize, reopened]
+    types:
+      - labeled
+      - unlabeled
+      - opened
+      - synchronize
+      - reopened
 
-# Only cancel in-progress jobs or runs for the current workflow
-#   This cancels the already triggered workflows for a specific PR without canceling
-#   other instances of this workflow (other PRs, scheduled triggers, etc) when something
-#   within that PR re-triggers this CI
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  changelog:
-    name: Confirm changelog entry
+  check:
+    if: ${{ !contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'no-changelog-entry-needed') }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - name: Check change log entry
-      uses: scientific-python/action-check-changelogfile@6087eddce1d684b0132be651a4dad97699513113  # 0.2
-      env:
-        CHANGELOG_FILENAME: CHANGES.rst
-        CHECK_MILESTONE: false
-        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: 3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - run: pip install .
+      - run: pip install towncrier
+      - run: towncrier check
+      - run: towncrier build --draft | grep -P '#${{ github.event.number }}'
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 72a670ab..f763065a 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -62,3 +62,8 @@ repos:
   hooks:
     - id: bandit
       args: ["-r", "-ll"]
+
+- repo: https://github.com/twisted/towncrier
+  rev: 23.11.0  # run 'pre-commit autoupdate' to update
+  hooks:
+    - id: towncrier-check
diff --git a/.readthedocs.yaml b/.readthedocs.yaml
index cee2b346..3603e3cd 100644
--- a/.readthedocs.yaml
+++ b/.readthedocs.yaml
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ build:
   os: ubuntu-22.04
   tools:
     python: "mambaforge-4.10"
+  jobs:
+    post_install:
+      - towncrier build --keep
 
 conda:
   environment: docs/rtd_environment.yaml
diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 858ca55d..53c62271 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ A minor release to set the minimum version of RAD to 0.16.0.
 0.13.0 (2022-08-23)
 ===================
 
-- pin ``asdf`` above ``2.12.1`` to fix issue with `jsonschema` release [#91]
+- pin ``asdf`` above ``2.12.1`` to fix issue with ``jsonschema`` release [#91]
 - Add ability to access information stored in ``rad`` schemas relative to the information stored in the datamodel. [#93]
 - Add ``IPAC/SSC`` as valid ``origin`` values. [#95]
 
diff --git a/changes/.gitkeep b/changes/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/changes/384.doc.rst b/changes/384.doc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..72481759
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/384.doc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+use ``towncrier`` to handle change log entries
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 77906598..6414b00d 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -27,3 +27,4 @@ Package Documentation
    :maxdepth: 1
 
    roman_datamodels/package_index.rst
+   roman_datamodels/changes.rst
diff --git a/docs/roman_datamodels/changes.rst b/docs/roman_datamodels/changes.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..95779898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/roman_datamodels/changes.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+.. currentmodule:: stcal
+
+***********
+Change  Log
+***********
+
+.. include:: ../../CHANGES.rst
diff --git a/docs/rtd_environment.yaml b/docs/rtd_environment.yaml
index aeebc4df..f6818e66 100644
--- a/docs/rtd_environment.yaml
+++ b/docs/rtd_environment.yaml
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ dependencies:
  - pip
  - graphviz
  - sphinx_rtd_theme>1.2.0
+ - towncrier
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 1cb8f94c..bd5f8241 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -114,3 +114,26 @@ line-length = 130
 
 [tool.codespell]
 skip = "*.pdf,*.fits,*.asdf,.tox,build,./tags,.git,docs/_build"
+
+[tool.towncrier]
+filename = "CHANGES.rst"
+directory = "changes"
+package = "roman_datamodels"
+title_format = "{version} ({project_date})"
+ignore = [".gitkeep"]
+wrap = true
+issue_format = "`#{issue} <https://github.com/spacetelescope/roman_datamodels/issues/{issue}>`_"
+
+[tool.towncrier.fragment.feature]
+name = "New Features"
+
+[tool.towncrier.fragment.bugfix]
+name = "Bug Fixes"
+
+[tool.towncrier.fragment.doc]
+name = "Documentation"
+
+[tool.towncrier.fragment.removal]
+name = "Deprecations and Removals"
+
+[tool.towncrier.fragment.misc]