What kind of security does your childcare, preschool or school have? Absolutely anyone is able to walk into my child's preschool, and this has been playing on my mind recently. Am I overthinking? (And if answering anonymously on the website, do you have extra concerns because of family violence/custody/etc issues?)
4 Replies
My centre had a buzzer which we have to swipe to get in, once in and go to child's room if the teachers don't recognise you and know you're an approved person then you have to show Id and parents are called and even with the parents verbal ok you can't leave the centre with child unless a signed form is sent through from the parents
They ensure they ring the number on the enrollment not a number the person may provide to make sure it's the parent and then if it's ok and parent is able to scan and email the acceptance they check the signature against the one they have on record.
It's nearly impossible for anyone not in the approved list to pick up a child from the centre mine go to
Anyone can walk into the centre to the front desk (which is ok because there are plenty of parents wanting to enroll their kids so of course they wouldn't have been to the centre before) but to go beyond that you can't unless you're a parent of the child or on the list.
Childcare centres are different to preschools. Preschools operate more like schools so security tends not to be strict. I can just walk into my nieces preschool but the staff won't send her with anyone without parents permission.
Childcare, I can only get into my nieces (same niece) if I know the security code,mor another parent opens the door. Again, staff won't hand my niece over without parental permision.
Once school starts the school will have no idea who your child goes home with. I don't need permission, nobody lets the teacher know, I don't need any identification.
Staff in these environments recognise strangers or people they don't know. They approach and want to know who you are.
Yes if someone really wanted to kidnap a child, with the right plan, from those environments they could, but let's face it, only a prison like system would keep someone that was THAT determined out. Personally the childcare centres and preschools are more supervised than my house, backyard etc.
The old one they lock the door and you need to buzz but its open most mornings and afternoons. The new one you have a code or have to buzz so its never open and feels very secure.
another one i looked at you can walk straight in its just a low fence and a pool gate. To be honest I feel the chance something random will happen is very low and someone could jump a fence anyway if they really wanted to, so theres no point living in a fortress. If someone wanted to get in I can think of an easy way to get in to every childcare and school we've attended.
however if you have concerns about a particular person, let the staff know, talk to them about the whole situation and risk.
There was one morning I dropped my children off and had to tell the staff that their dad should have left town that morning so if he shows up here he shouldnt be here and will be doing something crazy so to call the police asap.