Childcare service is not all about providing a place to spend time for the tiny tots, but it’s a lot more than that. Kids are special as well as fragile, and a little mistake can cause disasters. They need care and love and protection, and being in the childcare business, your prime focus should be to provide them cleaner, healthier and safer environment.
Whether you want to start a small home-based daycare or a large-scale commercial daycare centre, be aware about every aspect of the safety of children security in childcare. Seek local institutions that offer first-aid training by the professionals and consult with experts to stay prepared for every emergency condition you may come across.
After all childcare is a tremendous responsibility and it’s paramount for you to take every required step for the well-being and safety of the children in the care. While they are in the daycare centres, anything could go wrong and the list of unfortunate situations ranges from minor bumps or bruises to a death and includes thousands of possibilities in between.
Whatever the condition, just be calm and proactive to put together systems to ensure children security at daycare.
Best Ways to Ensure Chuldren Security at Daycare
Security
The only reason parents don’t feel it safe to send their kids to the childcare centres is the lack of children security at childcare. The reality of the world in which we live makes tight security in childcare centres critical. Even though the criminals never get handsome rewards for selecting these daycare centres as target, but they are still prone to criminal incidents, Childcare centres are frequently the scenes of crimes such as custody disputes, domestic abuse, etc. any such incident in the center can create tense emotional situations that can physically or mentally harm a child.
No matter what, you can make the kids feel safer with some simple tips:
Have a Gate Keeper
This can be a specially required security personnel or a receptionist/secretary that is in charge of screening outsiders and take action accordingly. Whoever you handover the charge of the children security at childcare, make sure the person is trained to deal with security issues such as knowing who to call for information and how to keep unwanted visitors out. Also, this person should be given means to deal with any unfavourable situation appropriately and effectively.
Stay Prepared for High-Risk Situations
Every year, you can send requests, inquiring if there has been any change in domestic status for children and staff. The received information should be shared discreetly and on a need-to-know basis with staff members.
Every room of the daycare centres should be provided with some form of communication with the staff or outside world. It can be helpful when there’s actually a need of help as there have been many cases where caregivers were found isolated in classrooms without any means of getting help. Intercoms, walkie-talkies, handheld radios, and cell phones are all options.
Provide rigorous training to staff to deal with violent situations for children security at childcare. They should be prepared to deal with every condition and should know how to proceed when they are confronted with angry people or any other situation.
Keep Staff Trained to Deal with Medical Emergencies
With kids around, there’s always a risk of injuries. The risk of injury happening is directly related to the physical environment and children’s behavior. They can be divided into “intention” and “unintentional”. Unintentional injuries often result from falls, drowning, choking, swallowing toxic materials, exposure to environmental hazards, of other accidents while intentional injuries are usually due to bites, fights, or abuse.
The risk of injuries can be prevented by:
Supervising children carefully
Keeping hazardous equipment (Knife, scissors, gardening machines, etc) away from kids’ reach
Checking the premise to get rid of hazards
Using products in centre that are safe for kids such as car seats and seat belts, bicycle helmets
Teaching children how to use playground equipment safely
If an injury occurs even after preventions, immediate action should be taken. Call a pediatrician, if required. Also make sure to maintain the supply of first-aid kit and other required products to keep kids safe.
While most parents are educated and understanding enough if their child suffers injuries while they’re in the daycare, some may not understand your situation. Stay prepared to avoid any unwanted situation and hearing from parents “I will sue your daycare centre”.
