There are certain situations and procedures that make daycare facilities easy places for predators to find victims. Knowing how the situation is set up can help you avoid being victimized by an abusive individual or facility. When you’re assessing a facility, keep the following points in mind.
- All staff should be background checked
- There should be no places at the facility where children can be isolated
- Caregivers should work in teams; opportunism to be alone with children should be limited by the facility’s procedures
- Caregivers must be trained properly
- The facility must have a valid license
- Parents should have immediate access to children
- No one should be able to go straight to the children from the main entrance
One of the most important aspects of any security plan is limiting access. At a daycare, one of the most important things that have to be taken into account is how easy it is to get from the front door to the children without any interference. Everyone who comes in should be logged by a staff member and escorted. People who have no business at the facility should be removed as quickly as possible. A daycare facility that doesn’t have a security plan for emergencies is lacking.
The staff at the daycare facility generally has a lot to pay attention to, but they should also be the types of individuals that are aware of what’s going on around them. While you’re gone, you child’s safety depends upon the professionalism and dedication of the staff. Fortunately, you’re in very good hands in this regard where most daycare facilities are concerned. There are those facilities, however, that have low standards for staff hires and a license doesn’t necessarily mean that a caregiver is very good at their job. Make sure the caregivers pay attention to who comes and goes from the facility and that they generally know the parents who come in by sight.
A facility that harms children due to not taking security seriously is downright dangerous. Daycare negligence is every bit as dangerous as daycare abuse. If you believe that either is afoot, talk to an attorney to see if there’s an option for you to sue. If you have a good case, you may be able to recover damages from a jury award or you may be offered a settlement out of court if your case is particularly strong.