Videocameras at Day Care Centers

on April 10, 2009 at 1:45 PM

There's a day care center where working moms can watch their toddlers toil their day away playing, eating, and sleeping over live video feeds. Parents go to a website and type in a password to see the streaming video online. The center has 21 cameras throughout the center.

Some of the moms of children in the center give the passwords to grandparents live out of town, as a way to keep them connected to their grandchildren.

I would have loved this option as a brand new mom nervously handing off my new baby son to complete strangers for the very first time. I couldn't concentrate on work at all. It took a while before I was completely comfortable with the idea of other people caring for my baby and worrying about his safety.

Now that I'm an old pro at the day care thing, and my second child is older and in preschool, I wouldn't want the distraction of watching her play all day.

First off, I'd just want to jump into the video and play with her, feeling even more guilty that I wasn't there with her. And second, I love to ask her about her day and be genuinely surprised and delighted when she recounts how she built a castle out of blocks with her friend Emma, heard music by Mr. Kurt, and played superheroes during outside time.

About the author Cynthia Dermody

is The Stir's Managing Editor who has trophies in her home for her skills at the Irish Jig. She makes cupcakes with as many fattening ingredients as possible, doesn't comb her hair for months at a time, and was probably a faerie in a former life.

Filed Under: child care, nursery school, safety

Comments (25)

monroesmum

on Apr 10, 2009 at 2:06 PM

You have to be careful with videocameras in daycares. There are ways to access the video in an inapproprate manner. I would be afraid that a pedophile would find a way to see the video.

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Kristin21

on Apr 10, 2009 at 2:18 PM

Not to disrespect the post prior to mine but I'd rather be able to see first hand my kiddo is ok when he/she is away from me then be worried about someone possibly hacking in and viewing it.

risonski

on Apr 10, 2009 at 2:31 PM

The daycare we will be taking our son to has the video option, and the site they use requires parents to change their passwords every week... Safety thing I guess.

EmilyKorinne

on Apr 10, 2009 at 2:40 PM

God knows I hope this never happens to anyone else, but we've experienced a bad daycare. If I'd been able to see what was going on first hand, maybe it never would've happened.

Ginanne

on Apr 10, 2009 at 3:16 PM

I might actually be willing to put my child in daycare if there was cameras to make sure my child is being taken care of... the daycares around here SUCK!

mom2-2crazyboys

on Apr 10, 2009 at 4:31 PM

This is a hard one! I voted "other" for now, bc I would really like to see how this worked first. I honestly could see some of the kids figuring out that they were constantly being filmed and "playing up"to the tape for Mom and Dad.....you know which kids I am talking about!! LOL!! Daycare needs to be comfortable for everyone, and I don't know how the employees would handle constant survelance either?? That would be kind of strange, I think. I wonder about like video checks..or certain video message time..something like that for the parents to get to touch base with their kids.

As for using it to monitor bad daycares..I think the bad daycare just wouldn't offer it. Daycares just need to be better surveyed and overall monitored to put a stop to them! (Big pet-peeve of mine!)

babyboomboom

on Apr 10, 2009 at 4:52 PM

My daycare has this option. I love it! I check in on my son throughout the day. I don't watch it all day but I check on him when I get to work, in the middle of the morning, at lunch, in the middle of the afternoon(during naptime to see if he is sleeping) and then again before I leave work.

Rosesandlilys

on Apr 10, 2009 at 6:03 PM

Are you kidding me? That would be totally awesome!

rebabeach2

on Apr 10, 2009 at 6:19 PM

The moment my girls see me at pick-up time they are ready to go. There is often not an opportunity to talk with the daycare provider about their day, something I prefer to do regularly. Having the option to check out their days through a webcam would be great!