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Home > Day care centers go digital -- the pros and cons of nanny cameras for parental piece of mind
February 19, 2008
By: Lynn Bryant
Day care centers are learning that employing the use of
nanny cameras can be a real asset in the eyes of many
parents. By installing IP-based surveillance cameras in
their facilities, they can give parents the ability to log
in remotely throughout the day to monitor their children's
activities. This growing trend has become a real selling
point for many parents looking to enroll their children. We
will gain an understanding of the pros and cons of this
trend as we examine some of the real benefits and possible
pitfalls of implementing this technology in childcare
centers.
Utilizing video surveillance technology within day care
centers is not a new concept. Many facilities have
incorporated this technology for years. Some day care
centers have even granted parents the ability to review old
recordings to validate the quality of their child's care.
However, the latest surveillance trend among day care
centers is much more interactive. By incorporating IP-based
nanny camera systems, day care centers can now give parents
remote access to live video feeds of their children
throughout the day. Parents are given a secure login ID to
access the system, and can choose to log in whenever the
wish to access the surveillance video. Feedback has been
overwhelmingly positive.
Real benefits can be realized by implementing nanny
cameras
Parents and day care centers alike have reported some
positive benefits that have come as a direct result of
incorporating this technology. These benefits include the
following as outlined below.
Benefits to the parents
- Allows parents to actively monitor the care their
children receive -- Remote video surveillance gives
parents the ability to actively view and monitor how
their children are cared for. Being able to access live
images of their children playing lets them see first
hand what their children are doing throughout the day.
Parents also indicate it helps them feel more connected
to their children, when then can see first hand what
they are doing throughout the day. Many parents report
it gives them a real boost during their otherwise hectic
day.
- Alleviates parent's fears -- Parent's feel
much more confident about the care their children
receive when they can log in to view them whenever they
want. Direct access to live video provides them a sense
of confidence that the caregivers are responsibly caring
for their children, and have nothing to hide.
- Builds confidence in children -- Some
children really find comfort in the fact that their mom
and dad are watching them throughout the day. This is
further promoted by the fact that parents can interact
with their child at the end of the day based on
activities that they viewed their child participating in
throughout the day.
- Grandparent's can be given access at the parent's
consent -- Many day care centers will provide
additional accounts to grandparents and extended family
members at the request of the parent. This can be a real
benefit for family members that are located long
distances away.
Benefits to the day care centers
- Less disruption to staff and child -- Day
care staff are finding that there are fewer disruptions
with IP nanny camera systems in use. Parents are less
likely to drop by for visits throughout the day. While
parental visits can be a real highlight to both parent
and child, it often means more tears and distractions to
other children when the parent has to leave again.
- Gives a positive boost to enrollment --
Parents looking to enroll their children in a childcare
center often have remote video surveillance on their
list of must haves. KinderView, a company that provides
day care cameras systems, has noted that when childcare
centers offer surveillance services, enrollments tend to
increase at very little cost to the centers.
- Opens the door for further online communication
-- Many day care centers are finding that offering
online video access opens the door to further
communication opportunities. Online viewing portals
provide the perfect forum where parents can communicate
with other parents, email day care staff, and view event
calendars. This creates a further sense of community
among parents and staff, and makes it easier to stay in
touch and up to date.
Concerns over the use of nanny cameras in daycare
centers
Given all of the positive feedback mentioned so far, it
would seem that the addition of this technology is always
met with a positive reaction. This is not always the case.
Some parents and day care workers have expressed concern
over the practice. The following are some of the concerns
and potential pitfalls.
- Unauthorized access -- Some parents are very
leery of having video of their children accessible over
the Internet. They worry that child predators can gain
access to images of their child which could endanger
their child. If you have these concerns, make sure you
voice them to your child's caregiver and carefully
review the centers security and video disclosure
policies.
- Too much participation can cause undo concern
-- Some day care workers worry too much participation
may not always be a good thing. While most centers
welcome parental involvement, it has the potential of
becoming distracting if over done. Some parents become
overly worried if they notice their child is not
interacting with other child as they think they should
be. They begin to get overly fixated on behavior that
may be perfectly normal and healthy. While parents have
every right to be concerned about their children, they
should guard against overacting to every little movement
their child makes throughout the day.
While not everyone may agree with the incorporation of
nanny cameras into our childcare facilities, it seems the
consensus is overwhelmingly positive. To some parents, being
able to get a glimpse of their child at play whenever they
want makes all the difference in the world.
About the Author
Lynn Bryant is a successful freelance writer and contributor
to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your definitive guide to
video surveillance equipment, CCTV cameras and wireless
security systems for home and business.
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