Surveillance Cameras at Daycare – A Window into your Child’s Life {Guest Post}

Having a baby really changes a person's perspective. That's an understatement… having a baby turns your world upside down. That's not a bad thing, though. Children can really help a person focus on what is important in life. A child brings with them a new perspective, and a new set of worries. I have a major anxiety issue when it comes to my little ones. It is difficult for me to leave them with family, let alone strangers at a daycare. Sometimes all the interviewing and detective work to scope out a childcare facility doesn't feel like enough. What do you do at that point? Sell the car, cut off the cable and plan to never work again? Or is there a better way?

A growing trend in Daycare centers across the country is to provide parents with access to a streaming video feed of their child's classroom. Now at first glance, this may seem kind of creepy and big brother- esque. But it is actually quite useful, especially for the anxious parent. First of all, no one has access to the video feed unless they are a parent of a child in the class. You don't have to worry about weirdoes logging on to watch your child. It is secure, and that is something that a parent can feel good about.

Having a live video feed will likely improve the performance of the staff of the daycare. Knowing that you are being watched has a powerful effect on behavior. Any neglect or abuse could be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, which is important when the victim is a small child who is often less communicative than their adult caregiver. This can also reduce bullying, and make it easier to pinpoint the source of a bullying problem.

The video feed also gives parents a window into their child's life. You can feel as though you are sharing special moments with your little one, even if you can’t actually be there. It can be fun to see how your child acts during "circle time." Are they shy? Outgoing? What is their favorite song? A live video feed can tell you so much more than a piece of paper with either a happy or sad face circled, or a list of how many bowel movements they had that day… which is the standard daycare report.

As long as we don’t become obsessed with checking in, or try to micromanage the staff, surveillance cameras in daycare centers can be very useful. There is a certain amount of control that has to be relinquished when sending your little one to a childcare facility. But, letting someone else care for your baby is sometimes easier said than done. Going back to work is a very difficult transition for most parents, and knowing that you can check in if you need to can make it so much easier.

Chelsea Stanley is a proud parent of two and writer for 2MCCTV Security, international supplier of surveillance cameras. She writes about child safety, parenting & anything that relates to being a mother.