We live in a fast paced society, everyone is constantly on the move. This effects every aspect of our lives including the family dynamic. The stereotypical roles of male worker and female caregiver have significantly shifted in light of economic growth, expansion of civil rights, and the need for dual income. In fact, women today constitute 47%, nearly half, the total workforce in the United States. As both parents enter the workforce, who will care for their children? Those who are lucky have family or close friends that help provide care, but in most cases parents rely on daycare or childcare facilities. Parents entrust the lives of their children to licensed caretakers throughout the day to watch over and protect them so they can earn a living to support the family. Childcare and daycare facilities have become a home away from home for an increasing number of infants, toddlers, and young children. This begs the question, what is being done to ensure their safety at these facilities?
As a daycare facility owner/operator, you know there are certain state laws and licensures you must adhere to. However, the law cannot provide protection from the unpredictable external/internal dangers at a facility. How do you prevent total strangers from entering your facility? How are the local authorities contacted in case of emergency? How can you keep an eye on what is happening throughout your facility? These questions are a concern not only for facility owners but parents as well.
There are proactive steps you can take to safeguard the children you care for and your facility. Installing a comprehensive security system that includes alarm monitoring, video surveillance, and access control will significantly decrease the chances of a potential disaster and provide peace of mind to you and your clients. Like any other business, you should have a security assessment conducted to find out where your weaknesses are and how to address them. Let the experts at Perfect Connections, Inc. help you safeguard your business and the little ones you care for. As industry professionals, we have been providing business security systems services to Northern and Central New Jersey for the past 22 years.
Challenges Daycare/Childcare Centers Face
While you maintain a reputable care facility for your clients, you cannot deny the potential threats to the security of your business. Keeping intruders and deviants out is a top priority. This may sound obvious, but without proper access control a door is just a door, and that alone will not necessarily stop an intruder. It’s not only access control you have to be cognizant of, but fire safety and code compliance, child abduction, employee behavior, and emergency planning, all while keeping track of the kids. Daycare and childcare facilities are typically not required to have a security system, however, the benefits of installing one far outweigh the cost.
Unlike material objects, children are irreplaceable. They are the link to our world’s future, shouldn’t they be the most protected? Of course! You’re probably thinking about all the reasons you don’t need a security system, like your business is in a safe area nothing could happen; or you always lock the entry once all the children have arrived, you even have the required smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Well, what about who is watching the hallways? How are police and emergency responders notified? What about other access points? How is the playground protected and monitored? How do you know your employees are actually paying attention? These are the types of questions/concerns parents will have, or at least be thinking about when they are looking for a facility to care for their child. What can you do?
Addressing The Issues
As no two facilities will be the same, no two security solutions will be the same. Have a licensed professional assess the current state of your facility, and consider installing a comprehensive customized security system. No system is perfect, but having one will help deter potential threats, help you manage the day to day of your business, provide peace of mind to you and your clients, and enhance whatever security features you may already have in place (like fencing). By having some sort of access control, whether it’s a password activated keypad, key fob, or card reader, unwanted or unauthorized visitors will be denied entry creating a more secure barrier. Some daycare centers have implemented biometrics as their means of building access, like at Playhouse Child Care Center in Minnesota. Registered parents must use their fingerprints to gain entry and pick up their child.
Surveillance equipment is useful as it can help monitor specific areas within and outside your facility. Obviously, cameras in the bathroom are not allowed, nor should they be, but having them in hallways, playrooms, at the entries/exits, and overseeing the parking lot and playground/outdoor play area will give you a better grasp on what people are doing and where/when they are doing it. If an incident were to occur you would be able to utilize recorded footage to review the details of a specific event. Recorded footage can be particularly useful to police and investigators. Including a monitored alarm system that communicates with sensors and/or detectors, will immediately alert the local authorities of an emergency, allowing a quicker response time. All security features are preventative, while they’re not 100% perfect, they will decrease the chances of disaster.
Whether you are considering a security system for the first time, or think it’s time for an upgrade, be sure to contact a licensed security professional to perform an initial assessment in person. Our team of experts at Perfect Connections, Inc. will help guide you through the whole process, from initial assessment to final installation. If your facility is located in Northern or Central New Jersey, do not hesitate to contact us. Custom business security systems are our specialty and we have been providing service for decades.
If you live in Central or Northern New Jersey and would like information on any of the topics discussed above, please call 800-369-3962 or simply CLICK HERE.
Image Credits: Image #1 by USAG-Humphreys-Flickr-Creative Commons, Image #2 by Carl Wycoff-Flickr-Creative Commons