If you’re a parent and you leave your child in a daycare center, you expect that your child will be safe. It’s a given, an unwritten rule, a must-have standard. You also want your child to be not only safe, but also to be cared for, and the environment they’re in should be up to standard.
Hardly any parent will argue with this.
That’s why in NE (north east) Ohio, parents in Cleveland and Akron usually go for daycare centers that are both licensed and abide by protocols, all of which can be verified. These centers have amazing quality staff, and the supervision is top-notch.
Still, injuries are sometimes inevitable, and they still tend to happen.
But are they REALLY inevitable, or is there something we as parents can do? A way in which we can help to minimize further the chances of any injuries happening.
Everyone can help with keeping our children safe – both workers and parents. And, no. Parents aren’t inspectors; they are advocates for safer conditions in daycare.
This article can help you participate actively in daycare safety, cooperate with their staff, and learn about ways to prevent injuries.
Parental Guidance
You, as a parent, will undoubtedly interact with daycare staff at least once (if not twice) a day during drop-off/pickup. And these moments are sort of ‘moments of opportunity’ to spot various possible hazards and dangers that you haven’t noticed before.
Slippery playground surfaces, loose toys, furniture that could tip over easily, fire exits blocked, and many others.
Every possible danger is worth noticing.
And rather than just noticing, it’s also good to say something about it. You don’t know what the situation is, so there’s no point in being judgmental. Perhaps it just happened, or perhaps the staff haven’t noticed – there could be lots of reasons behind it – but letting the staff know is surely helping in reducing accidents.
Teacher-Parent Meetings
Parent-teacher meetings are a great opportunity to stay involved and informed about your kids’ days in daycare.
These meetings give you a transparent view of classroom routines, supervision methods, and all the safety protocols. You can ask any question that you deem important.
There are no bad questions here.
You could be asking about how staff handle minor injuries, or how staff handless water spillage on the floor, or how staff handless parents that have too many questions during drop offs and pickups while the staff is supposed to look over all the children in their group instead of chatting at the door, what about emergency procedures, how many children are handled by one supervisor – questions like that.
These kinds of meetings are a safe place to mention any concerns you might have as a worried parent and cooperate with staff and other parents on solutions. It’s important to deliver messages in a constructive way. Communication is important between parents and daycare workers, so it should be open and positive.
Trust in this case is the foundation that allows everyone to work towards the same goal, and that’s a safe daycare environment for all children.
Connect With Other Parents
It’s great to contact or even to catch up with other parents from the daycare because they can be your best resource.
Some of your family members or friends have kids in the same center. If that’s the case, it’s great to exchange points of view on the whole situation of kids’ safety and find out what their ideas and suggestions are.
Whether you’re chatting during pickup time, at birthday parties, local playgrounds, or on social media, any kind of feedback from parent to parent is good. It’s important to be transparent about these things.
For example, a couple of parents might notice slippery entrances during the wintertime, or someone might even fall during pickups. In these kinds of situations, concern can raise collectivity, and daycare staff can take care of and effectively resolve the problem.
License Inspections
As per Ohio law, every daycare must have specific licensed standards designed to keep children safe. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) does routine checks of safety equipment, emergency procedures, cleanliness, and staff qualifications.
You can access these inspection reports online for any facility across Ohio.
In these documents, you can find out if there are any violations, how serious they are, and what was done to correct them. If you review these reports, that doesn’t mean you don’t trust your daycare choice; it means you are aware and involved.
ODJFS provides parents with multiple channels (phone, email, online form, in person) where they can easily submit any and all safety concerns. It’s helpful to have easy access to day care injury resources for parents that provide straightforward information and practical guidance.
Conclusion
NE Ohio parents – those in the Greater Cleveland Area – have a responsibility to help ensure the safety of their children. And no, it’s not enough to pick the best daycare and leave it at that.
We, as parents, have the responsibility to participate. To be active. Not as inspectors, but more as spectators on the sidelines, ones who notice small (potentially dangerous) things that’ve been missed, or provide useful suggestions/ideas. Ideas that would improve daycare safety in one way or another.
Never hesitate to share your opinion or your concern about something because it can prevent some injuries in the future or help in other daycares in the area.
