By Trina Darling
As a daycare provider, my worst nightmare was always that I would forget a child, or even worse, a baby. Thankfully, it always remained just that; a nightmare. As daycare providers, by nature, we are multi-taskers. The more we do, the better chance there is that something, or even worse, someone, is going to be forgotten.
In the last week, there have been several articles written on the Internet about Forgotten Baby Syndrome. Idea of the Day, at the New York Times Website, ran an idea last Tuesday about making a plan to remember your child. In response, a blogger named Ryan, an engineer, proposed a solution to the forgotten baby; an alarm that goes off when you get out of your vehicle, similar to the one that sounds when you leave your lights on, or when you leave your keys in the ignition. Finally, the Injury Board Blog from Lansing, Michigan reminds us of how it can happen to us, and how easily a stressed, busy parent can forget their child because of a change in routine.
Almost every story you hear on the news about Forgotten Baby Syndrome involves a baby that dies. These stories should move daycare providers in more than one way; daycare staff should be vigilant, and wherever possible, set up routines to check on each other, decreasing the possibility of forgetting a child. Enforcing parent sign-outs and checking attendance sheets at the beginning and end of each change in routine throughout the day. For example, check attendance as you go outside to play. When you are coming back in, check attendance again. Check attendance when you put everyone down for a nap. When you get everyone up, change diapers, wash hands, etc, check attendance again. Become a counter! Do a house sweep when you leave your home, and do a vehicle sweep every time you get out of your van, no matter how much of a hurry you are in.
Another impressive way that daycare providers can prevent forgotten baby syndrome is to offer a call-back reminder service for daycare parents. Have an agreement with parents that if their child does not arrive at daycare, you will call the parent at home first, and then at work. This will put an additional safety measure between that child and a horrible death, and the daycare parents will appreciate your thoughtfulness in providing the service!
Trina Darling is an Examiner from New York. You can see Trina's articles on Trina's Home Page.
When my six year old cousin started kindergarten in public school my aunt tryed to save the $85 a week by having me drop him off @ 7:15A and picking him up @2:30P and dropping off his four year old brother off at daycare and picking him up anytime after 4:00P luckily i a was able to keep it straight most of the time their were a few times i forgot the younger one at daycare or just went straight home with him still in the back seat keeping quiet because he knew that we might miss the 8:00 drop-off and that met a fun day with his NeNe and cousin Lili after a month of this i told my aunt i couldnt do it anymore and luckily no one was ever left in a hot car or left waiting to long to be picked up but i can see how when you are trying to get more than one child where they need to go at diferent times it would be easy to forget a sleeping baby or even an older child at the park who loves to run all over creation (my daughter Lili) but luckily she is always the center of attention so she is never hard to spot and as a baby she hate riding in the car and she let me know ot at the TOP OF HER LUNGS! My heart and prayers go out to parents who have forgotten or lost a child it is a horible feeling of unspeakable fear that only parent knows, and only a parent knows that no matter how hard you try you are perfect and sometimes things are out of your control.