WebCams in Nurseries - thoughts?
by: NurseryInsurance - 25-07-06 10:25
If I were a parent I think I'd like the option to be able to logon to a secure system to view my child or children (be it via CCTV or webcams).
That said I can totally understand the concern that these systems can be hacked into by people other than parents and therefore until such time as webcams are totally secure my opinion would be:
1. Use CCTV as a means to monitor the children (for the Nurseries purposes only) and to help the physical security of the establishment (having CCTV for example will be looked on favourably by your insurance company)
2. Actually ask parents how they feel about the use of webcams/cctv for monitoring purposes
WebCams in Nurseries - thoughts? - 25-07-06 16:33
by: JadsEnt
I must be missing something. In the highly unlikely event that someone hacks into a secure webcam (or internet enabled CCTV) system, so what? So someone is watching the children play in their rooms over a grainy and jerky picture? They can't interact with them or hurt them.
Any perv who wanted to watch kids would surely just turn on the kids TV channels, watch nappy adverts, or go down to the park or swimming pool and look at kids in the flesh.
Considering not only the hard work, technical expertise and effort required to actually break into these highly secure systems, but also the poor quality of the results, I can't imagine anyone actually doing it. Especially as there is a high likelyhood of being tracked. Any intruder would have their internet (IP) address logged, and ISP's can and will give out your name and real address to the police.
Hence I think that concerns over "security" are unjustified. After all, has anyone ever heard of someone breaking into one of these systems, ever?
What I do know, is that as a parent handing my little darling over to complete strangers in a nursery, I would have loved to be able to login from work and see her play and reassure myself she was safe and well.
WebCams in Nurseries - thoughts? - 28-05-07 10:35
by: veb
Hi there, I know I'm a bit delayed on replying to this one but I've only just discovered the forum!
I think CCTV has it's pros and Cons.
For example the times when a child cries as mummy or daddy leave yet within 30secs they are engrossed in an activity with thier friends and as happy as larry! I think the ability for that parent to log in when they get to work for some reassurance would do wonders.
Also I would love parents to log on and see thier children engaged in whatever activity is going on - witness all the funny incidents that occur during the day and enjoy the experience of learning along with thier children.
I do feel there is a danger however of things been taken out of context, for example there is no sound therefore you cannot hear the conversations and situations could easily be misinturpretted.
How would you feel to log on and see your little darling crying with apparently no-one caring to give him/her comfort? What you didn't see was that thirty seconds earlier your child had bopped another over the head with a lego brick and had been asked politely to leave the activity whilst the other child was comforted from his/her injuries. If your having a bad day this is not going to help and may cause unnecessary conflict between you and the nursery.
With regards to your comments about hacking, no incidents have come to light but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened and although your "ignorance is bliss" attitude is one i understand as an early years provider it is our duty of care to ensure that children are safegaurded in every possible way. I'm sure if it came to light that a paedophile ring where regularly using images from your childs nursery to satisfy there needs then your attitude may differ slighty - what if that person lived in your town, recognised your child in the street and decide they fancied the real thing? Extreme I know but possible.
I know it works very successfully in some daycare and I can see why, I would have to think long and hard before adopting it in my nursery.
