KidCheck Secure Children's Check-In Shares Top Tips for Back-to-School Safety

Summer is becoming a distant memory, and now is the perfect time to review safety protocols that can be used throughout the year. Families have a right to feel they are leaving their children in a safe and secure environment. As a leader, you have a legal and moral obligation to do everything you can to protect them from harm. By prioritizing child safety, you make a good impression, provide peace of mind, and increase child protection.

Here are some key safety tips to start the year off safely.

 

Emergency Response

  • Conduct regular fire, lockdown, and evacuation drills with local first response teams, staff, and volunteers. Ensure everyone knows their role during an emergency.
  • Update all emergency contact information and ensure the list is current and accessible.
  • Hang laminated emergency contact information or KidCheck’s emergency flipbook in visible locations.
  • Ensure families, staff, and volunteers know or have access to your safety policies, emergency procedures, and evacuation plans.
  • Get to know your local first response resources. Police, fire, and EMS are great resources for identifying potential risks, hazards, and threats. Consider allowing them to train in your facility.
  • Document and store incident photos in a digital format.
  • Always use a secure check-in and check-out

Health & Wellness

  • Reinforce and communicate health and wellness guidelines to families.
  • Stock and label the locations of first aid kits in classrooms. Create a supply of paper towels, sanitizing supplies, and general necessities.
  • Establish a process for managing allergies and medical information and a response plan for handling emergencies.
  • Pay attention to students’ mental health. Provide resources and support for those who are struggling with anxiety, stress, or other mental health issues.

Facility or Classroom

Remove excessive clutter from classrooms, hallways, and exiting pathways to minimize congestion and allow easy movement.

  • Make sure exits are clearly marked and unobstructed.
  • Maintain appropriate staff-to-child ratios and work to manage capacity.
  • Follow the rule of two and ensure that a child is never alone with one adult.

Visitor & Volunteer Management

  • Have a policy that clearly states the specifics of visitor entry. Ensure all visitors wear visible identification and sign in before entering children’s areas.
  • Confirm anyone coming into contact with the children is comprehensively screened.
  • Never put a minor in charge of other minors! A fully screened, legal adult should also be present during any activity.
  • Ramp up training and education to ensure everyone knows child safety policies and guidelines.
  • Complete a background check on everyone with direct access to kids & youth.
  • Familiarize yourself with the mandated reporting laws in your state.
  • Create policies that decrease isolation and increase accountability. Predators need isolation and privacy to offend.
  • Keep thorough attendance records.

Technology Safety

 Communicate your social media guidelines to attending families, staff, and volunteers.

  • Ensure families know your smartphone and social posting policies while participating in the child or youth programs.
  • Encourage families to research apps and online programs that help parents control and monitor internet usage and device management.
  • Prompt families to open the lines of communication by letting their children know they can share with their parents if they encounter offensive material, a strange interaction, or peer bullying.

Bullying Prevention

  • Establish a speak-up culture and create a supportive environment.
  • Encourage kids to report bullying and address issues swiftly and effectively.
  • Teach acceptance. When kids understand what it means to be inclusive and celebrate each other’s differences, they are less likely to bully others.
  • Establish what bullying looks like in your organization and what behaviors are appropriate and inappropriate. This helps kids feel empowered to speak out against it.
  • Encourage kids to become effective bystanders and stand up for each other. This is an effective way for kids to respond to and end bullying.

Safety doesn’t happen by accident. No organization can do everything perfectly when it comes to safety; but whether you implement a single tip or several over the year, the point is to continually improve safety policies and protections.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of using secure children’s and youth check-in to help manage your children’s area, keep families smiling, and improve safety. You can also subscribe to the KidCheck blog or find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash