Day Care Scare

When gunfire erupted at a Los Angles day care center earlier this month, many young kids around the country watched on television. The violence leaves parents in the difficult position of trying to reassure kids while also acknowledging that the dangers.

What to say to kids about situations like this, or whether to say anything at all is a difficult question. “With a five year old talking about what he might do if someone came to his school with a gun, you know, run dive or whatever, just, it would scare him too much,” says parent Janelle Sherlock.

Children need to be given the tools to deal with a crisis and communication is key. With younger kids it’s a good idea to keep the conversations general, but with older kids discussing specifics can help. Margaret, who is nine, has some specific actions in mind if she was faced with a dangerous situation — “If they had a gun, I’d hit the ground, if they had a car, I wouldn’t go in it, and if they said they lost something, I’d say `you go find it.’”

Experts say that it is good to talk with kids about fears, and parents should communicate their own concerns without seeming scared themselves so the child doesn’t become phobic.

Safety Basics

General safety and health issues are also a major concern for parents with children in day care. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a comprehensive on-line handbook that covers various policies, procedures and reference information.

The subject areas include health issues such as immunization, disease, sanitation and nutrition. The safety topics include areas such as emergency evacuation, poisoning, playground equipment and toys. “The ABCs of Safe and Healthy Child Care“, is setup in the format of a book and is very user friendly. To access the handbook check the CDC website: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/abc/contents.htm

What Parents Should Know

Having children in day care is the only option for a large number of working parents. With recent violence, worrying about a child’s safety at day care is natural. There is no guarantee that all dangers can be avoided, but there are a few things that may help to ease anxiety.

Get to know the physical set up and operation of your child’s day care. Are the entrances monitored and secure? Is there a system for allowing access to visitors? How are children supervised outside of the building? Is the location in a high traffic area? By asking questions and making thorough observations, parents should be able to develop a basic degree of comfort.

Parents should also get to know the staff well and the parents of other children if possible. By establishing good relationships it helps children develop a sense of trust, which may ease some of their fears.

Most importantly, parents should keep open the lines of communication. A child should feel confident that he or she can talk to day care providers or parents about their fears.