No Car Seat... what would you do.

[apples and bananas]

A hypothetical question...

A child gets dropped off at your house for care (5 years old) and she was not in her car seat. Do you say anything? Call anyone?

She later tells you that her mom left the car seat in someone elses car. The child knows better and was very upset without her carseat. Mom is aggressive with the child and forces her in the vehicle.

Any comments?

[Serendipity]

Ugh, that is a tough one. I am a mandated reporter though and that just might fall under that category. I don't know for sure.

I guess depending on the relationship I personally had/have with the parent, I would probably say something about it to her. I would let her know that while I understand how things can happen, it is against the law and that I am a mandated reporter and can't allow the child to be transported without the required seat.

Do you think mom will try to pick up without it?

[Momof4]

The police would give the woman a ticket if they spotted her without her child in a safe seat. You must feel torn in two a&b, worried for the child and want to do the right thing vs. wondering if you should mind your own business. If it were me I would talk to the Mom at pickup time by saying that her daughter said, blah, blah and ask her if there is a problem or if the child was mistaken. That might be a good way to open a dialogue. As far as what you say after that, well it's up to your conscience.

[Crayola kiddies]

Maybe if you had a spare booster seat to loan her to could open the conversation that way saying xxxx mentioned you forgot the carseat in a friends car I have one here for you to borrow as I wouldn't want anything to happen to her or you to get a ticket ."

[Skysue]

Maybe if you had a spare booster seat to loan her to could open the conversation that way saying xxxx mentioned you forgot the coarsest in a friends car I have one here for you to borrow as I wouldn't want anything to happen to her or you to get a ticket ."


Dido that's all I would do. The chidhood could have also been misinformed, my D.D gets upset if we don't use her favorite car seat and she has 3.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I will not 'knowingly' release a child if they do not have the proper car seat ... its right in my handbook that anyone picking up the child MUST have the proper restraint system in the vehicle if not the child will not be released and any 'late fees' would be charged until someone could show up with the proper restraint .... the other option to avoid a late fee would be to walk home, take a bus or call a cab which as 'public transit' do not require car seats ... my clients all know I am a certified carseat installation technician and therefore am anal about car seat safety!

If you are not sure I would open a dialogue with the client and ASK ... if she claims she has one and it is a mistake by the child and you are still not 'sure' I would watch to see she put her in one and if she DID NOT than I would call the police and report that while you tried to inform the client of the dangers that a child just left your premises with the child not properly restrained and they will send a car to either 'educate' her on the risk or ticket her .... this is what we had to do in centre care when we saw people not properly and legally restraining to reduce our liability as we are legally required as professionals to report suspected 'neglect/abuse' of a child and that is definitely neglect ... at least than you have done your due diligence if the kid gets injured or killed between your home and her own because she was no restrained properly in the car you did everything within your power to prevent that!

[Crayola kiddies]

I too have it in my policy book that I will not release a child to anybody without the proper restraints

[Cares]

I think it's a GREAT idea to have that as a policy!

[Dreamalittledream]

A hypothetical question...

A child gets dropped off at your house for care (5 years old) and she was not in her car seat. Do you say anything? Call anyone?

She later tells you that her mom left the car seat in someone elses car. The child knows better and was very upset without her carseat. Mom is aggressive with the child and forces her in the vehicle.

Any comments?
Very tough position to be put in! I just know that personally, should anything happen I would not want it on my conscience that I didn't try in some way to come to the defense of a child.

[kidlove]

I agree with offering to loan a car seat if you have one available....other than that? I would mind my own business. You can't blame yourself if something happens to the child when they are not in your care. It's up to the Mom to keep the child safe once the exchange of care takes place. You putting the child in a car with no seat is your problem, the parent choosing to do so is their responsibility. Lending a care seat is a great idea...I also have extras in the garage to lend. You have to think back to the days when car seats weren't even required. When I was little we got into a really bad car accident and the only one who was hurt in any way was my baby sis, she was in a car seat and bruised very deeply by the restraint. now am I saying car seats are worse than none at all? no way! they are required by law for reason but not the end of the world if not used. :) IMO...I try to draw the line when the shift in authority happens. Its the Mom's choice to put her child in possible danger with no care seat. Now if there was any form of abuse I would step in.

[Inspired by Reggio]

... IMO...I try to draw the line when the shift in authority happens. Its the Mom's choice to put her child in possible danger with no care seat....

I wish it were this simple in our world today ... for me knowingly allowing a parent to 'break the law' while on MY property concerns me liability wise ... what they do at home, off my property and without my knowledge is none of my business for sure but HERE on my property I have a due diligence still as a business owner and as a professional regardless of them being 'their kid'.

It is kinda like the stupidity of our justice system that if I have a party in my home and choose to serve alcohol and someone is stupid enough to than get behind the wheel and drive despite all the education about NOT drinking and driving and it being illegal if they get in an accident I can than be held liable and sued even though it was not ME who was driving or even in the vehicle just because they consumed the booze on MY property ... therefore if someone TRIED to leave my house after having drank anything and DRIVE I would have no choice but to call the cops to 'prevent' any liability for myself and do my due diligence to prevent harm to anyone .... same here if I knowingly allow a parent to leave my business / property without their child properly restrained and that child is than injured I do not want to than be held 'liable' for not having prevented that from occurring ... might be a very slim chance of that ever happening to me but having a simple paragraph in my handbook that states what will happen if they TRY reduces the changes further and well than clients KNOW what will happen if they were to still try it.