Nanny cams

While this is primarily dedicated to home day cares what are the thoughts about using a nanny cam in your own home?

I am assuming it wouldn't be used unless there were suspicians of wrong doing. I have seen it often on tv movies, etc. Assuming we are not talking about getting criminal evidence of film here though.

My concerns are two fold. One it takes everything out of context so you are left guessing at what transpired. You might hear the caregiver chasing your child around the house saying get back here you lion and you immediately jump to the conclusion your caregiver is mistreating the child but what you can't possibly know is that the group read a book about animals that got loose from the zoo and they are playing a game with each child pretending to be an animals and the caregiver as the zoo keeper has to bring them back to the zoo.

If a caregiver's reaction seems excessive what you don't know is that this might be the umpteenth time over several days the caregiver has had to reprimand the child for the same infraction and yes we deal with things differently as the offence is repeated.

Another issue is what does the parent intend to do with the information. A child should not have to go to care everyday knowing that at suppertime the parent is going to grill them on everything they saw them do. A child honestly doesn't always remember what they were doing or pretending or thinking at each moment of the day and that is the way kids should be.

Because our homes are still private space it would be interesting to know what the legal ramifications of this would be.

If a parent has concerns about their child's care they should simply remove them and find a new daycare situation. If the parent is so paranoid they can't function at work and instead spend their days with their eyes glued to their computer camera then they should probably do the company a favour and quit work and stay home with their child.

I wouldn't do it... and I don't see how a parent could manage it without my consenting. I am confident in my care, but I completely agree that things could be taken out of context. I would not want to feel that every little thing I am doing could be called into question.
I also agree that if a parent cannot feel confident in the care, it is not the right care situation. And if they don't feel comfortable in ANY care situation, then working outside the home/ not having 'in-home' care is not the right thing for them.

I can see this issue from both sides. As a caregiver, I wouldn't want my privacy breeched by having cameras in my home that capture not only what I do with the daycare kids, but also what I do in my own private time with my family. I do wonder if there would be some legal issues with it as well. However, I often hear caregivers saying that parents should trust them 100% or find another caregiver...I have a hard time with this because, as a parent, when I had my kids in daycare, I could never have trusted the providers 100% much as I wanted to. I liked and respected my caregivers and felt that my kids were safe and well cared for, but there was always an element of worry about what went on behind closed doors. Abuse does happen and as a parent, I think you can't help but worry a bit. I would not and did not use a nanny cam, but I did go to one daycare centre where they had webcams in the playroom that parents could watch live through the internet and as a parent of a baby who I really did not want to leave, that idea actually really appealed to me. I know that it is different in a centre than in home daycares, because our homes are our private spaces. However, I also feel that when we are working, our homes become work places and no longer private spaces and we should be open to some scrutiny from parents (drop in visits as long as they take the kids home, etc). I don't feel offended in any way by the thought that the parents don't trust me 100% as long as the trust is not so low that they question every little thing. I think it is just a fact of daycare that parents often worry...and with good reason...their children are being raised by strangers! So, I can understand the temptation to use a nanny cam, although I would definitely feel violated if I found out one had been used in my home. I just really see both sides on this!

Not a snowballs chance in hell. If a parent is that suspcious of my care, then my daycare is not for them. Seriously, if a parent is concerned to that extent, it's time to quit your job and stay home.

I am both a mom and day home provider in Alberta. I am totally against Nanny Cams. I believe that parent's use Nanny Cam's because they are concerned about the level of care their child is receiving (for example suspected abuse or neglect). I feel that parents should go with their gut. If you suspect your child is receiving inadequate care then find a new provider- immediately! Don't set up a Nanny Cam and wait for your child to fall victim to something. Forget the Nanny Cam and listen to your gut.

Wow, this is an old thread!

Anyway, there have been news stories recently of parents slipping hidden cameras (the most recent one was in a PEN in a diaper bag) into items their child brings to the daycare like diaper bags, stuffed toys etc.

If I EVER found a camera like this I would immediately terminate the family and be keeping that damned camera. I don't allow ANY outside things like diaper bags, strollers, car seats etc to be brought back and forth each day. EVERYTHING a child has here is kept here and NOT passed back and forth. The only exception to this is outdoor wear and that all goes into a closet for exactly the reasons we are discussing here.

Here is my problem with it....first off, it breaches MY privacy. Second, it is illegal in Canada. The law states that it becomes illegal if you tape someone without their knowledge in a place that is percieved as "private". So, my home is private. A public washroom is private. A park is NOT private. KWIM?

I also have a problem with the fact that it tapes OTHER children. As a daycare parent I would be pretty irate and upset to find out some parent took it upon themselves to tape MY child in an attempt to catch the daycare provider. That breaches the privacy of ALL the dckids in my care.

I know I will catch some flack here but.....when you chose to place your child in daycare there ARE inherent risks that you accept. It is no different than when I allow my child to go to a Boy Scouts camp on the weekend - by doing that I accept the risks involved in that. I would HOPE he would be safe and secure and that no one would do him harm but the fact is that this is a world where stuff like that DOES happen. Does it happen often? No! There are far more good people than bad people. But it does happen.

When you drop off your child to the care of someone unknown to you then you accept the risks of that decision at the expense of your child. I think it is very unfair to off-load the responsibility of YOUR risks onto the daycare provider who, in all likelyhood is just trying to do her job.

Besides, if you have THAT much suspicion that something is wrong and your child is being treated unfairly that you feel the need to secretly tape a provider then WHY are you sending your child there at all???? It is all well and good to tape someone and PROVE that they are, in deed, harming your child but the damage is already done at that point. If you were really worried and that concerned for your child then you should just stop sending them to that care environment.

I 100% agree with you "Judy Trickett"
I treat all the children here the same as I do my own... that means sometimes I raise my voice... a lot of parents wouldnt appreciate that but that is how I get the point across after many many times of asking... I dont hit them, neglect them, etc... but everyone has a different standard on how their child should be treated. I have had parents tell me to hit their kids and others that would flip if I yelled so... If your child doesnt like it at the day home and fights when it is time to go there, find a new one. Otherwise trust your caregiver!!!!

all bags go directly into the closet, or in the garage, my case closet, they only come out when the parents come later. Another caregiver once told me trust no one ever since that day I use the closet. There are always over protective parents no matter what, or just suspcious by nature, after all we do have their most precious possession!