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

When it comes to child safety, no organization does it perfectly. The goal is to continually improve protections over time. Back-to-School is an opportunity to review what has worked and what needs improvement.

By prioritizing child safety, you make a positive first impression on new families, provide peace of mind for regular attendees, and improve your child safety effectiveness.

Here are some safeguarding tips to help kick off the new school year.

 

 

 

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 that 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 valuable for identifying potential risks, hazards, and threats. Consider allowing them to train at your facility.
  • Document and store incident photos
  • Use secure check-in and check-out procedures

Health and 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 emergencies.
  • Pay attention to students’ mental health. Provide resources and support for those struggling with anxiety, stress, or other mental health issues.

Classroom & Facility

  • Remove excessive clutter from classrooms, hallways, and exit pathways to minimize congestion and allow easy movement.
  • Ensure 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 outlines visitor entry procedures. Ensure all visitors wear visible identification and sign in before entering children’s areas.
  • Confirm that 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 for any activity.
  • Ramp up training and education to ensure everyone understands the guidelines.
  • Complete a background check on everyone with direct access to kids & youth.
  • Familiarize yourself with your state’s mandated reporting
  • Create policies that reduce isolation and increase accountability. Predators need isolation and privacy to commit offenses.
  • Keep thorough attendance records.

 Social Media Safety

  • Communicate your policies to families, staff, and volunteers.
  • Ensure families are aware of your smartphone and social media posting policies when participating in child or youth programs.
  • Encourage families to research apps and online programs that help parents control and monitor internet use and manage devices.
  • Prompt families to open 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 foster a supportive environment.
  • Encourage kids to report bullying and address issues promptly and effectively.
  • Teach acceptance. When kids understand what it means to be inclusive and to celebrate each other’s differences, they are less likely to bully others.
  • Establish what bullying looks like in your organization and which behaviors are appropriate and inappropriate. This helps kids feel empowered to speak out against it.
  • Encourage kids to become effective bystanders and to stand up for each other. This is an effective way for kids to respond to and end bullying.

If you are considering using a modern digital check-in solution, join us for a demo and learn first-hand why thousands of organizations trust and partner with us for their child and youth check-in needs.

We also offer mobile Express Check-in, Check-in Station Pro, and our live support, available six days a week, including Sunday morning.

For more safety tips, training information, and how to develop an emergency response plan, subscribe to the KidCheck blog or connect with us on X, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash