Had to hold a mother's hand today as she filled our a police report because her child's school put him on a bus to an after-school program he wasn't supposed to be in. Luckily, children usually tell their crazy plans to other children and he was located, safe and sound.

It's made me thankful I don't have children to worry about, but also makes me wonder about the safety of your kiddos.

So this is your friendly, neighborhood child-care provider PSA:

1. Always make sure you send your child with a note and that his or her teacher understands that without a note, they should only be dismissed a certain way.

2. Make sure if you use child-care, you are choosing a licensed program. Licensed programs are required to have a schedule of children attending and we are also trained to follow missing child procedures.

I hope those of you with children never have to go through the situation this parent endured today.

EDIT: Child care for you children? As opposed to child care for your petunias? yeah...



[This message has been edited by esiws (edited 4/16/2010 11:57p).]

What school was this? For as long as I can remember, all the schools in CSISD have required a note from home for kids to do anything that's out of the normal routine. When our son was in elementary school, we even had to call his afterschool care if he wasn't going to be there (such as when he left early for Dr. or DDS appts).

This is so true. On my 7 year old's first day of first grade he told them he was a car rider (despite ALL paperwork from us saying he was a day-care bus rider). I work in a city about 30 minutes away, and at 3:45 I get a call from his day-care saying he wasn't on the bus, had we picked him up? Called my husband and he hadn't picked him up, so I called the school. Nice young idiot working in the front office informs me my child has been "picked up in the car line." Panic set in. I didn't get him, daddy didn't get him... WHO'S car had he left in?!? Talked to the day-care again. They were sending the bus back to check. Dad left for the school. I've still got nice young idiot on the phone while she "attempts to locate my kid." Dad calls and says kiddo is NOW safe with him, they are at the school. He was in the office, with a name tag on sitting across from nice young idiot the whole time. Apparently he told them he was a car rider but when no-one came for him, he was sent to the office.

GRRRR!!!!! I love, love, love my day-care for noticing he wasn't on the bus and calling me immediately. I don't know when the school was planning on calling me. They said they couldn't find our number despite the fact that EVERY form I filled out had our home, cell AND work numbers (both mine and my husband's).

Now, in the school's defense, it was the first day of school in a brand new school. We laugh about it now- since in reality he was safe the whole time, but it wasn't funny then. I can't begin to tell you how scary it was.... Incidentally, they have a policy that you have to notify them in writing prior to 2:30 when transportation changes. I don't know WHY they decided to listen to a 6 year old (at the time).

Edit: now you see why I don't trust them to paddle my children?


[This message has been edited by TxElsie (edited 4/17/2010 10:07p).]

All schools should require a note, end of discussion. However, I think too many times parents don't send one and then wonder why no one believed little Susie when she said she was supposed to be a car-rider.

In this case, a child hopped into a line they weren't supposed to be in and got lost in the shuffle. The biggest issue is when he got onto a bus for a program he wasn't scheduled to attend, they took him anyway and never thought to question.

Makes me sick that the program in question is still in operation.