There are many cost-effective ways to secure your church daycare or preschool facility. In this post, we share:
8 Best Practices for Church Daycare Security
using a combination of policies, procedures and technology to protect the children and employees in your care.
Scroll to read all tips, watch a 5-minute video webinar on church daycare security, and view the tips in summary form in a graphic.
Develop Policies & Procedures Manual
If you don’t already have a policies and procedures manual for your daycare center management, this is where you should start.
At a minimum, require sign-in and sign-out showing who is dropping children off each day and who is picking up each child, the time of arrival and time of departure.
Limit the Number of Access Points In/Out of Facility
If possible, you should limit the number of access points into and out of the daycare, nursery and/or preschool areas of your facility.
In older churches, you may have limitations that make this harder to do. New churches often have more flexibility. For facilities in development, the architect and building committees should take physical security and premises access control into consideration as part of the design process.
Secure The Main Entrances & Exits With Locks or Electronic Access Control Technology
Whether you have one entrance/exit or several points of entrance, make sure each point of external access is secured with locks.
Electronic access control technology can provide an added measure of security, especially when you have a small staff and the door provides direct access to the street or parking area.
Install HD Video Cameras To Monitor Entrances/Exits
Ideally, you will install high-definition video security cameras to record time-stamped video of all entrances/exits to your facility and the car drop off area.
Time-stamped video is extremely valuable in the event a child is missing because it helps direct search/rescue efforts and saves valuable time.
High-definition video is more useful than analog CCTV cameras because HD video makes it much easier to identify an persons who left with a child.
HD video over IP allows for remote monitoring, as well, in the event of an after-hours incident (such as trespassing, vandalism, break-ins) or if a serious emergency is unfolding.
Install Panic Buttons At Key Locations
“Panic buttons” are technology that allows for remote notification of law enforcement and emergency personnel in the event of a crisis situation.
Panic buttons should be installed at key locations around the facility. Good options include the administrator’s office, hallways, and classrooms.
Install Deadbolts on Classroom Doors for Lockdown Situations
We highly recommend using affordable deadbolt technology on all classroom doors. Deadbolts should be controlled from inside the classroom to allow teachers to lock intruders out.
A master deadbolt key should always be stored securely in the administrator’s office or elsewhere in the facility in the event of a hostage situation inside the classroom.
Use Video Surveillance Cameras To Monitor Common Areas
Common areas include locations such as playgrounds, hallways and entrances to restrooms.
Use Cameras In the Classrooms to Protect Staff
Cameras inside the nursery and classrooms can be invaluable in the event a claim is made against one or more staff members or teachers. The video footage can be used to exonerate the innocent and help with risk management, in general.
Cameras inside classrooms can also give peace of mind to parents and help reduce incidents of bullying for facilities caring for older children.
Annual Security Audits
Review your policies, procedures and technology on an ongoing basis to make sure the policies are being followed and technology is working as intended.
An annual audit is important to ensure your technology is current and that you’re following best practices.
Visit this page for our comprehensive presentation on church security best practices. [coming soon]
Vulcan Security Systems in Birmingham Alabama is a provider of IP video security monitoring systems for churches, daycare providers, private schools and other commercial real property throughout Central and North Alabama.
Contact Vulcan Security Systems today for your church security needs assessment.
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Telephone: 205-290-9404
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Email: info@VulcanSecuritySystems.com
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Website form available here.
