Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Center Problem
Unregistered 05:22 PM 08-22-2015
Hello everyone. Long time reader, but first time poster. I have always worked at daycare centers someone else owns. I started working at my current center a year ago. When someone is sick we get like a temp work. This one temp worker seemed good, but one of my coworkers who likes to gossip says she let a child wonder out of the building. I didn't say anything because I didn't see it and we have cameras. The coworker told the owners. Nothing was done. I assumed it was untrue. This temp has been working here often since then. I've never directly worked with her. She was nice. On Friday, I was taking my kids outside and I saw she left the gate open and one of the children had wandered out. I spoke to her about this and she didn't get it. She said that's how we should do it. I talked to my coworker who saw her do it before. She said not to complain as nothing was done when she complained. What would you do? I am very disturbed by this.
Reply
Thriftylady 05:32 PM 08-22-2015
I would say something for sure. If you don't and something happens how will you feel? Above and beyond that if you don't and something happens to a child, it could go against you. Report it to your director, tell her you have heard through the grapevine this has happened before.
Reply
finsup 05:43 PM 08-22-2015
I would say something too. Just go in and say "I had a situation come up that I feel like I need to inform you about and am wondering how to handle it." just explain what happened. Even if your coworker feels like nothing was done, maybe the employee was just given a warning? Assuming you're reporting to the same person, I wouldn't bring up the first time as they would already be aware of it. If it's someone different I would say "I did bring it up with so and so to get their perspective and was informed it had happened before and was reported to so and so."
Reply
Play Care 06:27 AM 08-23-2015
Originally Posted by finsup:
I would say something too. Just go in and say "I had a situation come up that I feel like I need to inform you about and am wondering how to handle it." just explain what happened. Even if your coworker feels like nothing was done, maybe the employee was just given a warning? Assuming you're reporting to the same person, I wouldn't bring up the first time as they would already be aware of it. If it's someone different I would say "I did bring it up with so and so to get their perspective and was informed it had happened before and was reported to so and so."
The first part for sure. But I wouldn't bring up that you know it's happened before no matter who you are reporting too. I've never worked in centers, but I get the feeling that they treat any employees talking amongst themselves as "gossip"
Reply
Febby 07:09 AM 08-23-2015
Originally Posted by Play Care:
The first part for sure. But I wouldn't bring up that you know it's happened before no matter who you are reporting too. I've never worked in centers, but I get the feeling that they treat any employees talking amongst themselves as "gossip"
A lot of them do, yes. It does depend on your director, though. Some really don't care.

I would definitely still say something to your director. Since you didn't see the first incident and since you're not part of the directing staff, you don't know the details of that. There may be a reason the temp worker didn't get fired over it.

Also, I don't know what state you're in, but in my state, if a child wanders off (or gets left behind) in an "unsupervised" state and licensing finds out, then they'll call CPS. CPS comes in and does an abuse/neglect situation. If CPS finds out you knew about the situation and didn't inform your director, then they can investigate abuse/neglect against you. It's unusual, but it happens. I've never seen anyone actually get convicted in one of those situations, but there's an open CPS investigation on you, that shows up on your background checks here and most centers won't hire you.

You could also probably report your center to licensing for the incident(s).
Reply
pandamom 09:15 AM 08-23-2015
I work in a center too. I'd bring this up with the director asap. Purposely not securing a gate and allowing children to wander without a caregiver is a huge accountability issue.

You never know if that child is going wander down the street, someone picks them up, etc.

I would let the director know that other people have said they witnessed the same. This way the director can talk to these other peoe and determine how to handle it. See if it's a mistake, intentional, all the time thing or occasional.

At my center, if a child is left unattended, we immediately call parents to let them know what happened. An incident report is written.
Reply
Sugar Magnolia 10:13 AM 08-24-2015
If you witnessed another employee leave a child unattended, who wandered out of a gate, you are probably REQUIRED BY LAW to report this. If you don't, you COULD be held responsible as much as the temp is. Absolutely report to your director.
Reply
Tags:temp agency, temp worker
Reply Up