Andreamay Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 Can I please ask do you have a seperate 'written' policy for this? Andrea
Guest Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 I have been told by the Head to ask for written permission from the parent/carer (maintained nursery). x
HappyMaz Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 I didn't have a separate policy, no. Just made sure it was explicit in the child collection/safeguarding policies, as appropriate. 1
Andreamay Posted May 23, 2013 Author Posted May 23, 2013 Thanks Maz - but are there any acceptions? for eg a 15 year old brother with written parents permission?
HappyMaz Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 Maybe you would need to allow the 15 year old to collect if the parent wanted them to. At 15 he'd probably be considered old enough to babysit for the family at night, so you'd have a hard time refusing to let him take the child if the parent had specifically asked for this to happen. And in any case, what if you get young teenage parents bringing their child to the setting - they'd be able to take their child home, wouldn't they? You wouldn't ask a 15 year old mother to come back with the child's granny. Honestly, this is a real thorny issue. I think I would take advice from the Local Authority - this is too complicated to get my brain around. However, I guess it all comes down to whether you think the person collecting the child is suitably mature, and that is always going to be a little bit subjective, isn't it? Sorry - classic bit of not-at-all-helpful-advice from me there!
SueJ Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 We have a policy statement that says we will not release a child to a minor (including older sibling) unless that minor has parental responsibility for the child (which covers us for teenage parents!). We explain this to parents when they complete our admissions documentation (which asks for contact details for others they give collection permission to). We have had no complaints about this approach and our parents consider this to be a responsible attitude to who can/can't collect. 2
dreamgirl Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 It is in my eyfs policy that no one under 18 can collect a nursery child. Am in a school nursery.
finleysmaid Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 It is in my eyfs policy that no one under 18 can collect a nursery child. Am in a school nursery. So as Happy Maz says what happens if you have a teenage parent?
dreamgirl Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 Well, lets see now! I guess we would have to make an exception for the child's own mother!!!!!!! Think that is a given, really. Our policy protects our children from being picked up by all and sundry. Some of our children our collected by quite a wide range of adults, and I am not comfortable letting them go with 12 or 13 year olds on an inset day from secondary school and the parent isn't home from work till 8 pm. However if I let them, the parents would avail themselves of that opportunity.
finleysmaid Posted May 23, 2013 Posted May 23, 2013 The issue here dreamgirl is that you are then in breech of your policies. I agree that young children should not be picked up by other young ones but then maybe the policy needs to state that, so if the policy stated that only parents or adults over the age of 16 should pick up then that would work ...wouldn't it?
Upsy Daisy Posted May 24, 2013 Posted May 24, 2013 Just out of interest - how did you decide on the age of 16, rather than 18 as the minimum age? Is there a difference in law or is that the age you would consider them old enough to take responsibility?
Rea Posted May 24, 2013 Posted May 24, 2013 There is no legal age at which a child can babysit though is there? I thought under 16s could babysit, but if anything were to go wrong the parent would be responsible, over 16 and the babysitter would be responsible. Not sure where I read it. Can you get the parents to sign a disclaimer?
finleysmaid Posted May 24, 2013 Posted May 24, 2013 Just out of interest - how did you decide on the age of 16, rather than 18 as the minimum age? Is there a difference in law or is that the age you would consider them old enough to take responsibility? IMO you are legally entitled to do most things at 16 (apart from drinking and driving in this country) but it is also the legal age for sex and marriage so it is more likely that parents will be this age or over (IYSWIM!) this area has a high proportion of teenage pregnancies but i do think most 16 year olds would be quite used to looking after siblings and would expect to be able to pick them up (we have several brothers who collect who are this age) .
Guest Posted June 10, 2013 Posted June 10, 2013 Our policy says responsible known adult or parent - we do have a minor who is a parent
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