Thoughts on daycare posting pictures on website, facebook

decemberbride09

Hello! I am in process of looking for a new daycare provider for my 13 month old and several sites post pictures of the kids playing on public forums- facebook, business website, etc. I am wondering how others feel about daycare posting pictures online of your kids? I realize that they may have a permission slip asking you before they do it, but sometimes I feel like I am the only one who does not want pictures posted online. Just looking to see what others think about this, maybe I am overreacting? Several places that have great accreditation and reputations post tons of pics of the kids on facebook, that I can see without having a child in the center. I am ok with asking the site not to photograph my kid, but then I wonder if this means they will exclude him from things unintentionally. Am I being too overprotective?

Thanks everyone.  

groovygrl

I opted not to sign the photo release at our school.

Mustardseed2007

I signed it but I'm pretty sure if we had not it wouldn't have effected my kid had I not. They will just look through a list when they are picking and cropping photos to be used. Actually at DDs school it was a detailed release-you could sign for limited permission to have pictures posted only in the hall or on their physical bulletin board, only on the parent website, or for advertising/ fundraising for the school. I found that kind of remarkable that they gave that level of detail but I agreed to all of it.

ds's school doesn't post pictures of kids outside the password protected parent website but it wouldn't bother me if they did. That's just me though, and I think it's normal to be cautious if you want to be.

junebugrbig

catbenatar said:

As long as there's no names attached, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

This...I use an in-home provider and she shares photos from time to time with the parents on FB.  No names are used.  Great seeing the kids having fun!

jlaOK

I signed the photo release for our daycare although they mostly just print pictures and put them on the bulletin board in the main hallway.

As sad as it may be, you can't 100% keep your kids off the internet.  There have been other daycare moms who have posted pictures of my kid on FB.  I'm not friends with them and have found out through mutual friends seeing the pictures.  Doesn't necessarily bother me but it is slightly weird to know you can't control your digital footprint.

snicksnack

I Work in PR so you need to make sure you understand photo releases. The center will have you sign one that allows them to use the photo anyway they chose essentially if you don’t sign it they can’t take photos to use in the classroom cubbies etc... My center had me write on it for center use only meaning they can use them in house but not anywhere else. I told my director no social use and if they had a picture they wanted to use for marketing to contact me and I would review the picture. Some schools, often not daycares, have the release as part of the application basically making you sign it so make sure to look at applications closely if this concerns you. There are strict laws surrounding kids and unless the center is corporate run they may not realize that. Whenever I am running an event I have legal involved if kids are coming, but legally if I have a public event I can post kids pictures all I want because it is part of a public event that media was invited to, although my company never does that.

emberlee3

My kids' school has a Facebook page, but it's a closed group. They only post pictures if parents give permission. I know some parents did not give permission, but is has no effect on the kids' participation. I gave permission, and I enjoy seeing the pictures.

mlee116

Our DC has a Facebook page, but I think its pretty rare that they actually post pictures (it's more for announcements).  But since it is a closed group, I wouldn't mind since I am familiar with almost all the parents on there.  I don't think a website would bother me as long as there aren't names attached.

jlaOK said:

As sad as it may be, you can't 100% keep your kids off the internet.  There have been other daycare moms who have posted pictures of my kid on FB.  I'm not friends with them and have found out through mutual friends seeing the pictures.  Doesn't necessarily bother me but it is slightly weird to know you can't control your digital footprint.

I also agree with this.  I'm not a big fan of people posting or sharing my child's picture on their FB because it just kind of give me the creeps not knowing who can see it and I am pretty private, but at the same time, I think some exposure is inevitable.  As a general rule, I would never post a photo of someone else's child without their permission.

ccam

It wouldn't bother me, but it would bother DH so we would opt out, too.

ss+el

Our school's facebook page is closed, so I signed the release. There's a small chance he'll end up in a brochure someday, or if the paper comes and takes a picture for something the school is doing, and I can live with that. We also don't live in the area the school is in, which helps. No chance of him walking home or anything like that, and you have to have a passkey to get in to afterschool to pick him up.

ss265

Glad to know that I wasn't the only parent hesitant to sign the photo release at DC. The director at the time looked really taken aback that I would question it and not sign it. I ended up giving them the photo release because they needed the authorization to take pictures of DS and display them over his cubby, crib etc. She did mention that they usually ask the parents before posting pictures on social media but legally they don't have to notify me. Thinking about it now though, it's not really a big deal to me plus DC doesn't really post pictures of kids on FB.

[Deleted User]

They ask permission.  There are several families who have custody arrangements that refer to social media.  

cedenton

Mine doesn't do it without permission and they very rarely post pictures. Honestly, I wish they posted a lot more, but to a private site for parents only. I wish I could see a little more in depth into what he does each day.

[Deleted User]

Our school takes pictures of the kiddos frequently.  They don't post them.  They print them out and give them to us.  

We did a fundraiser (cookie dough) and the money bought cameras for each class.  It's a nice touch and was yummy cookies.

MickeyM04

We signed the permission slip saying it was okay to post them on the website and on their FB page.  I kind of was meh about it but they actually hardly post anything anyway.  Also it's nice because they have a video screen when you walk in that has a slide show of pictures of all the kids playing and engaging in things that week and I think the permission slip was for that too.  I certainly don't care if other parents at the center see pictures of my kids.  And ditto to PP who said it's nice to see the kids having fun and doing stuff.  I would almost be more concerned if there was no photographic evidence of what happened during the day. 

[Deleted User]

PrivacyWanted said:

@MarlaSinger&‌ what cookie dough company did they use if you know? I'm running our PTO fundraisers this year and want good options

https://littlelambsfundraising.com/

Cookie dough is the only fundraiser in which I will participate.  It's actually useful and not really overpriced.  I like having frozen cookie dough in my freezer because it makes great last minute somethings to take places.  I made cookie sandwiches with my fundraiser cookies (cookies with icing in the middle). 

emberlee3

We used the same cookie dough as PP. It was yummy!

Pips09

I'm also not comfortable with my kid's pictures being posted online. We did not sign the photo release at our daycare.

KayteeGee

Doesn't bother me, but I've also allowed DS to be a "model" and our family Xmas picture was used on the cover of a local family magazine... so maybe I'm not a good one to ask. ha. But really, as long as no names are attached, I don't have any problem with it.

shakinros

Our last DC had a closed Facebook group and this one doesn't take any pics for anything. I preferred getting to see photos of dd playing during the day!

lifeinthedreamhouse

I don't think there is a problem with it. I've been asked to sign releases at each daycare my kids have gone to.

heatherwhite1984

where i work we have a release with a few options (1) photos/videos can be shared online (facebook and website) and it is noted that our program is not responsible for who then takes images off the site (2) photos/videos can only be used in the classroom (3) no photos/videos taken at all.

in my classroom we have a policy of no cell phones/cameras in the classroom. if parents have a call, they must use it in the hallway. cell phones can take quick and discrete photos these days, and we don't want to chance it with the confidentiality of children/families.

where ds goes, they have a paper for each event they are doing and if we are okay if they go in the local newspaper, or if an outside program comes, if they can take pictures, or student interns. daycare provider takes pictures but those only stay in the classroom. they do not post pictures on their facebook page. the student intern wanted to post pictures from her time there to post on her facebook page, weird. i quickly said no to that and even her taking pictures of ds!

tatithomas

I didn't sign the photo release

di0607

Our daycare has a closed Facebook group that only parents are part of. If a child leaves, the parents are promptly removed. The highlight of my lunch is seeing what my kiddo did that morning. I also am Facebook friends with my son's teacher and am able to contact her anytime with any questions after hours.

MNgirl326

I signed the release- as long as his name isn't one the photo I am cool with it.

They haven't really done much online a picture here or there on the website and i know when my sons picture was selected i was called and informed and they asked permission- even though they already had the release. 

But they did do a video and use it for advertising purposes to bring in new families.  I'm totally fine with that.  They need families to keep our prices what they are and not raise them and to keep doing what they are doing.  So if an advertising video is what they to help generate tours and buisiness- go for it.

ASmallWonder

I guess I'm confused about people's reluctance to have their child's picture online.  I mean, all it is is a virtual version of our world.  Every time you take your kid to the park, people are looking at them.

[Deleted User]

elmoali said:

I guess I'm confused about people's reluctance to have their child's picture online.  I mean, all it is is a virtual version of our world.  Every time you take your kid to the park, people are looking at them.

I don't put my own pix online. So by extension, my child's isn't posted. It's my personal comfort level.

Going to the park isn't the equivalent to the permanancy of posting online, imo.

I don't have a paranoia that some creeper will oogle DS's picture. I'm just not a fan of it for us.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

ASmallWonder

MarlaSinger& said:

elmoali said:

I guess I'm confused about people's reluctance to have their child's picture online.  I mean, all it is is a virtual version of our world.  Every time you take your kid to the park, people are looking at them.

I don't put my own pix online. So by extension, my child's isn't posted. It's my personal comfort level.

Going to the park isn't the equivalent to the permanancy of posting online, imo.

I don't have a paranoia that some creeper will oogle DS's picture. I'm just not a fan of it for us.

I'm not judging mind you I just am not really clear what the concern is. I truly don't care if a picture of me lives on forever online because I definitely only post things that are appropriate. Again I'm not saying you wouldn't lol.

[Deleted User]

I know you weren't, @elmoali‌ . No worries.

decemberbride09

thanks everyone, this was all helpful. The daycare I am considering has a public FB page with TONS of pictures of the kids (literally hundreds), with the parents tagged in most of them. So I think it's mostly for the families but it bugs me that it's public. The dc looks great otherwise. I just wanted to get a sense of how others felt about it, I think I am a little paranoid about it for several reasons, but since i'm a FTM I wasnt sure if I was overreacting or not. I'll talk to them about it and probably just won't sign the release. I did that at his past dc and they were fine with it.

KelliHammond

Facebook automatically stores, forever, the facial recognition data of every photo that is posted on its web site -- even if that photo is later removed. in addition, Facebook was originally funded and incubated in part by In-Q-Tel, which is the CIA's venture capital arm. Facebook also stores and archives all data posted, forever, regardless if that information is changed or removed later on.

One should ask, why is the CIA involved in financially supporting a hugely successful web site that collects the myriad details of everyone's life, including the details of our children's lives? This includes data at the biological level, that is, facial recognition data.

Even if a name is not associated with a photo, the photo is biologically fingerprinted and this is for forever. There is no turning back the clock and changing anything.

I recommend not posting anything about your children online. Facebook is not for your pleasure. It is for collecting information about you and your activities, and everyone you know.

I work in the field of Big Data Business Intellligence, and I have also worked in the field of public relations (aka, legalized propaganda). Collecting large data sets on populations is in the best interest of governments that do not trust their own citizens. It is not in the best interest of the citizens who own and pay for those governments, however.