Are the doors to you child's preschool or daycare always locked?

meghans30 · September 2011

This is the second year Kayson is attending a well established, church based pre-k. We really like it, but a new director started this fall. I understand she is not going to do things 100% like the former director did, but safety is just not something I am willing ti bend on. The main door has always been locked in the past; parents were required to buzz in and state who he/she was picking up. This year, the door is never locked at pick up. Today the teachers were supervising the children (maybe 20 of them) in the room closest to the door because the director leaves at 4 and no one is in the office to buzz parents. My feeling is that the teachers need to be focused on watching the kids , not the door and frankly, I want the door locked at all times. I plan on calling ans asking the director why the door is unlocked in the afternoon. Unreasonable? If the door remains unlocked, would this be a deal breaker for you? We have paid the year.

Makinroom4baby · September 2011

I'd just ask them to explain to you what precautions are being taken now that the doors are left unlocked at pickup time.

JenninMA · September 2011

Yes. Each parent has their own keycode to enter the building. It's in a beautiful, very safe neighborhood, but I appreciate knowing that strangers can't access the building.

JOEBunny · September 2011

DD went to a pre-k at a University. Because the building was owned by the University and they occasionally used it for meetings and whatever, they were not allowed to lock the doors. I didn't mind because their were always people about who would question people who looked out of place, but the University is in a good area, not a lot of homeless people or random walkers. The other two schools she has attended are in areas that have more "walk in" traffic and a lot more homeless/questionable people and they had locks.

I prefer that her school has locks, which the school she attends for elementay does, but only because of this case

https://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dunwoody-day-care-killing-812847.html

where the defendents wife worked under one of my friends and another friend sent her DD to the daycare with their older child, not that locks would have prevented this, but there is no accounting for crazy.

MrsPilz · September 2011

The center I worked for did not lock the doors. But with how nosy most of the staff is/was you wouldnt make it to the door without being noticed and people wondering who you are and why you were there. But I also live in a smaller city in central wisconsin...

superslug · September 2011

Ours are locked except at drop off and pick up time, but the director is there at the door at those times and everyone has to scan their child's card to check them in and out. No one is let back into the classroom area unless they have scanned their card. Once school starts the doors are locked and you have to ring the outside doorbell to be let in. My mom is a director of a preschool and the doors at her center are always locked. Parent have to knock on the door to the office to be let in.

mrs.wimn · September 2011

Always locked- parents & staff have keycards to scan at the door & get in. Anyone else has to ring the doorbell. It's a fairly large center, and even though there's always someone in the lobby area because that's where the offices are, I like the security.

meghans30 · September 2011

I'm glad I'm not over reacting. It just seems like good practice and not worth the liability risk. So much coud go wrong. Will def. be saying something on Monday.

jen5-03 · September 2011

We have to use a code to get in the gate and then get buzzed in to the infant hall. You ring a doorbell and the teachers stick their heads out in the hall to see who it is. If they don't recognize you, someone will come to the door but you don't get buzzed in. The buzzers are in the infant classrooms, not in the office.

The older children's classrooms aren't in a hallway but open to the outside. However their doors are always locked and the teacher has to let you in.

Littlejen22 · September 2011

Ours is never locked.

shouldbworkin · September 2011

The doors to DD's school are not locked, her classroom is in a public district building, much like DS's elementary school. But, I still consider it safe. They are with teachers at all times and no one can leave w/a child w/o photo ID and and being on the parent provided "safe" list.

AZ_Erica · September 2011

Last year DS's preschool did not look the doors. It was held in a basement classroom of a church and I never had any concerns about the safety. This year, his pre-k is part of a private school and the doors are locked all the time.

I would bring up your concerns to the director. Given the situation you described I think I would want the doors locked too.

ridesbuttons · September 2011

No. Never to my knowledge.

Jermysgirl · September 2011

Always locked. There is a code that the parents get at the beginning of the year and we have to punch in every time we enter the building unless you come in with another parent.

Angela814 · September 2011

The doors of our daycare are never locked. It's a small center in the back of a church. The kids are never unsupervised in the building, so it's never bothered me. I mean, I don't even lock the doors to my car when I go in to drop off or pick up DD.

BubblyToes · September 2011

Yep. You have to have a code to get in.

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