The care of your child is paramount, and I will always try to ensure that they remain with me and are safe. However, sometimes children may become ‘lost’ in busy places. As a responsible childminder, the following procedure will be followed:
- Immediately raise the alarm to all around me and enlist everyone’s help to look for the child.
- If in a secure area, such as a shopping centre, alert the security staff so they can seal exits and monitor the situation on CCTV.
- Provide everyone involved in the search with a description of the child.
- Reassure other children with me, as they may become distressed.
- Alert the police and provide a full description of the child.
- Alert the parents of the situation.
Precautions to prevent children from becoming lost include:
- Ensuring children are always holding mine or my assistant’s hand if they are not strapped into a pushchair.
- Regular head counts.
- Avoiding overcrowded places.
- Teaching children about the dangers of wandering off and talking to strangers.