Busing infants and toddlers

Katy

New member
Our local ECFE group is taking a field trip to the science museum 1hr away from here. All the kids are going to be under 5. I think we most are in the 1-3yr range but I know of a few babies and Pre k's. The program is paying for the bus and wants a roster list. IF we get the bus we want there would be 4 seatblets, but that is not set yet and certainly not enough for all the kids. The director kept saying that it is perfectly safe to transport them all this way. I'm thinking for kids under 5 on a bus ride that long NO WAY! Problem is that if I drive separate alot of other moms will too (knowing that I'm a big carseat safety advocate) The Director thinks if too many drive separate the school will not them use a bus therefor a few families will not be able to attend the outing due to transportation and fuel costs. We've talked about carpooling for the families in need but the combinations wouldn't work since many of us already have 2 or 3 children in cars and suv's.

What do I do?
 
ADS

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
I think a carpool should be worked out, or a bus should be obtained that has seatbelts in every position to install seats. Another option might be renting large passenger vans instead.
 

hipmaman

Moderator - CPST Instructor
My 2.5 yr old dd's daycare just had a field trip on big school buses for these kids and those up to the SK age. Although it's perfectly legal, but there is just no way safe. I didn't consent for dd to go on the field trip on the big (bad) bus :) Surprisingly, she was the only one that had to hang back and spent the day with the administrator when the whole daycare went. Crazy!

When dd#1 was in a pre-school, carpooling was arranged for volunteer and parents on duty that day to drive the kids with carseats. But they took care of not boooking anything too far or would not be interested enough to have enough drivers. But then there the issue of liability on drivers so eventually the whole field trips were just either by buses arranged by the school or by parents driving their own kids, if they didn't ride the bus.
 

Katy

New member
I drove seperatly. I also took my suburban and drove another family with small children. There must have been at least 10-15 kids under 5 riding the bus that day.
 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member
My 2.5 yr old dd's daycare just had a field trip on big school buses for these kids and those up to the SK age. Although it's perfectly legal, but there is just no way safe. I didn't consent for dd to go on the field trip on the big (bad) bus :) Surprisingly, she was the only one that had to hang back and spent the day with the administrator when the whole daycare went. Crazy!

When dd#1 was in a pre-school, carpooling was arranged for volunteer and parents on duty that day to drive the kids with carseats. But they took care of not boooking anything too far or would not be interested enough to have enough drivers. But then there the issue of liability on drivers so eventually the whole field trips were just either by buses arranged by the school or by parents driving their own kids, if they didn't ride the bus.

You know, in NY state, it is illegal to transport a child under 4 in a school bus without a harnessed child restraint. And the school buses have lap belts:) Kecia had a blog post about it (the lap belts in school buses).
 

hipmaman

Moderator - CPST Instructor
You know, in NY state, it is illegal to transport a child under 4 in a school bus without a harnessed child restraint. And the school buses have lap belts:) Kecia had a blog post about it (the lap belts in school buses).

We are in Ontario, Canada and amazingly how much exemptions there are for taxis, limos, school buses, etc. And there is some noise about new buses with built-in harnesses but the existing fleets have not replaced buses with new ones yet.
 

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