Time to Educate Daycare about Carseats

tweetykl

New member
I have had issues for years about the daycare van. Older model 15 pass van. The seats on the sides have lap and shoulder belts while the center does not. I don't know how those seatbelts work with boosters for the passenger side. I went through the van and looked at at least one carseat (the only harnessed one in the van) and it expired last February. Mentioned it to the director and she was like, "Carseats expire, what about boosters?" "Well, yeah, the plastic breaks down over time." Then this week they took my child on a field trip (permission slip filled out for transport when we enrolled when he was 3) and I was not aware they were going anywhere that day. He was in a lbb which is mainly all they have for the van. They usually transport just the school agers to school daily, some of which are pretty small. They are starting to take the preK (going to Kinder next year kids) on weekly field trips. My son is the biggest one of them at 49" and 45" and just turned 5. Most of them are pretty small.

Now on to the help! I am ready to start bring the documents to help them realize the safest way to set up the van for kids. Is there any data. What booster's and maybe a few carseats? I'm ready to help them make a change but know that there is going to be lots of resistance.
 
ADS

lorismurph

Senior Community Member
I have similar issues with my dd's preschool. Older 15 pass. van but this one has only 5 lap/shoulder belts, only on the driver's side. They too use lbb in lap only positions (no headrests).

I'd start by taking in some info on expiration dates. Plus maybe some owner's manuals to some lbb seats (it says very clearly to NOT use without a headrest and NOT with a lap belt only).

If they are buying seats, I'd suggest maybe the Cosco Pronto hbb (it's cheaper, maybe they'd go for it, someone had them this week, Sears maybe, for only $22) or the Evenflo Big Kid which is on sale often for $35. They may not be the best fit for every kid but when they need to buy a lot of them, $15 per seat adds up quick.
As for harnessed seats, Maestros.

They aren't going to like you much are they? My preschool doesn't want to listen, I think it's more of an "if I don't know then it ain't so" attitude.
 
I just went through this with Fiona's preschool, 15 passenger van, old lap belt only in center and they wanted all the kids in backless booster (no head rests) They finally said "ok Well she can use the bigger car seat" till they saw she rode in a 5 pt harness and they were all "no it has to be the booster kind.. so I went ahead and made up a report with the laws, safe kids hand outs and photos to describe what could be done and what could not.

They as of right now have 3 kids being driven by parents (I take two in my car) and the rest have a lap and shoulder belt, I had nothing in the law about head rests, and really the law is what I have to work with, these are not the type of parents and people that are into safest practice, just what is legal.

I did notice most the kids had high backs at the last trip though, i know that the transportation lady was researching it, maybe she was made aware of the head rest situation in the process and told the parents to use the high backs instead.

Either way The school is complying with the law now, and if they can't they cancel the trip. I just drive my child myself.

But yea there are parents that hate me now I am sure, cause I have complicated things. I mean most of her class mates are in LBB, one (the one I drive) is in a parkway sg, then there are 2 that do not ride in anything, and yesterday I saw one get into the car with his mom (who is a big day care provider in our area) in the front seat, she reclined it back so he could lounge, and did not buckle him in, and was parked next to me, sat there as I buckled my children into their car seats, giving me the stink eye..thenshe drove off (granted she lives around the corner and normally walks her child there, she is not at all happy that I put a damper in the field trip plans, But would she have been happier, if I had not said anything and her kid had died on that van in a roll over cause he was sliced in half by his lap belt?

Say something. It is hard to stand up for what is right esp when you feel alone in the battle, but think of all the kids you are helping by doing this.
 

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