Just have to vent - preschool drop-off

I work at my younger child's preschool drop-off 2 mornings a week. It's an outdoor line of cars where the parents get the child(ren) out of the vehicle and then we walk them over to the building. The children attending would be mostly 3 and 4, with some 2 yr olds and probably a handful of 5 year olds (our school cut-off is 12/1). I also work in the building as an aide so I do know a lot of the kids and have a sense of their age/size.

I'm in NY, where the kids have to be in a harnessed seat until 4 or 40 and then in at least a booster through age 6. If they're under 4 but over 40 lbs they can be in a booster. From reading & learning here and elsewhere over the past few years I know that what's considered best practice is not (always) consistent with our laws. I realize that it's up to the parent to decide what carseat arrangement to use, but some of what I see just kills me. There are several of us that work the drop-off line at a time, so I'm not always the one right up at the car but I can still see what the child is or is not riding in.

I've seen at least 2 kids that have not been in any seat in the past week and a half. I see so, so many backless boosters. I see some hb boosters. I know a lot of the kids in these boosters are not 40 lbs. I do see some harnessed seats (even some Britaxes!), but not nearly as many as I thought I would see. On the flip side are the kids that I know must be over 40 lbs that are still riding in seats that have max weights of 40 lbs. I guess I haven't weighed them, but I've been around them enough to guess in comparison to my DC.

I'm thinking about approaching the director and asking if it would be possible to issue some sort of reminder in an upcoming newsletter (they issue a monthly newsletter). Anyone have any experience with anything like this? I am at the very least going to ask if they have any procedure for the times that the kids aren't in a seat at all. I've been going 'round and 'round in my head on what to do/say.

Thanks for reading. I just had to get this off my chest. I think DH is tired of listening to me talk about it, even though he fully appreciates what I'm saying as a police officer who sees more than his share of carseat mis-use or non-use.

I hear you.

I'm with you, though I don't have any kind of a solution. Except that I try to keep my eyes closed when I pick up/drop off the kids.

I see this all the time.

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'm used to seeing unoccupied seats in parked cars, or seeing kids I don't know in moving vehicles. It just hit me differently to *know* the kids and see the various carseat situations. It truly did reinforce what I've read, that money can't buy carseat safety knowledge and that there are so many facets to the issues of best practice (and even the law!) that manage to escape intelligent, otherwise informed parents. So frustrating.

We've had a few incidents of improperly restrained children at our day care center (or not restrained at all).

If I see it, I bring it up to the director of the center... or if she sees it she brings it up to me. She then writes a note to the parent or talks to them about how a "concerned parent" thought that their car seat may be installed incorrectly and oh, BTW...one of our parents is a certified tech. If you are interested in contacting her here is her info.

For parents that are blatantly not using restraints (the dad whose minivan had all the seats removed behind the driver and his kids slept on the floor on their way to daycare! )..the director tells them point blank that they are violating the law and as a mandatory reporter they must report them if the situation isn't rectified. That generally works.

I would definitely approach the director about this!

Thanks for your input, Christine. I'm not a tech so I don't have the clout that one would have, but I'm definitely a "concerned parent!" I probably won't get very far with the booster vs. harnessed seat issue but I am horrified by the kids not in seats at all.

I'm going to speak to them tomorrow. I know safety is a huge concern of the director, which is why she uses the drop off system she does. Yesterday was school picture day so it was a little crazy, but tomorrow for sure.