Tell me how to handle this...

My dd has been attending her current daycare since about a year ago...last year after the first day of preschool I found out they had transported her to preschool (2 blocks from daycare) in the regular seatbelt (didn't even have a booster and that is the law in Indiana). I threw a bit of a fit...telling them I'm pretty laid back EXCEPT when it comes to carseats. I purchased a hbb to leave there (this is the only time she is in one) b/c I felt that was the best situation for the one at hand...and the one they'd most likely use correctly every time.

So...I find out last night that there are 6 kids in pre-K going from daycare (and I know for a fact that both of the daycare personnel's vehicles have 5 rear seats). I bring this up on the phone this morning to one of them and she's like...I know how you are about carseats...I think the best solution is that we'll probably put 4 in the back and criss cross the seatbelts Wow...that tells me 2 things - 1.) totally not safe and 2.) kids in the rear seats won't be in any restraint or booster. This just makes me sick. I don't even know how to handle it. I told her that I belive it's safer to give them all their own seatbelt and put one in the front with the seat all the way back but she just thought that idea was horrible (yes...criss crossing seatbelts is SO much better)!!

I can't just pull her out of here so I have to figure out how to handle this. DH and I already take her 2 out of the 3 days... What can I show her to prove that one child (preferrably the largest) should ride in the front with the seat all the way back rather than criss crossing seat belts? (My daughter is the 2nd smallest of the 6 kids...they are all 4 years old...dd is 37 lbs on a good day).

I'm just at a loss...I can't imagine they'd put these kids at risk and THEMSELVES (the risk of something happen and the backlash from parents, insurance, police, child care licensings, etc). They are blatantly ignoring the law (b/c "it's only 2 blocks away") and my rebuttal has always been that most accidents occur close to your starting point (and i'm a perfect case...one at the same corner they are driving by from a drunk driver even...and two in my college/adult life both very close to home and not my fault...I'm not that bad of a driver ).

Thanks for listening if you made it this far...and I appreciate any advice you have.

Since you have already tried to talk to them, yet they have ignored your communication with them, I would call the police. Transporting children in that manner is unsafe and illegal.

Call the State Lisencing agency. I have home daycare and if I don't transport children according to the law, I can get my lisenced pulled. So I imagine that they could get in trouble for something like that as well.

Susan

Yes, I know how to turn them in (I was director of a child care center and had home licensing a few years back)...but is there evidence out there that someone knows how to easily find that I can try to show them and talk to them before I get them in trouble? She doesn't believe me that a child would be safer in the front seat pushed all the way back than sharing a seat belt? I feel so strongly about it I would even purchase boosters for the kids...I think they would need 4 of them b/c each of the cars already have one booster plus my daughter's hbb...if that would make them do it (dh thinks that's crazy though...he can't figure out why none of the other parents are concerned about the whole situation).

How bout in the vehicle manuals that says you shouldn't share seatbelts? I don't know if there are any crash tests that show what happens when a belt is being shared.

I happen to have my car manual in the house---There is a warning pic and box against having 2 passangers use the same belt. It says "The belt can not properly spread the impact forces. In a crash, the two children can be crushed together and seriously injured. A belt must be used by only one person at a time."

I imagine all manuals would have a similar statement.

Susan

carseatfreak said:

(dh thinks that's crazy though...he can't figure out why none of the other parents are concerned about the whole situation).

Click to expand...

Are you sure the other parents are aware of this?
I would be VERY concerned.

i'd talk to the other kids parents. let them know what she told you. i'm sure they will not be accepting of their child sharing a seatbelt with another. maybe you could all ask together then...which two children get to share a seatbelt. confrontation usually changes the minds of people. you have to remember two if those 4 children are behind your daughter sharing a the seatbelts. then it has a higher chance of failing in a crash and your daughter is at risk of being hurt from a projected child. if it is only a few blocks away couldn't they just make another trip

Thanks for the ideas. I don't believe the other parents are really aware of it (I guess I'm glad that my dd is a blabber-mouth sometimes ). She tells me everything and that is awesome. My cousin's little boy is in the same carpool and I just mentioned it to her. She said she wasn't real concerned about him being in a belt for 2 blocks without a booster (surprise..she just bought a nautilus to put him back in a harness). Then she went on to say that she probably prefers him being in a belt with another kiddo than in front of the airbag in case there were an accident?? ugh... I only know one other mother and I'm not sure she'd be happy about her kiddo being in the rear seat with another kid in a belt either...I will probably run it by her.

The two trip idea is good. There are 4 girls and 2 boys...maybe they could take the boys and then the girls or vice versa. I'm sure the teacher would let them get there a few minutes earlier given the situation. See why my area needs a HUGE carseat campaign?!?!? This is the same class that the last field trip of preschool last year my dd and another girl in my car were the only 2 of all the kids in harnesses (and the other girl was only in a harness b/c I have 2 carseats...she is in a booster in her parent's vehicle).

Thanks for the advice! I just feel like I'm the only one on 'my side' sometimes.

well they can get damage from the seat belt.

Accidents usually occur closest to home (From what I have hear)

Leave a little earlier and make two trips


I know you want to save the day and provide the information (which is great) but this is sounding like a place that NEEDS to be reported. They are not going to listen to you.

so which kid is getting the shoulder portion of the belt in the face? Then if not they are putting the seat belt behind the children? That is even worse.

Some people won't listen no matter how hard you try. Too bad you can't find other care. But even if you could it is not going to stop them from still doing it. You need to report it.

Would the daycare consider walking the kids the 2 blocks to preschool? That would be my preference for so many reasons. I hope this works out for you and your dd (and all the other kids too!).

We live in a super small town and in every other sense I trust these people with my daughter...they own one of the most reputable daycares in the area (obviously this part isn't well-known except to carseat sleuth's like me). Yes, I want to change them more than I want to turn them in but I doubt this happening too...I think I'm going to talk to one other mother (that makes 3 of them) and see if they'll back me on getting them to make 2 trips with the kiddos in the car....all in appropriate boosters. Then if they won't do that...I'll have to go from there.

While the weather's nice, can't they just WALK the kids to school? I know that's not feasible in the winter, but it could solve things short term.

What about showing her the YouTube video of the unbelted passenger? (The one with the four teens ... I don't have a link but I'm sure someone else will.) That's obviously not the same thing as buckling two kids in one seat belt, but it will show her what can happen in a crash when heads get knocked together, which is certainly likely if she has the kids buckled together as you described.

oh I have been here w/ my now ex-daycare provider. Unfortunately, I never turnd her in or notified the parents & I feel terrible about it. I caught her once trying to take 4 lo out in her spare vehicle, a Sidekick ( such safe little thing,:thumbsdown. DS1 was about 26 mo @ the time & there were younger children than him. She said oh I put two to a seatbelt I knew sqaut about cps then, but I knew it wasn't right either. I felt *lucky* that I had picked up my son when I did, but I followed her to Walmart. She was speeding ( all this to p/u her grown son who wouldn't wait for an oil change). After I talked to her about it, she just kept taking my child out or her son did w/ out my prior knowledge/permission & no car seat. Needless to say, she finally got fired. <--- this is my point, if they don't care about how you feel about this, maybe they are not that trustworthy.

Here are some videos of unrestrained passengers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNsXRbJJo_M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT5e44lty88&feature=related






This boy was killed when he didn't put his seatbelt on for the "short ride" down the road.

I know it must be hard to be in the position you're in. But what if tomorrow while heading to preschool they're in an accident and kids are injured? If I were you, I'd never be able to live with myself. I'd take action sooner rather than later. I know how hard it is when you LOVE LOVE LOVE your daycare and then see them doing something wrong. But this is a MAJOR wrong and I feel it MUST be reported. It is endangering the lives of children in their care. If they really are a great daycare and care for their children, then they would stop what they're doing (because it's illegal) and find a solution.