Question Fieldtrips and car seats

xxluckychicxx · Aug 28, 2008

My 25 month DS's HeadStart teacher needs me to sign a transportaion permission slip so that he can go on fieldtrips. I have some concerns about their car seat usage though. We already went on a fieldtrip this summer to the park with them (I drove DS myself) and as we were leaving I saw them put a 4 month old FFing in one of the teacher's DC's car seat. "It's just 4 blocks away."

I am kind of in a bind though. I go to school during the days and cannot transport him myself and everyone is going so there is no one that he could stay with at the center. I'm not sure when the 1st fieldtrip is, or what vehicle they are taking (I assume large van or small bus). I cant trust them to install a seat correctly and I dont think it will be a situation where I can install the seat myself. Any suggestions that I havent thought of?

tanyaandallie · Aug 28, 2008

You need to talk to them about carseat usage. If you saw them put a 4 mos old ff, I would be VERY worried.

Kat_Momof3 · Aug 28, 2008

I don't know what to do, but I swear, with Ruthie, I'm already terrified. She was the only one in a harnessed seat... and the kids were all FOUR...
omg...

But, I've decided it could have been a lot worse... cause the ones I saw WERE in HIGHBACKS, not backlesses.

it just is bad... bad bad bad.

Then I take Damian to soccer practice today and all these kids in the front seat.... one not even seatbelted... omg.

Mattkarn · Aug 29, 2008

I helped out in a Head Start class room my senior year of high school. The one I helped out in used a regular sized school bus and none of the children were in any type of seats. The children were ages newly 3 to 5, and none were sitting correctly. It was right before I found this site and became serious about car safety and I was still a nervous wreck. The teachers didn't care at all either, they sat up front talking amongst themselves.

I am not saying that your head start will be the same but if at all possible I would transport him yourself or find someone to watch him on field trip days. I would not feel right about his riding the bus. :twocents:

skaterbabs · Aug 29, 2008

If this is Head Start (and not some other preschool program) there is a federal regulation requiring all children be in appropriate five-point harnesses. I would talk with the school director and bring your concerns to him/her.

scoutingbear · Aug 29, 2008

I too am nervous about my son's preschool class this year. They go on some great field trips and the parents sign up to drive. I work so it isn't as easy for me to drive, but I have seen the way some of the kids are restrained. On field trip days it seems like most of the parents leave HBB for their 4 y/o (with some NBB thrown in). I know some of the parents leave the booster for field trips so they don't have to mess with uninstalling and having someone else install their seat. I think I will take off work at least for the first few field trips this year. Just my :twocents:

rileyismydog · Aug 29, 2008

DS starts pre-school on Tuesday. I too am scared about the fieldtrips they may take. On the calendar is Police Dept on 9/30 - so I need to ask if they PD is coming to the school or if kiddos are going to the PD. I will try to drive to the first few fieldtrips just to see how other kids are transported. I did not yet sign the permission slip in the registration packet, because I'm so worried that he be taken on a bus with no restraint.

I'll be speaking with the director of the pre-school directly, not just the 3 yr old teacher. I'd suggest the same - and I bring up the 4 month old FF - that is just wrong on too many levels.

R&J'sMom · Aug 29, 2008

xxluckychicxx said:
My 25 month DS's HeadStart teacher needs me to sign a transportaion permission slip so that he can go on fieldtrips. I have some concerns about their car seat usage though. We already went on a fieldtrip this summer to the park with them (I drove DS myself) and as we were leaving I saw them put a 4 month old FFing in one of the teacher's DC's car seat. "It's just 4 blocks away."

I am kind of in a bind though. I go to school during the days and cannot transport him myself and everyone is going so there is no one that he could stay with at the center. I'm not sure when the 1st fieldtrip is, or what vehicle they are taking (I assume large van or small bus). I cant trust them to install a seat correctly and I dont think it will be a situation where I can install the seat myself. Any suggestions that I havent thought of?

I would keep him home on field trip days or arrange for alternate care. You can miss a class if it means keeping your child safe. You already know firsthand that you cannot depend on these people to properly transport children. The misuse could be even worse next time if there are no parents around :twocents:

I do have a question though, why would a 4 month old be in Head Start? I thought it was a preschool program for preschool aged children, not infants?

SPDCPST · Aug 29, 2008

If some of the other suggestions don't work, try presenting them with the laws in your area regarding CPS. Washington state's are pretty progressive and say that the seat MUST be installed in compliance with the seat and the vehicle's manufacture instructions. We've had a number of child care facilities call our CPS team and ask for inservice training which works great, then we go over the facilities vehicles with them and point out different things that we notice that could impact safety.

tanyaandallie · Aug 29, 2008

skaterbabscpst said:
If this is Head Start (and not some other preschool program) there is a federal regulation requiring all children be in appropriate five-point harnesses. I would talk with the school director and bring your concerns to him/her.

:yeahthat:

They talked about this in my update class a few weeks ago.

mum2two · Aug 29, 2008

At DD"s preschool they said all kids who were under 40 pounds had to be in a 5pt harness....and they told the parents they'd be weighing the kids with a scale to make sure it was true...if not the child could not go on the bus/parent would have to transport...guess what all the under 40 kids who are already in LBB went in their parents cars!...we were responsible for installing our carseats on the bus..

mom23boys · Aug 29, 2008

At our ds3 preschool it is required that a parent or guardian attend all field trips. This was also in effect last year when he was in the 3 yr old class. Now he is in the 4's. If a parent or guardian can't go then you have to get alternate child care.

I know 1 family who didn't return this year because of the rule. They both work and can't or won't take off, I am not certain which. I am a SAHM so I have always went and when my older 2 sons went there I drove on field trip and took others in my car. In the 3's they all had HBB.

When we are in the pickup and drop of lines I have never seen another child actually harnessed. The teachers probably think I am crazy but I don't care.

xxluckychicxx · Aug 29, 2008

Ryland&Jacob'sMom said:
I do have a question though, why would a 4 month old be in Head Start? I thought it was a preschool program for preschool aged children, not infants?

I forgot to add, it's an Early Head Start, for 0-3 year olds. I have not been pleased with the program at all, but that's another story.

I have decided to miss school and transport him myself. I talked to both the teachers and the director today

and really they are clueless about car safety. As long as the kid is in a car seat he's fine, right?

Question Fieldtrips and car seats

xxluckychicxx

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