There are almost 11 million children in child care institutions every day. Considering that most children spend 36 hours per week in child care, that’s a great deal of time that daycare owners are responsible for children’s safety and wellbeing. By integrating technology in your daycare, you can create a safer and more efficient environment.
Make Your Daycare Smart
Making your daycare smart doesn’t have to be a complex process. It’s as simple as installing some equipment. Below are five ways to make your daycare smart.
- Automatic lights: Try integrating your lighting with your security system or on a timer. The lights will turn off automatically when you arm the system, and turn on again when it’s disarmed. Another option is setting the specific time of day for them to turn on and off. You won’t have to worry about forgetting to turn the lights off at the end of the day or wasting energy. This process can also be controlled from anywhere with a mobile device when you use a smart security system.
- Timed thermostat: Lowering energy use is paramount to running an efficient business of any kind. In your daycare, customize a schedule for when the heat and air conditioner turn off and on. When kids are not normally in the building, save energy by keeping the heat and air conditioning off. You can also remotely adjust a smart thermostat from your smart phone or tablet, no matter where you are.
- Door lock automation: Smart door locks are a great safety feature for your daycare because they unlock with a code that only you and your staff would know. Children won’t be able to open doors without your knowledge. You can enter the code from inside your daycare or from a mobile device.
- Entry and exit sensors: Monitored alarms on the exits and entrances to your daycare will keep children in and all others out. An audible alarm can alert you to a door or window being opened. You can also set the control panel to tell you exactly which alarm was triggered, so you know immediately where the potentially dangerous situation has occurred.
- Video monitoring: Surveillance technology is more advanced than ever. A smart daycare should record daily activity with cameras placed high up and in clear view of busy areas, keeping kids and staff safe. View live feeds and adjust cameras as needed from your smartphone. Some daycares also give parents access to these live feeds so they can check on their children throughout the day.
Secure Your Smart Equipment
Once you’ve invested in the proper tools to monitor your daycare and keep it safe, make sure those tools work properly. Keep your smart equipment safe from hackers by following some simple cyber security best practices, such as:
- Setting strong passwords on your equipment and network.
- Staying abreast of recent cyber attacks and how they were conducted.
- Connecting only to secure Wi-Fi networks.
- Keeping all equipment software up to date.
- Installing firewalls and anti-virus software.
- Training employees on your cyber security policy and procedures.
