Preschool Privacy: The Debate on Live-Streamed Cameras
Hello friends!
At The Melbourne Preschool, we know parents need to feel connected and reassured about their child’s safety while at school. And we get it—entrusting your little one to someone else is a big deal! That’s why we always keep communication open and welcome parents to be part of their child’s preschool journey. We use an app for daily updates and pictures (without student’s faces- of course), have an open-door policy, strongly encourage parent and teacher communication, always welcome check-in phone calls at any time of day, and in some cases (for example, when it’s your first time registering your kiddo in preschool) we invite parents into the office to watch our cameras. We know this gives new parents a boost of confidence to see their little one joining in on classroom activities!
But when it comes to live-streaming cameras in classrooms, things get a little tricky.
We know that live-streaming classroom footage is currently all the rage. While it might sound like a great idea to check in throughout the day, research suggests that constant live-streamed surveillance can actually pose more risks than rewards. Today, we’re diving into this hot and sometimes controversial topic to share our views, and why we do things the way we do!
The Privacy Problem
It’s a question we often hear: since we have 24/7 camera surveillance, why don’t we live-stream the feed to every parent’s phone? The preschool down the street does it- so why don’t we? There’s many reasons! Let’s talk about it:
Social aspect: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), excessive monitoring can create stress and hinder natural interactions in learning environments between students and teachers. When children feel watched, they may alter their behavior, affecting their social development.
Privacy & Safety: Camera systems that stream online are vulnerable to cybersecurity risks. A study published in Early Childhood Research & Practice warns that even well-protected systems can be hacked, exposing private moments of children to the wrong audience. Yikes! Not only is it potentially unsafe from an outside perspective- sometimes the risk comes from the parents or guardians within our school. Some parents and guardians share custody of children- or in some cases, have custody removed. Allowing access to everyone could unfortunately create a safety risk for the child, especially for children and parents trying to separate themselves from unsafe or harmful home situations.
Legal concerns: This is a tough one to discuss, since live-streamed daycare feeds are currently trending- but it actually is illegal. To remain in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), it is our duty and responsibility to protect student’s privacy while in our care. On a sidenote- this is why we have parents sign a media release for their students in our care- we will NEVER post a picture of a student on our social media without express written permission- and many of our parents feel more comfortable opting out.
Trust > Technology
Instead of live-streamed cameras, early education experts, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), advocate for strong parent-teacher communication. Regular updates, photo-sharing apps, and open-door policies build trust without compromising security. You are welcome to pop in anytime to check on your little one, you don’t even have to call first- just come on down! You’re always welcome!
At The Melbourne Preschool, we focus on real relationships, not reel surveillance. Want an update? Just ask! Need reassurance? Swing by! New to the preschool thing? Let’s watch the cameras of your child’s classroom in the office! We believe trust is built through honest conversations and engaged community.
So, while we love a good game of peek-a-boo, when it comes to live-streamed cameras of children, we say let’s keep learning spaces safe, private, and focused on what really matters—your child’s growth, joy, and discovery!
Toodleoo!
Academic Sources:
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2019). Live streaming: What you need to know to keep kids safer. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2019/pre-update/live-streaming-what-you-need-to-know-to-keep-kids-safer
U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). FAQs: Photos and videos under FERPA. Student Privacy Policy Office. https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/faq/faqs-photos-and-videos-under-ferpa
PublicSource. (2020). The cameras are always on: Student surveillance and privacy protection in the age of e-learning. PublicSource. https://www.publicsource.org/the-cameras-are-always-on-student-surveillance-and-privacy-protection-in-the-age-of-e-learning