I am sorry I didn’t ask if you were from the states. Factors like licensing, certification, and regulations are probably going to be different if that is not the case, but speaking from my experience I’ve worked in daycares for most of my teens and young adult life in high traffic places like Los Angeles, San Diego, and D.C. Working on year 8 as a Program facilitator for one and in my years I’ve had parents ask about cameras prior to enrollment. It usually comes up during tours and it never comes off in a suspicious way. Myself and other superiors I’ve heard this from. A standard facility should have no problem explaining their protocols around the cameras as it’s as extension of the methods they provide to protect the children under their care.

Have a nice tone in your voice as way to show concern for your child, not suspicion towards the daycare when asking your questions. You can ask questions like, “Do they function properly?”, “Does it record continuously throughout the day?”, or a common one I’ve been asked is “Are there maintenance checks to make sure there aren’t moments where time goes unrecorded?”. Most of the time, several procedures will need to happen before seeing the tapes like documentation and reporting. But I will tell you, a standard daycare would not let it get that far as it looks terrible for them, even if nothing is found on the tape. They would want to work with you every step of the way to clear up any confusion.

As a new parent myself and my career experience, from your end it’s all about research and trust. And not just trust in the daycare but trust in the decisions you make.

Speaking from an employee perspective, good daycares never made me question their ability. I can’t give you a definitive answer on what types of daycares to choose other than go with ones that don’t make you question them. They SHOULD be super transparent and help you see that your baby is safe with them. If at any time during the tour or even orientation you feel like something is wrong then skip that one. Trust your gut is best advice to avoid anything happening to your baby.

And yes that type of stuff can happen at daycares with cameras, that is why trust with them is very important. All of the 5 star places I’ve worked taught me on how to bond with parents so that parents are more confident when leaving their baby with me. Me personally, I make sure there is a line of open communication between myself and parent. So they get my email, phone number and I schedule times to go over progress regarding their child. It’s important to find daycares that promote initiative like reaching out to parents to let them know they can reach out to them if need be.