What is your late pick up policy?

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I'm curious how late your school tolerates children being picked up late by parents. For example, 2 siblings, dismissal is 2:50pm and parent is unreachable (as are all other contacts) and comes in a 6:00pm acting like it's no big deal. "I lost track of time". What does your school do in this situation? (elementary)

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

Holy H-e-doublehockeysticks....

This is not an ill child, right? This is just a late parent?

We've done two things in the past - Put them in after school care at a cost to the parent (it is my recollection that the parent never paid until the following year when the schedule was held because this was treated as a fine); and involve the SRO. I have heard of other principals calling CPS - not sure how many instances there were of "I lost track of time" on that.

[AdobeRN]

6pm???? Our admin would have reached out to the district SRO for our campus and/or police department after an hour or so of no contact from parent/guardian or someone from emergency list.

I honestly don't know what would happen after that. We had one instance where kids were left in our office till about 5pm, finally heard from mom who was calling from the jail - picked up for DUI earlier that afternoon. She sent boyfriend over to pick kids up.

[Eleven011]

Wow, that's nuts. There is no one at our school at 6pm! I would say after 45 min/1 hour after dismissal, if no contact can be made with parents or contacts, our admin would be calling police and the child would go with them. However, this is a small town, and I bet we would find a way to reach the parent (send staff to their house, call a neighbor, call the boyfriend, ect. ) Everyone knows everyone's business around here.

[BrisketRN, BSN, RN]

I can't say I've ever heard of a parent being that late. Our after school care goes until I think 5:45PM. Parents have 15 minutes after dismissal to pick up until kids go to after school care (at a charge to the parent).

[tining, BSN, RN]

Had several kinder frequently returned because no one there to meet bus. The YMCA aftercare has to have paperwork filled out so could not send there. Special needs/downs student would not get on bus, parent would not answer. We could go on and on.

Nothing done for parent consequences, other than the bus kids were not allowed to ride because of no one there and having to return student to school.

[Glitternurse, LVN]

This is unfortunately does happen at one of our sites especially. The worst was minimum day dismissal at 12:50, all contacts were unreachable. at 6 the police were called for child abandonment. I don't really know what happened after that. Usually the secretaries just remind the parents of dismissal time and the parents continue to show up whenever they feel like it. I feel like the administration at that site is very lenient and is afraid to upset the parents, so the kids and parents just do whatever they want without consequences. It's sad and very frustrating for the secretaries that get stuck babysitting.

[amoLucia]

Question - what is SRO?

[SaltineQueen]

11 hours ago, amoLucia said:

Question - what is SRO?

school resource officer

It hasn't happened here but from conversations, I suspect we'd take them to the local police department if it got to the point when the secretary and principal were ready to leave.

We had a K student two years ago who rode the bus. No one at the bus stop, so the poor kid had to ride all over town and then ended up back at school. Called mom, dad, all emergency contacts, etc. Finally called the POLICE at 7 pm because we were frantic t that point. Mom saunters in at 7:05, two minutes before the police arrived and was like "sorry, her brother was supposed to pick her up at the bus and he forgot". Brother is 15. Completely ridiculous.

[SandIsMyGlitterRN, BSN, RN]

Our school is the same as many of those above. If no answer within an hour, we contact the Sheriff's Dept.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

18 hours ago, lifelearningrn said:

I'm curious how late your school tolerates children being picked up late by parents. For example, 2 siblings, dismissal is 2:50pm and parent is unreachable (as are all other contacts) and comes in a 6:00pm acting like it's no big deal. "I lost track of time". What does your school do in this situation? (elementary)

That's mind-blowing. Who had to stay with the child all that time?