CPS to mother: Do not let your children play outside.

benbradley

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On a related note, I discovered something I consider a little ridiculous the other day. My friend has three kids, the oldest in fifth grade, the youngest just starting kindergarten this year. The school bus will not let the kindergartener off the bus unless an adult is present to collect her.
Does the driver check the adult's ID to see if they're on an Approved List Of Adults to pick up that child, or do they let any adult-age person take the child?
They get away with it by citing "school policy." Riding the school bus, they say, is a privilege, not a right, and when you agree to put your child on the bus, you agree to their terms.
So it's just like signing up for a social media website ... there has to be some good joke or political cartoon in this.
 

kuwisdelu

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Gotta disagree, if only because it's a tough line to draw and bus driver has enough to do without trying to decide whether the kids in question are capable of watching out for a five year old.

Can't they just have a parental note saying it's okay for their kids to be let off even if they're not there?
 

Fruitbat

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They get away with it by citing "school policy." Riding the school bus, they say, is a privilege, not a right, and when you agree to put your child on the bus, you agree to their terms.

Ah, okay. I'd think riding the bus actually was a right since it's taxpayer money but of course I don't know. I had never heard of this policy before. Also, not sure what the difference is between that and allowing an older child to walk a kindergartener home from school. (?)
 
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Fruitbat

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Does the driver check the adult's ID to see if they're on an Approved List Of Adults to pick up that child, or do they let any adult-age person take the child?

Good point.
 

raburrell

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I'll note again that in the examples I mentioned, the school screwed up in both cases, and the alternative would've involved my five year old being locked out and wandering until I got home, so I don't really see much in the way of overstepping. (Incompetence however....)

Depending on state law, it may not be legal to leave a 5 yr old with an older sibling, depending on that child's age. So again, the school may or may not have a choice, legally speaking, but I think this is far better than the alternative. All parents are made aware of these policies at the beginning of the year, and while emergencies happen, they come with the territory of parenting school-age children. Arrangements have to be made.

As far as checking id's, I'm not sure what they'd do if an unfamiliar non-parent adult was there.
 
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kaitie

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Does the driver check the adult's ID to see if they're on an Approved List Of Adults to pick up that child, or do they let any adult-age person take the child?
.

Nope. I found this out when I babysat last and had to pick the kids up at the bus stop. Last year the older girls just came home on their own, and I just had to be at the house when they got there. This time I had to be there. Granted, the bus driver had no idea who I was. I could have been a crazy kidnapper for all he knew, so it really doesn't strike me as a policy that is automatically going to make kids super safe.