In an era where nursery transparency is under the spotlight, we at Bright Little Stars are making waves with our bold, open-door approach. With nurseries across London and Hertfordshire, caring for over 800 children, we embraced CCTV and our unique ParentCam system from the start, 12 years ago, not as surveillance tools, but as meaningful ways to strengthen trust and deepen the connection between families and our settings.
Our approach has even been featured in NMT Magazine, highlighting how technology can enhance safety and family engagement in early years settings.
CCTV supports safeguarding and reflective practice. On one occasion, it even helped our team identify the early signs of a medical issue in a child, allowing for a prompt and informed response. However, it is our ParentCam that has sparked the most conversation. This secure, real-time streaming feature allows parents to ‘drop in’ for 15 minutes each day to see their child learning, playing, and settling in. It provides vital reassurance during those emotional early weeks.
We understand that privacy is a key concern, which is why we have taken a thoughtful and responsible approach. Our systems are encrypted, no footage is recorded, and families are given individual logins with clearly defined usage agreements to protect every child in our care.
For many of our parents, ParentCam is a genuine game-changer. One parent even told us it was “one of the main reasons” they chose our nursery. While debate continues across the sector, we are proud to be setting a new benchmark for openness, trust and true partnership in early years education.
