Biometric technology: keeping your children safe in daycare

MASON, Ohio - Parents picking up their children from The Goddard School on Socialville-Foster Road in Mason enter the building using some of the latest technology.  

"It's nice to know that anyone coming to visit has permission to be here and is here for the right reasons," Hilary Peirson, mother of two, said.

Karen Krieger, owner of the Mason location, says they've had the biometric security system for about a year.

"With the hand scanner, they feel like we have the latest in technology," said Krieger.  "A lot of the schools have the old code system where you put in a code to enter, but this is just a little bit more secure because every parent needs an individual hand scan."

Peirson says the security system gives her some comfort.

"Unfortunately, we live in a world where normal places are not always safe so it's nice to have these kinds of measures, just these extra things when you leave your children somewhere especially so that you know they're going to be a little extra safe," Peirson said.

Krieger explains how it works.

"What's interesting is it's not just like a hand print," said Krieger. "The actual shape of every hand is a bit unique. So, once their hand is scanned when they come in, it matches the individual code to the hand scan to make sure it's an accurate match and that's what releases the door for entry. So, it really makes the parents feel secure."

We called more than a dozen local centers and couldn't find any others using biometrics; however, Procare, a maker of similar biometric security systems, said that there are around 50 centers using the technology in Cincinnati.

Krieger said that the systems can also be a pretty significant investment. Therefore, it may be a while before this technology becomes more prevalent.