Can't have photos of my own children in nursery...

[Clairesd4]

My two children go to a local nursery. Yesterday they had a visit from the community police who went to say hello and interact with the children, all quite lovely and I'm told my special needs DS especially loved it.

DH went to collect them at pick up and one of the nursery assistants showed him some photos on her phone of our two, playing with the police, wearing the hats and having a great time.

I later sent a message to the nursery manager and politely asked if she could send me those photos as i'd love to see, I haven't been able to do pick up for a while as I'm 9 months pregnant and not very mobile.

She said she would have to ask the police if I could have the photos first

I thought that was a bit odd as they'd obviously given permission for the photos to be taken in the first place.

Anyway, I've just been on Instagram and the nursery have uploaded these photos of my two with the police, and some of DS on his own with the police hat on with his face blurred but the police officers faces not blurred.

It's standard procedure for the nursery to blur the kids faces when they upload them on social media, but why on earth can they not just send me them privately unblurred?

What's with the faff about needing to ask the police? Especially as there are pictures of his DS on his own

AIBU to think this is bloody stupid?

I've had a bad day and I'm fed up so may or may not be over reacting but it has got my back up.

It's not about these photos or whether they can have/ upload/ withhold them from you, or whether these photos are on a nursery workers cloud or whatever. The issue is that NO personal phones should be allowed in the setting, they should be locked away at all times as unfortunately, and very very rarely but it has happened that inappropriate images have been taken of children and distributed for sickening gratification. It is a massive breach of safeguarding guidance and IF this was a workers' own phone I'd be seriously questioning their safeguarding practices. Having said that, I wouldn't go in all guns blazing as most settings won't allow this so the likelyhood is that it's a device belonging to them. A polite enquiry in the first instance is the best way forward IMO.

It is your child.
Not the nursery and not the police's child.
Yours.
You consent to who takes the photograph and where these can or cannot be uploaded to.
And when in uniform and on duty police can be photographed and filmed providing they have been informed that this is happening.
I would contact the nursery and ask who you raise a safeguarding to as it sounds like some of their staff have miss understood safety measures around child photography and parental consent for digital footprint.

Weird AF. I'd have to bring up with them. Do they like to be awkward in general?

As mentioned this is potentially a safeguarding breach which Ofsted would not be happy about.
No internet enabled mobile phones should be used in a childcare setting.
Photos shouldn't be uploaded to social media sites without written consent from parents.
Most nurseries use tablets to photograph children and parents can access their child's records and images via a secure log-in.

They have been awkward more than a handful of times about things in the past yes, I usually let it go for the sake of keeping a decent relationship but I can find them quite frustrating.

I'll definitely find out what the deal is with the phone.

I asked DH to clarify and he said it definitely was not a tablet, but a mobile phone.

I have previously given permission for photos to be uploaded onto their social media with the understanding that the children's faces are blurred to protect their anonymity.

That's weird af for sure, I would be pissed off as well op.

I'm pleased the majority don't think I'm being unreasonable. I've gone off on a tangent about this at home tonight and DH is a bit miffed, I think he's attributing it to pregnancy hormones as he doesn't see the issue and thinks I'll probably receive said photos over the next few days.

There's was just no need for the awkwardness though really.

Keep us updated and I'd ask what they are taking the photos on. Should be a nursery tablet

So the nursery assistant can have the photos but not you?

YANBU seems odd but maybe its something like the nursery had consent from the police to upload to photos onto social media but not consent to send them directly to parents and they are just worried/over thinking it because it involves the police!?

@MondeoFan

Keep us updated and I'd ask what they are taking the photos on. Should be a nursery tablet

It should be a nursery device, but what does it matter how big the screen is? It would be perfectly reasonable for the nursery to have phones for staff use. This would be convenient for taking photos, or when taking children outside the setting (e.g. our local nurseries do trips to the park, or when they do wraparound for school nursery classes).

They definitely shouldn't be on a personal device though (phone or tablet).