In our work, we encourage caregivers to take and post photographs of the children at play, with the stipulation that they obtain written permission from the children’s parents. One of the caregivers I work with is under the impression that posting photographs is not acceptable to her monitors (she isn’t sure whether it’s DSS or ABC). What are ABC’s guidelines for photography?
ABC encourages providers to make their program personal and meaningful for the families that they serve. Taking photographs and displaying them in the classroom environment can be one way to do this.
High quality programs frequently take and display current photographs of children and teachers in their programs. Photographs can be used in many engaging and meaningful ways, including documenting children’s learning and keeping a record of daily events. They are also a great way to share a child’s accomplishments with their parents at the end of the day or in a newsletter.
According to ABC standards, there is no policy that prohibits the practice of taking photographs. It is up to the child care program to select their own methods for individualizing their classroom displays.