It feels like almost weekly, we are inundated with stories on social media or the television about another child being abused or worse, gravely hurt. Perpetrated by a person who had been thoroughly vetted and trusted by the parents.
It’s not an unfounded fear. You feel you have very little control over what is happening in your home while you are busy, and you don’t want your children to become a statistic.
To combat these fears, some parents turn to the use of nanny cameras to observe what happens when they are gone.
But you may be asking yourself what the rights of parents are who want to use cameras to monitor the caretakers in their home are. Can you, as a parent, record or photograph people in your home without their consent? Are hidden cameras legal in private homes?
These are all valid questions, and hopefully, we will be able to answer some of the basics so you can allay your fears and feel comfortable with your choices.
Basics
Nanny cameras are also known as nanny cams or spy cams for short. They are an in-home video surveillance device installed by parents and legal guardians to monitor nannies, babysitters, and caretakers who have been hired to take care of children. They are also often used to observe people who are house sitting, pet sitting, cleaners, or tradesmen doing work while you are away.
Nanny cameras are high tech. No longer do you need to be concealed in a stuffed animal in the child’s room. The nanny cameras on the market today can be hidden very easily. There are also many types of exposed cameras, such as baby monitors or indoor security cameras. These make it more evident to the caretaker; there is a chance they will be observed while you are not at home.
Some of these cameras, both hidden and overt, allow for the possibility to live stream what is going on in your home through an app on your phone. You simply open the app and check the cameras in your house to see what is currently going on. These cameras have a record feature and the ability to talk in real-time through the camera. This allows anyone who is near the device to be able to hear you.
Just because nanny cameras are readily available and high tech, it doesn’t necessarily make them legal in your state.
Nanny Camera Laws
Video
The installation of a nanny camera in a private home is currently legal in all 50 states. The overarching law is they can be used to monitor your children and caretakers. There are specific state laws that restrict how much you can record. You’ll need to check your individual state laws to find out what these restrictions entail.
Generally, the state laws forbid recording of caretakers in areas they expect to be private, such as bathrooms they use and bedrooms if they are a live-in nanny.
Audio
While it’s generally legal to record video of your nanny without consent, the same isn’t true in all states when being audio recorded. Some states have laws that require consent for audio recording. If this doesn’t happen, anything that is recorded is not legal.
An obvious way around the rule of audio consent, if it applies in your state, is to make sure you let your caretaker know that you have cameras in the house. They may or may not be video or audio recorded while there. You should also advise them that there are no cameras in the bathroom or other private areas of the house.
Setting up a nanny camera
This is a relatively straightforward process.
Find the right nanny camera system for you
Before purchasing your surveillance camera, it is a good idea to figure out what system is right for you. If you are only needing to monitor a small space, a few hours a week, then a simple system will suffice. But if you are not around for an extensive period of the day and need the whole house monitored, you need to acquire a more sophisticated system.
It’s often worth spending a few extra dollars to have the live streaming type system, where you can check-in when you are at work or out and about. This guarantees more peace of mind.
Placement of the cameras
When you have your new system at home, you will need to decide precisely where to place the cameras. Be sure to experiment with different placement angles to ensure you find the right place where you can see the majority of the action.
Connect the cameras to your network
If you have a sophisticated system (not expensive these days), you will need to connect them to your home WiFi network. These instructions will come with the packaging/system you bought. It shouldn’t take longer than a few minutes to have the system connected and live.
View the live stream
When you’ve successfully connected your cameras to the internet, all you have to do is download the live stream app and view the footage on your phone or computer to ensure it works. When you have it set up correctly for your needs, all you have to do is log into your app and see what your nanny and children are up to.
Setting up your own nanny camera system can be very easy and straightforward. It gives you definite peace of mind and a sense of control over what is happening when you are not around your children.
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