Childcare charity Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) has made a bold move to end the use of identifiable children’s photographs on public facing social media and online platforms.
In an age where images can be shared, copied and stored indefinitely, Flexible Childcare Services Scotland will no longer share any identifiable images of children. No faces, no distinguishing features, no exceptions.
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS) is a national charity with 15 childcare settings across the country. In their early learning and childcare settings they give parents the choice to book childcare by the hour, allowing them to pay as they go and change their bookings each week.
According to Chief Executive Susan McGhee, “Children have no say in how their images are being used, from the moment an image is posted online it can be downloaded, shared, altered or stored and we have no control. We also don’t understand the potential consequences that sharing photos could have on the individual; could facial recognition on an image posted now affect the individual in the future? It’s a risk we don’t want to take.
“This has been a really tough decision for us, we love sharing photos of the children and we know how important it is for parents and carers to see what they’ve been up to, however we have a responsibility to protect the children in our care and this seems like a very logical step in protecting them now and in the future.”
Instead of sharing photos where children can be recognised, the charity will use thoughtful, creative approaches to showcasing children’s learning and development, capturing the joy and curiosity of childhood without ever putting a child’s identity at risk. This will include close up photos of children engaging in learning activities, hands in sensory trays, from behind the child or of group children where no child’s face is visible.
Families will continue to receive personal, meaningful photos of their own children through Caerus, a secure and private childcare management platform where families are already receiving updates on learning outcomes and milestones, ensuring they remain closely connected to their child’s journey.
Existing photos of identifiable children, whose families have already given permission, will remain on charity’s social media and website but will be replaced in time so that every child who has been supported by FCSS can be assured that their digital identity remains protected.
