Aarthi and Soundar enjoy taking turns to drop their two-and-half year old toddler Advik at the day care located about 3 miles from their home in North Carolina. Being first time parents, they were more often anxious about the little one coping at the day care.

This was when the owner of the centre Shining Stars Academy, Mayra Shahid told them about the facility that the centre offers in letting parents watch their ward from work and on the go.

Speaking to this correspondent over phone, Shahid said that the Centre is equipped with surveillance cameras in each room excepting the outdoor play area. “A log-in and pass-code is provided to each parent, using which they can watch their child from their work place or home, wherever, real time. Parents feel better, more comfortable, because they are able to track the child, know the child's behaviour,” says Shahid.

According to the Centre Director Anthony Harrison, over 50 per cent of the parents watch the sessions most days via the internet to see what the little ones are up to.

“And, it is not just the parents. We have come across instances of grandparents watching the little ones from India and Germany too,” quips Shahid.

Surveillance cameras, which are primarily used in public places such as airports, banks, shopping malls, schools, offices, traffic junctions, hotels and so on are now popping up in day care centres too.

While it is used mostly to track criminals, the day care owner says that the facility also allows parents to monitor the children and know if anything goes amiss.

The owner, who is married to an Indian from Ludhiana in Punjab is now seriously considering to replicate the facility in a day care centre in India too.

“I haven't initiated discussions with anyone yet, but yes, with lot of day care centres and pre-schools coming up in India, it would be good to take this forward,” she said

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