Mandy Guttadauro, operations director at Bright Little Stars Nurseries, explains how CCTV and ParentCam supports the company’s settings

In light of recent media coverage and increasing discussions within the early years sector, the use of CCTV and parent-facing webcam systems has become a particularly hot topic. At Bright Little Stars, a group of nurseries based in London and Hertfordshire caring for more than 800 children and supported by a team of 280, we feel it’s important to share our perspective on why we have embraced this technology, not as a form of surveillance, but as a powerful tool to build transparency, trust and family connection.

Since opening our first nursery in Mill Hill in 2013, we’ve made it our mission to nurture bright futures by creating warm, child-centred environments where every child feels safe, confident and loved. This vision is rooted in truth, compassion and respect, and it’s a thread that runs through every decision we make, including the tools we use to safeguard our children and build trust with families.

Why we introduced CCTV and ParentCam

From day one, we’ve utilised CCTV to enhance our safeguarding standards and support our team in delivering the highest-quality care. It plays a key role in protecting our nursery community, supporting professional development, and providing objective evidence when required. For example, on one occasion, CCTV helped staff identify early signs of a child’s medical condition, leading to a prompt and informed response.

Our introduction of ParentCam grew from our desire to maintain the warmth and openness of a family-like community. We understand how emotional the first weeks of nursery can be for families. ParentCam allows enrolled parents to ‘drop in’ virtually via a secure webcam, offering a live window into their child’s daily experiences. It provides real-time insight into their child’s learning and development, while also opening up meaningful conversations at home after a busy day at nursery.

More than just a feature, ParentCam has become an essential part of how we build trust with families, empowering parents to feel connected, reassured and truly involved in their child’s early years journey. It enables meaningful conversations at home and supports our commitment to giving parents confidence in their child’s daily experiences and reinforcing the strong home-nursery partnership that’s at the heart of everything we do.

How they work together – and differ

While both CCTV and ParentCam rely on video technology, they serve distinct and complementary purposes:

CCTV is used internally by nominated people (those nominated as the main point of contact with Ofsted) and nursery managers as a safeguarding and reflective practice tool. It supports the safety of our children, staff and setting, and is only reviewed when needed to investigate concerns, support staff training, or clarify incidents.

ParentCam is a parent-facing system designed purely for connection and reassurance. It is a practical demonstration of our commitment to transparency and of the genuine partnerships we foster with parents. This offering has become a standout feature of our nurseries, with parents consistently sharing how much it exceeds their expectations and helps them feel secure when leaving their most precious little one, especially during those important settling-in weeks.

ParentCam allows parents to witness first-hand how their child is learning, playing and forming relationships, knowing they are being nurtured with love and care. Above all, it is a reflection of our promise to keep families connected, even when physically apart.

Ruby Tilley, nursery manager at Bright Little Stars Stanmore, says: “Our ParentCam system really supports that sense of trust, especially for parents navigating those first moments of separation. It’s reassuring for them to see their little one happy and settled. As a manager, I also use the live CCTV stream as a valuable tool to reflect on what’s happening in our rooms. It helps me understand how children are engaging, what’s working well, and where we can keep improving the environment and learning experiences for every child. In a nursery rated Outstanding, the CCTV is a tool I actively use for staff training.”

How ParentCam supports families

At Bright Little Stars, ParentCam has been thoughtfully designed to balance emotional reassurance for parents with the security, privacy and flow of nursery life. It’s a window into your child’s world, reassuring, respectful and responsible.

Here’s how we ensure ParentCam works for both families and the nursery:

• Secure, time-limited access approved by the nursery management – Each family is granted 15 minutes of real-time viewing each day, available to two primary carers.

• Available from your child’s first day – ParentCam becomes active only after a child has officially started nursery and is limited to the specific room the child is attending, never other rooms.

• Individual logins and responsible use – Parents receive a unique login and password and must agree to use ParentCam in a private setting, with no screenshots or recordings. These terms are clearly outlined in our nursery contract and ensure the privacy of all children is respected.

ParentCam offers families the chance to witness their children’s milestones as they happen, seeing them learn, play and build relationships, all while being nurtured with care and purpose. Above all, it keeps parents connected, even when they can’t be physically present.

Melissa, a parent from our Barnet Nursery says: “Having the parent camera at the nursery makes me feel safe knowing I can check in on my son throughout the day. It gives me peace of mind seeing him happy and settled, and it’s one of the main reasons I chose this nursery. It shows they have nothing to hide and truly care about working with parents.”

A secure and thoughtful approach

Both CCTV and ParentCam operate on secure, encrypted platforms with robust user authentication. No footage is stored from ParentCam, and we maintain full GDPR compliance, with clear, transparent policies covering data handling, privacy and safeguarding.

Parents sign a contract agreeing to the terms and conditions, which help us to respect both staff and children’s privacy, while still enabling families to share in their child’s daily achievements and know they are being kept safe.

Our CCTV policy in practice

CCTV cameras are placed in key learning areas, communal spaces and entrances, but never in private areas such as lavatories or changing rooms. Footage is stored securely and is used solely for safeguarding, reflective practice or specific incident reviews, never for external use or promotion.

Importantly, there’s no audio recording, and access is strictly limited to senior members of staff. While practitioners can view live sleep room monitors to ensure children’s safety, they don’t have unrestricted access to recorded footage.

Advice for other nurseries

For settings considering implementing CCTV or a ParentCam-style system, we recommend starting with these questions: How will it support your values and your vision? What are its benefits in practice?

For us, these technologies are not just operational tools; they are emotional commitments to the families we serve. They support our goal of offering an exceptional start in life, in an environment built on openness, trust and compassion.

From a practical standpoint, nurseries should ensure:

• A robust Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA).

• Full GDPR compliance.

• A secure, encrypted infrastructure with tightly controlled access.

• Clear, transparent communication with staff and parents.

Supporting bright futures

At its core, our use of CCTV and ParentCam is not about watching. It’s about building trust, protecting the dignity of every child and strengthening the vital bond between home and nursery. We’re proud that Bright Little Stars continues to grow while maintaining the personal, family-focused feel that families love. As we look to expand into new locations, our mission remains the same – to provide more families with exceptional care, connection, and an experience that sets the standard in early years education.