Background and Purpose
Live Oak Public Libraries (LOPL) welcomes children of all ages.
Library facilities and staffing are not designed or licensed to provide basic childcare needs or to supervise children. The library requests that parents/guardians consider the safety and well-being of their children and the needs of other library users.
Definition
Unattended Child After Hours: Any child under age 16 and without adult supervision remaining in the Library or on Library property when the Library closes will be considered an unattended child after hours.
Procedures for Handling Unattended Child After Hours
The staff member on duty must ask the unattended child his/her age and whether or not s/he has transportation to home or elsewhere. If a child is under age 16, proceed accordingly:
- If children in a group remain, some younger than age 16 and some age 16 or older, staff must determine which child is responsible for the group and whether the group has transportation home or elsewhere.*
- The staff member will help the child to contact a parent/guardian or other responsible adult to secure transportation. If no adult comes for the child after fifteen minutes*, the staff member on duty must contact the appropriate local police department to take custody of the child. Two staff members must remain with the child until the police arrive. A staff member must give a copy of this policy to the parents/guardians when they arrive or to the child to give to their parents if the police are called.
Important Precautions
- Two staff members must remain with the child (inside the building in inclement weather) until a parent/guardian or the police arrive.
- Never put the child in a staff member’s vehicle.
- Never transport the child to the child’s home or to any another location.
Staff members must document the time that they remain after regular work hours. They must report this time to their supervisor(s) the next working day. Nonexempt employees will be paid for all hours worked and will be paid overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a single work week. One staff person will write an incident report about the occurrence the next day.
Library staff members are not responsible for children present in the Library parking lot at closing time who were not using the Library facilities at closing time.* Examples include neighborhood children playing outside or other children waiting for public transportation.