ACTIVE SEARCH SD - Serenity Dennard, 9, Children’s Home Society, Pennington County, 3 Feb 2019

[Monkey boy]

In S’s situation, alarms wouldn’t have stopped her.
But having alarms on the doors could prevent children from sneaking out in the future or even preventing unwanted people from entering the facility.

IMO

The building is locked...no one can enter unless you have a card key. Otherwise you have to ring a buzzer to get access. So if Serenity did decide to sneak back in she would have been locked out

 

[ilovechili]

I hope the city will add more surveillance in these types of facilities in rural areas. Especially if they know children will run sometimes. And honestly, if it were my child, I’d like some kind of security set up so that I know my child will be safe. Locked doors would probably be a good thing. Someone posted before that a child may feel “trapped” but feeling trapped would be better than heading into danger IMO.

It is amazing to me that I know people who can via their computer watch their dog at doggy day care live at any time but our children in such a facility we cannot? Or our elderly? I do get there can be privacy issues, however, the parent at least should have that right if they choose to... I believe some day cares are now doing that are they not? It would also be a benefit to the facility by showing protocol was followed.

 

[Jim_M]

It is amazing to me that I know people who can via their computer watch their dog at doggy day care live at any time but our children in such a facility we cannot? Or our elderly? I do get there can be privacy issues, however, the parent at least should have that right if they choose to... I believe some day cares are now doing that are they not? It would also be a benefit to the facility by showing protocol was followed.

Your post is Factual. A Neighbor has these video/alarm systems installed at their two properties. They can watch anything going on around both properties, from anywhere they connect to the 'net'. Easily installed, not super expensive. Just install and watch All MHO

 

[Monkey boy]

It is amazing to me that I know people who can via their computer watch their dog at doggy day care live at any time but our children in such a facility we cannot? Or our elderly? I do get there can be privacy issues, however, the parent at least should have that right if they choose to... I believe some day cares are now doing that are they not? It would also be a benefit to the facility by showing protocol was followed.

I worked at the ymca and after the sandy hook tragedy....we kept our classroom doors lock from the outside and a buzzer was installed outside the door to get in....but it was after something terrible happened...we can learn from tragedies....right now I'm hoping for a miracle

 

[ilovechili]

I'm pretty sure you are referring to the case of Candace Newmaker. She participated in a therapy called rebirthing, and the therapist specialized in treating children with reactive attachment disorder. The theory was that having a child mimic going through the birth canal would somehow cause them to leave the past behind and attach to the adoptive mom from the beginning. They lay in a fetal position on their side, and the staff presses pillows on them. They then have to push their way out of the "birth canal". It went horribly awry and Candace died.

Perhaps it's not the story you are thinking of because:

"Connell Watkins and her assistant were charged with reckless child abuse resulting in death, and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The other two people who had held the pillows in the video were given 10 years probation for criminally negligent child abuse and sentenced to serve 1,000 hours of community service as part of a plea bargain."

The Story Of The Quack Therapist Who Killed A Child With "Rebirthing" Therapy

Oh wow, there is another case of a similar thing? Too much heartbreak. No, this is not the case I am referring to believe it or not. It took a bit but I found it: (There is more to it than I recall, it was some years ago--but note they found many things wrong and he was charged with a misdemeanor.) I knew people who lived in the area where it occurred. Another very sad case.

7-year-old suffocated during restraint; death charges filed

News from Inclusion Daily: Medical Examiner: Restraint Killed Girl, 7

Homicide Charges Filed in Death of Seven-Year-Old Girl

Restraints still used after girl's death (address the state itself as well0

She was 7, I thought she was a bit younger than SD. I guess to relate it it does show that there are failures and lack of training and more in some facilities. In no way am I saying this is what happened here but we do have questions with regard to protocol, training, etc. and this is one example of what can go wrong.

 

[ilovechili]

I worked at the ymca and after the sandy hook tragedy....we kept our classroom doors lock from the outside and a buzzer was installed outside the door to get in....but it was after something terrible happened...we can learn from tragedies....right now I'm hoping for a miracle

I too am hoping for a miracle, I think that is the one thing we all have in common.

I go a bit both ways about it, I mean we also should be able to pop into say our day care or a nursing home unannounced and see that nothing is wrong (a buzzer would not allow that), maybe the answer is having the parent able to access with a key card or something but no one else able to just walk in and the child not able to run out?

I so agree with you about learning from tragedies. I hope here they look at this--I hope it is not too late for her--but at minimum I feel daylight hours were lost and hope they take a look at whatever their protocol is to avoid such an event in the future...

 

[Stunned]

It is amazing to me that I know people who can via their computer watch their dog at doggy day care live at any time but our children in such a facility we cannot? Or our elderly? I do get there can be privacy issues, however, the parent at least should have that right if they choose to... I believe some day cares are now doing that are they not? It would also be a benefit to the facility by showing protocol was followed.

I agree, we put so much more on doggy daycare, than our children!

 

[ilovechili]

I agree, we put so much more on doggy daycare, than our children!

I believe some child day cares are now also providing live access to parents via computer. If I still had young children, and had a choice of one that had it or did not, I would choose the one that did.

But yes, if a pet day care can have it why not our children and our elderly...

Never used doggy day care myself--I just would like to point out....

Like stated also, it would also protect the facility, a win for all...

 

[shorty42404]

Weather looks pretty gnarly next couple days in Rockerville. I hope and pray it warms up enough soon for more searches and she’s found. I would love a miracle too. Praying. Ugh, heartbroken

 

[mrbeansmom]

For adults? I sincerely doubt such would be allowed in a children’s facility

In CA, they aren't even allowed to have locked facilities.

“What’s happening in California is dishonest,” said Ken Berrick, the founder of Seneca Family of Agencies, a major child services agency based in Oakland. “We’re saying we don’t want locked facilities here and we don’t want group homes, so instead we’re sending kids to Utah where we can’t monitor them. What’s that about? It’s just wrong.”

Out of Options, California Ships Hundreds of Troubled Children Out of State — ProPublica

 

[mrbeansmom]

My father is an assisted living facility and they keep the doors locked at all times. Residents with dementia related issues wear ankle bracelets to alert staff if they get near the door.

My mother has dementia and she, too, is in a facility that's locked. However, when it came time to place our daughter in a residential treatment center we discovered there are no locked ones in CA, and they aren't allowed to have them.

 

[beatrixpotter]

I'm just so sad she's still not found.

 

[Caylee Advocate]

Not necessarily. I work in a facility with locked doors with alarms on some units. The simple swipe of a badge (that employees must wear at all times) will open the door.

Some of the facilities that house dementia and Alzheimer patients have the locked alarm doors also. When my Great Grandpa had to be placed in one due to Alzheimer's, I understood their reasoning due to patients walking away. I admit at first I thought it was wrong to lock them in but I am all for if they save one life.

 

[ilovechili]

My mother has dementia and she, too, is in a facility that's locked. However, when it came time to place our daughter in a residential treatment center we discovered there are no locked ones in CA, and they aren't allowed to have them.

The rules and ways in this country make absolutely no sense some time and are often very contradictory. Add in how they vary state to state and even more so.

I do not know the age of your mother (and by the way I am sorry to hear that, you sound like you have quite a bit to deal with), but assuming she is elderly, do they think an elderly dementia patient can take off faster than say a 9 year old child?

My point in saying that is the contradiction. Neither may know enough to come back or stay safe, one is too young, the other has dementia and may be elderly. Why are the rules different as to safety, locks, alarms...?

 

[Monkey boy]

If you google children's home society celebrates 125 years rapid city sd
It is from 2018 but there is a video clip that shows the outside and inside of the home also answers some of the questions I've read on here

 

[Auntie Cipation]

I still think the "staff saw her head into hills" line is in error and arose from poor journalism. I called it 'literary license' earlier and that might have been a poor choice of phrase on my part. Here's what I mean:

I could easily see a careless journalist combine these three tidbits:

"staff saw her run out of the gym",

and

"the passenger waiting in the car saw her run past, and when that car looked for her along the road shortly afterward, there was no sign of her"

and

"the property is remote and surrounded by nothing but hills and forest"
==============================

and end up combining, conflating, and assuming, and then writing "staff saw her run out the building and into the hills" even though that may or may not be what actually happened.

IMO MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

If you google children's home society celebrates 125 years rapid city sd
It is from 2018 but there is a video clip that shows the outside and inside of the home also answers some of the questions I've read on here

Thank you, unfortunately, they don't show the gym, but there is still some good information here.

Children's Home Society of South Dakota commemorates 125 years of helping families - KNBN NewsCenter1

MOO

 

[YaYa_521]

If you google children's home society celebrates 125 years rapid city sd
It is from 2018 but there is a video clip that shows the outside and inside of the home also answers some of the questions I've read on here

Thanks, for the info. I enjoyed the semi-tour. It appears nice and clean.

Thank you, unfortunately, they don't show the gym, but there is still some good information here.

Children's Home Society of South Dakota commemorates 125 years of helping families - KNBN NewsCenter1

MOO

Thanks for linking the vid!

 

[kath4557]

I agree. I have a dear friend who has an autistic child who likes to run. He will try anything to get out of a door. They have had to install keyless combination locks on all of their exterior doors to keep him safe. I also have a family member who has a son with oppositional defiant disorder who also likes to leave the home. He's 5. Their homes still feels like a homes, it's just safe for their children. It seems to me these facilities could have something similar in place for the safety of the children. It won't help Serenity at this point but it may save another child.

I feel that keyless combination locks are a great idea for any family with young children. You just never know what's going on in those little minds. Last year my grandson stole something in his Kindergarten class. The next morning when his parents went in to wake him he was gone. They noticed the front door was ajar. He was found walking down the road, crying. No shoes. He was that frightened to go to school. It was terrifying!

 

[girlhasnoname]

Hoping for SD little one to be okay somewhere safe and warm tonight.