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Family to open day care that parents can see on their computer screens
Mississippi Business Journal

It's always been the dream of the Farmer family to own a business. They just didn't know what kind.

When they finally decided on a children's day care, they set out to create a stimulating environment with the latest technology ¬ Internet access so parents can watch their children on their computer screens.

The Farmers' Jackson day care, Education Depot, will apparently be the first day care in the state to have this Internet access. The cameras literally give eyes to the Internet, so that parents can see their children in real time, live action.

The set-up is relatively simple. Cameras will be positioned in three rooms where children play according to age group. Parents pull up Education Depot's Web site on the Internet, type in a secured password, and pick the room they want to view. The room appears on their computer screen and they can view their children for as long as they like, all day if they have a free computer.

Other people like grandparents can also be linked.

Parents need only a computer and access to the Internet to view the day care, no special plug-ins or software.

According to one manufacturer of these Internet camera systems, ParentNet Inc., being able to watch their children play reduces parents' stress, ensures the safety of children because at least one parent will likely be watching at all times, and improves communication between parents and day care providers.

In addition to day cares, Internet cameras are being used to safeguard vacation homes and at work by bosses who want to monitor their employees.

What would Internet access to your child's day cost? Surprisingly, the Farmers are charging comparable rates to those of other day cares in their area, maintaining the system creates little overhead.

High tech

Education Depot is tentatively scheduled to open on Sept. 8. Already, Margaret Farmer, an R.N. and the center's director, has been flooded with calls.

It's no wonder.

Besides Internet access, the Farmers are setting up a computer lab for children that will not cost extra to use. They promise an R.N. on duty and a whole staff trained on pediatric basic life support. They also promise an environment that stimulates children's minds, even those not big enough to walk.

"We didn't want a day care where parents drops their kids off, and the kids play all day, or watch TV and play video games," said Margaret's son, Glenn Farmer, a loan officer who has been coordinating the Internet hookup at the day care.

The kids at Education Depot will be playing, but they'll be learning at the same time. Babies will have specially-chosen mobiles and mirrors to look at, older children will follow a curriculum designed by Marilyn Terrell, a teacher at Boyd Elementary School and ETV's Teacher of the Year for 1997.

Young children will learn to read and do simple math; school-age children will have some down time after school but they will have to do their homework. If they have no homework, they can read a book, said Margaret Farmer.

Children as young as two years old can use the computer lab. Very young children will use the Sesame Street learning series starring "Elmo" that familiarizes them with computers.

Education Depot is modeled on the requirements for accreditation through the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. If accredited, the center will be one of a handful in the state that is accredited by the academy, Farmer said.

All of Margaret Farmer's children and her husband are involved in the business. Husband Roland is president, Glenn is vice president, daughter Kimberly Edwards is secretary, and son Sean is treasurer. Two more sons live in Chicago. Reginald will do the accounting and Kevin, a certified Microsoft engineer, is handling the computers.

Having raised five children of her own, Margaret Farmer knows how eager children are to learn. That's why she's working to create a learning environment, not a day care that just baby sits kids all day. "I want them to be independent thinkers," she said.