Benefits of nursery pager systems: Comparing the wired and wireless nursery call systems

Ok, you've heard of church nursery pager systems but aren't exactly sure if you are in need of a nursery call system for your church nursery. You've found great curriculum and resources for your children's ministry, but let's not forget about selecting a church paging system for the little ones.

One of the things parents look for when searching for a church is a secure,loving atmosphere to place their children in while they worship. They also want to feel confident that if a need arises in the classroom, they will be discreetly and quickly notified by a nursery call system.

Many growing churches have found that they need a less distracting way of contacting the parents of children who are upset or hurt. Instead of having an usher wander up and down the aisles searching for the location of the parents and distracting everyone else, nursery call systems offer an effective alternative. Nursery pager systems reassure parents of the well-being of their child, while impressing visitors of the church's attention to parents of young children.

More churches are choosing church nursery pager systems because they ensure the pastor won't be interrupted and the congregation distracted. They also provide better communication between parents and kids, while instilling a sense of security. But what is involved in purchasing a system and how do you know if you need to go wireless or be wired? A wireless paging system is basically a radio that is tuned into only one frequency and consists of a transmitter and many different receivers. Any time the pager is on it picks up signals from the transmitter. A wired system consists of a screen at the front of the sanctuary that flashes an assigned number of a child who needs attention.

Nursery Call Systems

Advantages of the wireless paging system include a sense of anonymity. The parent carrying the pager is the only one who knows he/she is being summoned by the nursery. This can be a great comfort to the mom who is already on edge about leaving her child downstairs. Wireless nursery pager systems also mask the embarrassment felt by the parent getting up on cue to the flashing number overhead.

Another benefit of the wireless system is that it doubles as a

built in security system for the church. In these days, churches are a prime target for child abductions due to their trusting,faith based nature and lax rules and regulations on volunteers. Child molesters know this and often take full advantage of the system by concocting elaborate stories to remove a child from a classroom. In addition, separation and divorce custodial battles many times involve the church when issues flare up between Christians causing a non-custodial parent to attempt to take their child from the nursery. Figures from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention show that in a years time over 30,000 children were abducted by non-custodial parents. With one of the wireless nursery pager systems, only the person with the correct pager is given custody of the child. Flashing a number on a screen just doesn't offer this type of security and requires the church to consider an additional security system for it's children. Nursery attendants also feel more at ease with a nursery call system because it allows them to notify parents immediately when a situation arises, instead of trying to handle it themselves.

Many wireless companies offer warranties of one to three years depending on the consumer's preference. The drawback of wireless nursery pager systems is having to purchase AAA batteries every six to eighteen months, however rechargeable batteries are an option. Also, nursery attendants can shut off each pager as they are returned in order to conserve battery life. In addition, some systems offer a feature called "all page, all sleep" which automatically turns off the pagers when not in use. It also has a call feature that reminds parents who have yet to pick up their children that the nursery is closing soon. Another feature that can be ordered allows the nursery worker to alert the parent to the reason they are being called, such as 'baby hungry', 'baby crying' etc.

Church Nursery Paging Systems

The wired nursery pager system is the less expensive of the two and may be a good choice for churches who are growing from a small to medium sized congregation. This church paging system works by flashing a number that has been assigned to each parent on an electronic board in front of the sanctuary; when a nursery attendant types the child's number into a receiver it automatically comes up. They are excellent choices for churches who are on a very tight budget. The system is quiet and efficient and doesn't require additional equipment. The drawbacks however include the entire congregation seeing the number and knowing the reason a parent is leaving. As well as the parent who forgets their number or doesn't notice a number has been placed on the screen and ignores the notification. It also tends to be confusing for parents when multiple numbers are displayed at once and randomly are flashing. The wired nursery call system also lacks the security feature of the wireless system since any person knowing the child's number can come to pick up the child and doesn't have proof the number flashing matches their church paging system.

All things considered the church has to look at their financial situation as well as the size and culture of the congregation in determining their needs for a nursery pager system. By purchasing a nursery call system, the church is assuring peace of mind to the parents,nursery attendants as well as fellow worshipers.

If you are searching for a great ideas for running your church nursery, below is a great article.

Church Nursery Pager Systems and Running an Efficient Nursery

Used by permission of Beth Rimstidt www.child-bible-lessons.com

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