Is it that hard to protect our children?

Ofsted, the government's lead watchdog on all things education and child related has announced in its annual report that there are a whole host of nurseries, day care centres and playgroups that are failing fundamental safety and security checks.

Hygiene, secure premises, basic checks on staff are just some of the areas that were highlighted during the review.

One has to ask the question, why is it so difficult to fulfill these basic functions? Basic hygiene standards should be normal, same with ensuring doors and windows are locked, but most worrying is the thought that staff are allowed to work with small children, who have had no background checks.

Despite many high profile scandals involving adults abusing children, one would have thought any organisation involved in child care or education would put safety and security at the top of their list?

Then there is the online social networking worries many parents often have. How can it be so difficult to police this when technology should make it far easier? Moreover, is there a need for parents to be more responsible when allowing their children to use the internet?

That is why we decided to have a look around and find out who in the online space in particular is working to try and help protect children and inform parents. Dizeo.com is just one of those organisations that is trying to help educate children about the dangers of online predators and ultimately how to 'use the internet safely'.

The simple fact is you can never protect against all eventualities, what you can do is try to minimise the risk, prevent rather than cure and just be sensible about how you use the internet.

In terms of putting your kids in nurseries, keep an eye out for cleanliness, hygiene, are staff clean? do they close doors? is the main gate locked once they are inside? Do they have CCTV? what are there safety checks?

Parents are completely entitled to ask these questions. Perhaps it is time they started doing just that?