To Chaperon Or Not To Chaperon

After a recent event, my plan to always chaperon my child's field trips was reinforced to a great extent.  My husband and I took our son on a trip to Underwood Family Farms (for Pumpkin week) and it was amazing as usual.  My husband sent my son down a makeshift slide from farm equipment.  I looked up the slide trying to figure out what was taking him so long and it seemed like my husband was grabbing at something, a kid.  Next thing I know he is coming down the stairs holding the hands of a child that was crying uncontrollably.  She was so adorable with her little glasses, it broke my heart.

It turns out she was on a school trip and lost her group and was pinned at the top of the slide due to impatient children pushing past her.  Fortunately for us, she was wearing the school shirt so it was only a matter of minutes before we found matching red shirts and reunited her with the group.  When I approached them and they saw her they said "oh my goodness, we were looking for her" and they asked her "where were you".  One of the teachers said she followed another group and that is how she got lost.  The poor little girl was still in tears and hysterical.  She was probably 7 years old or so and very tiny.  We left her and the whole time I was holding back tears.  Then I became almost instantly angry.  I realized they did not appear to be looking for her.  Her mother sent her on a trip thinking she was safe and that the school would take good care of her.  She could have been snatched in moments by a predator.  This led me to think about a few things.  One, I will always make sure myself or my husband chaperon a trip.  Two, what if a parent can't chaperon.  What can they do?  I thought about what I would do, ask their methods of keeping the children together.  Ask how man children a going and how many adults.  If it seems not enough adults for he amount of children, see if more can be recruited.  Know where they are going and every detail about the place.  I know I have to let my child grow and can't hover too much, but will try to protect him as much as possible.