MACON, Ga. — We had record breaking temperatures on Wednesday, and there's a good chance we'll do it again this weekend. In those temperatures, it doesn't take long for a child left in a car to overheat.
Most parents know about the dangers, but dozens of times a year, children are left behind in a hot car.
You park the car, you turn it off, and you're about to get out and lock up, but did you check the back seat for your kids?
"With the heat the way it is, they could bake very quickly," says Tattnall Wee Center Director Angela Stitt.
She says they keep up with a lot of kids, so to make sure no kiddo is left behind, they do something simple -- they count.
"You have to make sure that you constantly count. I mean, as they get off the bus, as they get on the bus, whether it be a car or a van -- it doesn't matter, just constantly keep a head count," Stitt says.
The counting doesn't stop after travel. It keeps going after they come back to the classrooms.
"Every 30 minutes, I think, we are calling them to make sure we know how many they have and the teachers know."
In fact, in this blazing heat, Tattnall Wee Center keeps track of the temperatures with a handy-dandy chart. If it's too hot, they don't even go outside.
"If it's yellow, it's kind of iffy. It's up to me and the co-director if they can go, but if it's in the red, it's a no," says Stitt.
Stitt says there's no such thing as excessive counting. "To me, it's very important to make sure that no child is left, ever. I don't want that on my conscience, and I don't want it on the teachers'."
Whether it's coming back from a drive or playtime outside, the goal is to make sure the number on the roster stays consistent.