Watching Out for Daycare Negligence

16 Nov Watching Out for Daycare Negligence

Most often, when parents think of a bad daycare facility, they equate it with a facility where deliberate abuse is being perpetrated against the children. This is not always the way abusive daycare facilities work, however. In some cases, daycare negligence is at issue. Negligence may be on the part of the employees, the company that runs the facility or other individuals who have access to the children at the facility. When a parent brings their child to a daycare, they expect that the staff that takes care of their child will be well-trained and very professional. When this is not the case, and when someone gets hurt, negligence may be found to be the cause.

Negligence doesn’t necessarily mean that someone was incompetent or that they didn’t try their best. Daycare negligence, for example, may include cases where a daycare employee tried very hard and had all he right training, but where their failure caused someone to get hurt. In some cases, the negligence is more obvious. Daycare neglect, for instance, may involve letting children play in dangerous ways or not providing children with access to needed medications or not keeping conditions at the daycare sanitary.

Daycare child abuse can be just as bad when it results from negligence as it can when it’s outright physical or sexual abuse. Children that aren’t provided with healthy social environments and safe places to play can get into bad situations. Any provider that creates these situations is also failing to live up to their obligation to the parents that hire them. When a parent leaves a child at daycare, they have every right to expect that the facility is professional and competent, provided that the facility is licensed and registered with the state they live in.

When you’re taking a look at daycare facilities, you can watch out for signs of daycare abuse, neglect and negligence. After you visit the facility the first time, make a point to show up again without calling ahead. Make sure you watch how the staff interacts with the children. You’ll also want to pay attention to how easily you’re able to gain access to the children when you show up without warning. If you have been wronged by a daycare facility, contact a lawyer. They can help you explore legal options and will be able to determine if you have a case for daycare negligence.