Unfortunately, there are many instances of daycare child abuse where the entire situation could’ve been avoided. Here are three things you can watch out for to make sure that you’re not setting up a situation where it is likely that your child may be abused at their daycare facility.
Using Unlicensed Facilities
There is a reason that daycare facilities are licensed by the state. Because of the importance of the work they do and because they’re most important customers are essentially defenseless, there needs to be a regulatory agency that keeps an eye on them and what they do. Some parents try to save money by going to unlicensed facilities, such as neighborhood homes where someone takes care of children. They may not abuse the children outright but they oftentimes don’t have the facilities to handle the amount of children they take in, which leads to neglect.
Failing to Ask Questions
You want to make sure you ask a lot of questions of any facility where you intend to have your child during the day. It’s better to ask questions that make the staff a little bit uncomfortable then to end up in a situation where you don’t have all the information you need. Ask them about whether or not their licenses are current, ask them if all of the employees at the facility are background checked and, if it seems a bit too easy to walk into the facility, ask them why that is.
Ignoring Your Instincts
If you think something is wrong at your daycare facility, it’s best to act on it rather than worrying about it. Acting on it doesn’t necessarily mean taking drastic action. You may want to speak with other parents who have children at the facility or speak to the supervisory staff at the facility if you have concerns about a particular employee.
If your child is showing signs of having been abused, however, it’s best to take them to a doctor to have them checked out. If there are signs of physical abuse, the doctor can document them and see if there is cause to press the matter further. If there are signs of psychological trauma, you may want to consult with a counselor about the matter. A daycare abuse attorney can help you with filing a claim for damages against a facility that has wronged your family and that has caused your child to suffer as a result of it.