Sending a child to a new daycare facility is always a risk. For some parents, however, finding a great daycare facility will take a while and accepting the fact that there are going to be a few duds here and there is just one more factor in being a parent. There are some daycare facilities that are dangerous to children. These facilities may have abusers working at them or they may simply fail to live up to the basic standards expected of daycare facilities. Home daycare facilities can be the most dangerous of all.
The Importance of Licensing
Licensing is vital to making sure that a daycare facility is reliable. The licensing process is tough and it’s designed to weed out those providers who cannot provide the level of care needed to ensure that the children they supervise are safe. If you’re taking your child to an unlicensed facility, you’re taking a big risk.
Inadequate Facilities
Daycare facilities are designed to accommodate many different children. This is a big job and it’s even hard on buildings. These children require extra plumbing in the bathroom, better surfaces where hygiene is concerned and plenty of open space where they can play without breaking anything or getting into accidents. If you take a look at the average single-family home, it has—appropriately—enough room for the children that an average family will tend to have. It won’t have the room required to handle a large number of children of different ages, as will a proper daycare facility.
Training
Being a good parent is not the same thing as being qualified caregiver at a daycare facility. Professional caregivers need to know how to manage their energy so that every child gets adequate care. The average parent is not going to be able to take care of 30 or so children or even to hold up under that level of pressure and among that level of activity. Having a home daycare and being a parent does not equate to being qualified to care for children in a real daycare facility.
If you’re interested in finding a great daycare, make sure you only use licensed facilities. If a negligent daycare facility causes harm to your child, contact a daycare abuse lawyer. They may be able to help you file a lawsuit and the compensation can help you pay for the