Though it has a different name, daycare negligence is most certainly a form of abuse. Daycare workers are expected, and paid, to provide for the safety of the children they watch every day. This means providing them with structure and making sure that they’re not getting into situations that may be dangerous to them. Some children have special needs and these needs may make more complex the work with which daycare staff members are tasked. When a company fails to uphold their duties to their clients and, more importantly, to the children they’re tasked with watching, the consequences can be dire.
A daycare abuse law firm can also work with individuals who have been victimized by negligence on the part of one of these facilities. In some cases, the injuries done to children by negligent staff members may be as serious as those caused by staff members that are abusive. Children may not receive medication as needed, or they may simply end up being dropped off in an environment where there is no discipline and where they’re free to get themselves into trouble, and possibly injured. When a daycare facility takes your child on as a client, they have a responsibility to watch out for that child’s welfare.
Daycare neglect and negligence oftentimes become problems when the staff charged with overseeing the children is not fully qualified to do their jobs. In the best case scenario, your daycare center will screen all of their employees and make sure that all of their certifications and licenses are current. If they’re not certified or licensed to provide a specific type of care, they won’t be tasked with those responsibilities by their employer. Problems arise when facilities try to cut costs by hiring unqualified staff or when they try to push their qualified staff too hard by giving them too many responsibilities.
If you and your child have suffered because of such negligence, you may want to consider contacting a daycare abuse lawyer. Even if your child wasn’t directly abused, the facility does have to live up to their obligations to you and, if they didn’t, you may have cause to file a suit. In many places, there are limitations on how long you have to file such a suit. Some attorneys offer free consultations, which allow you to see if you have a case at no financial risk.