When a parent leaves their child at a daycare facility, absolute trust in the company and their employees is given by the legal guardian of the child. However, that trust is betrayed when a child is punished by means of physical abuse by a worker, and is not acceptable for any family to experience.
Most states in America have banned corporal punishment in a daycare setting, and those that have not banned it have very strict regulations. Spanking a child has been proven to be an ineffective form of correction, and is a rather a form of physical punishment. Children are protected by law from corporal punishment, especially from workers at a childcare facility. If you are suspicious that your child has been injured from a spanking at their daycare, there are ways to talk to your child without them developing a fear of getting into trouble.
A parent should begin by listening to your child, whether when they play independently or with others, mannerisms may help reveal situations they themselves have recently endured. From there, ask the child how they might have heard of the term spanking, or spanking used as a form of punishment for disobeying. If the child reveals that they were spanked by an individual, the matter has become a legal issue and should be acted upon.
If visible marks or bruising can be seen on the child’s body, a parent should take the child to the doctor or a hospital and get the injury documented. Spanking a child is illegal and documenting physical injury can provide proof of the damage done to the child. A child’s voice should be heard, especially when it comes to physically abuse.
Workers of the daycare may feel that they have done nothing wrong when punishing a child by spanking. This makes it different than outright abuse of a child; the individual sees no wrongdoing in spanking. Spanking is simply an inappropriate form of punishment (as opposed to non-physical discipline such as timeout or a loss of privileges).
If you are apprehensive or suspicious of your child receiving a spanking at a daycare, or if you have a doctor’s evaluation proving physical harm, make a free call to our daycare abuse lawyers and discuss the facts of the case at hand. We can give you an honest legal opinion and discuss your options available from there. We’re available (toll-free) at 1-877-403-9378.