While dealing with daycare abuse is challenging enough, detecting it is sometimes the greatest challenge of all. There are a few warning signs that you can look for and not all of them have to do with the behavior of your child. In fact, sometimes you have to take a look at the staff at the facility to see if you have reason to suspect that something might be going on.
Unqualified Staff
Working at a daycare requires specific skills and not all of the people employed at these facilities actually have them. Whether it’s out of negligence or a desire to cut costs, some daycare facilities don’t bother to properly train or check for proper training where their staff is concerned. If you see new people at the facility, don’t be afraid to ask about their qualifications. Good daycare facilities will want to make sure that you’re comfortable having your child at their business and will be glad to tell you all about, and introduce you to, any new hires.
Sudden Transfers
Watch out for staff that suddenly disappears. You don’t have to give the other staff the third degree about it, but be sure to ask why the missing staff member left. If you’ve suspected that abuse is going on and one or more staff members suddenly aren’t around anymore, this can be a warning sign. There have been plenty of cases where abusive individuals who have contact with children are simply transferred somewhere else to avoid causing any trouble for the business.
People You Don’t Know
In some cases, you’ll have been introduced to the entire staff at a facility and will start seeing new people pop up who aren’t caregivers and who aren’t familiar faces. Ask about them. Whether they’re a bus driver, a groundskeeper or an IT person, they all should be background checked if they work around children. If they’re not, this is a bad sign.
When a child is harmed for any reason that traces back to negligent behavior on the part of the daycare, you may have the option of filing a lawsuit. Talk to a daycare abuse lawyer to explore these options and to see if you may have a chance of winning compensation from a jury by filing such a lawsuit. Lawsuits are never guaranteed wins, but make sure you do explore this option if you do feel that the facility acted negligently in delivering care to your child.