Daycare licensing exists to protect children. The licensing requirements ensure that staff is adequately trained and that facilities are maintained up to very high standards. While most people wouldn’t think of eating at a restaurant that wasn’t inspected and licensed, many of those same people will trust their children to unlicensed facilities. This may be because the people running it seem very nice and trustworthy and, in reality, they may be good caregivers. It’s important to remember that incompetence is not the only way that children are injured at daycare facilities.
Abuse in daycare isn’t necessarily something that is done to intentionally harm children. By the same token, daycare negligence is sometimes an issue at facilities where the staff is exceptionally well trained and where the facility is operated at the highest standards of professionalism. The bottom line is, negligence can cause real injury to families and children and unlicensed facilities have no regular inspections by third parties whose job is to watch out for negligence, incompetence and carelessness.
Unlicensed facilities, as a term, makes it sound as if there are daycare facilities that operate in some shady area of the law and, by the sounds of it, a shady area of the city. This isn’t reality, however. Unlicensed facilities are sometimes the house where someone takes too many children under their wing every day on behalf of their parent or some other innocuous-seeming place. In reality, however, children who are dropped off at such facilities are facing an unknown. Parents are sometimes tempted because, after all, being at someone’s house all day seems more pleasant than being at a daycare that operates basically like a school. In the end, however, the professional facilities are much safer and are much better choices, simply for reasons of accountability.
If you’ve been victimized by any provider, a daycare abuse attorney may be able to help you. The most important question will be how long ago the abuse took place. There are limitations beyond which a case cannot be filed in some states. You’ll have to talk to an attorney to find out which apply in your case. You’ll also have to meet with the attorney to discuss your situation and to see if you have a good case. Fortunately, this is a free service with many attorneys. Free consultations are the best way to find out if you should pursue a case.