Daycare Nightmares: Who is Supervising Your Children?

Every day millions of Americans head to work and entrust the safety of their children to daycare workers. Their job is to provide the same care and supervision at the daycare facility that a child would receive at home with his or her parents. When this trust is broken and workers put your child in harm’s way, the results can be devastating.

Two caregivers working at a Virginia daycare were recently convicted on numerous charges including child cruelty along with assault and battery after running what prosecutors dubbed a “baby fight club” in a classroom filled with one and two year olds. Reports showed that the women taunted toddlers who were afraid of water by spraying them with a hose and dunking them in a wading pool. They also encouraged the children to fight each other. Witnesses testified they saw the workers laughing after feeding flaming hot Cheetos to the children along with tripping them, stepping on their toes and biting one child’s finger.

The abuse in the case in Virginia is unfortunately not an isolated one. Last year two daycare workers in New Jersey faced child abuse charges for forcing children in a classroom of 4-6 year olds to fight at least once a month. One employee even posted the videos online to share with friends on social media. Frightening stories like these make parents wonder how to find safe daycare for their children. The organization Child Care Aware of America has helpful recommendations for parents when searching for daycare including:

• Find out the facility’s accreditations as well as any licensing violations that may have been reported.
• Ask how large each group or classroom is, along with the ratio of staff to children. The smaller the number the better.
• Inquire about the qualifications of the caregivers including education, training and experience.
• Investigate the turnover ratio of the caregivers. A constant change in staff not only can be a warning sign for problems but is also not a good experience for children.

Your children are precious and are expected to be cared for and kept safe while you are at work. Abuse and negligent supervision at daycare can lead to not only physical injuries but emotional scars. If your child has been injured while in daycare, you need to take action. Contact the experienced and compassionate attorneys at Finz & Finz P.C., who will work with you to ensure no one gets away with putting your child’s health and safety at risk.