Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Kentucky and other States, day care centers have a duty to provide proper and consistent supervision to children. Furthermore, day care workers have a duty to refrain from using corporal punishment to discipline children or to retrain the children for the convenience of the staff. When enrolled in a day care center, a child should be provided with a safe, nurturing educational environment. Unfortunately, at times, children are the victims of abuse, neglect, and negligence while under the care of a day care center.
When a child suffers injuries as a result of improper supervision or corporal punishment at a day care center, it is often times helpful to have a Child Injury Attorney review the case and determine the appropriate course of action to seek compensation for medical bills, pain, suffering, and other damages resulting from the injuries.
There are a number of steps that a parent can take to evaluate and monitor the day care center providing care for their children:
1. Request a Copy of the Day Care Center License.</strong> Many day care centers operate without a license when they are required to have one in place. Ask for a copy of the current day care license for the day care center. If there is a valid one in place, there should not be any problem with showing you the license or providing you with a copy of the same.
2. Request a Copy of the Inspection Reports and Surveys. The State periodically inspects day care centers and issues reports regarding the inspections and surveys. Get a copy of these records to see what problems (if any) the day care center has had in the past.
3. Visit the Day Care Center Frequently and At Different Times. Frequent visits to the day care center will show the day care center that you care and that there are eyes and ears at the day care center. Also, visit at different times when possible.
4. Get a Copy of the Rules and Procedures for the Day Care Center. Day care centers that have formal, written rules in place may be more likely to follow them. At least, the policies and procedures can be pointed to as guidelines for the day care center to follow.
5. Ask about Staffing and Schedules. Find out who will be working at the day care center, the number of staff members, and the number of children being supervised at the day care center.
In Ludlow, Kentucky, a day care center works is facing criminal abuse charges for an incident involving improper supervision. It was reported that the day care worker used duct tape to keep the child down during nap time. The incident allegedly took place at the Mustard Seeds Day Care Center. The day care center worker was subsequently terminated by the facility. While no personal injuries were reported, there often times are emotionally injuries suffered by these kind of incidents. See Kentucky Day Care Worker Facing Criminal Charges.