Child Injury Lawyer Blog

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Grand Forks, Minnesota, a former day care owner (Marsha Brouillet) was sentenced for child abuse charges involving a head injury to a friend's child under her care. The child required a two day hospital stay for injuries resulting in bleeding in the brain and seizures. The mother of the 4 month old child senses that something was wrong with her child and the day care center and sought medical attention for her child. Furthermore, she removed her child from the day care center. The day care owner later admitted to shaking the child without supporting his head. The parents are thankful that the injuries were not worse and they were understandably upset that the day care owner would act in such a reckless and callous manner.

Day care center owners and employees should not work in a day care center or around children if they cannot handle the cries or demands of children. Babies, infants, toddlers, and children will cry. They can also be quite demanding and unreasonable. This comes with the territory. A safe and loving haven should be provided in a day care center. You can read more about this Minnesota matter at Child Suffered Head Injury at Day Care Center.

By Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Kansas and other states, children in day care centers are often times put at risk by unsafe day care center drivers. Some of these drivers even choose to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In Witchita, Kansas, a former day care owner was charged with driving under the influence. She later pled no contest to the charges. Police were tipped off as to the owner's intoxication by day care center workers who say the owner leave with children in a day care center vehicle. The day care center workers were concerned and contacted the police. Fortunately, no children were harmed by the reckless conduct of the day care owner but her actions certainly put the children in the vehicle at risk. In addition, any other drivers / passengers, pedestrians, and bicylists in the area of the day care center owner's driving were also put at risk. You can read more about this story at Former Day Care Center Owner Guilty of DUI Charges.

By Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The Alphabet Street Learning Center was the site of child abuse incidents that led to the criminal prosecution and sentencing of a former day care worker. Pamela Coleman, age 42, was sentence to a one year prison sentence. At the sentencing, Judge Coleman stated that he was concerned about the future safety of her children including the one that she was pregnant with. The child victims at the day care center suffered injuries in the form of spiral fractures. These type of fractures typically occur when a child's arm is forcefully twisted. Children should be handled with care and not with force especially in a day care center. You can read more about this story at Former Wisconsin Day Care Worker Gets Prison Sentence for Child Abuse Incidents.
See also Spiral Fracture.

By Jay Foster, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A former day care worker at the New Beginning's Day Care Center in Moselle, Mississippi pleaded guilty to charges of child molestation and sexual battery. Derrick Williams (age 23) received the maximum criminal sentence according to Assistant District Attorney J. Ronald Parrish. The crimes involved the fondling of 4 and 5 year old girls who attended the day care center that was owned by Williams' mother.

It is certainly tragic that children were abused and neglected at a facility that should have been a safe haven and a place of education and fun for the children. It is quite unsettling that parents cannot trust that day care centers will provide for the safety and well being of children under their care. You can read more about this story at Ex Day Care Worker in Moselle, Mississippi Pleads Guilty to Crimes Involving Fondling of Children.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In the Blackhawk Area School District - Pennsylvania, a mother is upset over an incident that recently took place when her daughter was dropped off at the wrong bus stop without any supervision in the cold. Fortunately, the child did not suffer any serious personal injuries; however, the incident placed this child at risk where injuries or harm could have resulted. It appears that there was some kind of breakdown in communication or action on the part of the school, day care, and / or bus company that resulted in such a traumatic situation for this 7 year old girl and her family. While tragedy was avoided, this incident will be a good teaching point for the school, day care center, and bus company so that similar incidents are avoided in the future. You can read more about this story at Mother States that Daughter Was Dropped Off At Wrong Stop Without Any Supervision.

By Stephanie F. Brown, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper website reported that a baby boy died while under the care of a babysitter. It appears that the baby was being cared for in an unlicensed day care center in the sitter's home. The mother and this unlicensed child care provider met through the popular website - Craigslist. While Craigslist is a wonderful tool used by millions of people, the website really does not provide for any background searches or quality assurance checks regarding day care providers or day care centers. Parents and guardians should check with local and state day care licensing authorities before entrusting the care of a child in a "day care center". You can read more about this story at Baby Dies in Sitter's Care in Unlicensed Day Care Center.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Kansas and other states, day care centers have a duty to provide for the safety. State authorities closed a Fairway day care center. It was reported that the day care center was closed to protect the safety and health of the children. A recent inspection of the child care facility revealed that the center had more children than it was licensed for. Furthermore, the inspection revealed that one of the infants was kept in a bathroom and another was found in a bedroom covered with blankets. The day care center operator can appeal this decision and will be able to defend her facility against the allegations and findings on the inspection.

Inspections by the State can and do help prevent tragedies from taking place. Unfortunately, the State is not present at every day care center - every minute of the day. It would be impossible to have such oversight. As such, many day care centers create and allow dangerous situations to be present which, in turn, put children at risk for serious personal injuries and even death. You can read more about this story involving a Kansas Day Care Center at State of Kansas Authorities Close Kansas Day Care Center.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

La Petite Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee, has received the highest ranking possible from the State of Tennessee Department of Human Services: three stars. Nevertheless, when a mother recently picked her child up from the daycare, the child would not stop crying. When the mother confronted the daycare director the next day, she learned some distressing news.

According to the mother’s account, her daughter is being toilet trained, and soiled her pull-ups while in daycare. To shame her, one of the daycare workers made her wear a baby diaper and suck on a pacifier while another worker videotaped the child on her cell phone. Also according o the mother, the woman who videotaped the incident has been fired, but the woman who put her child in diapers has not.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services has cited the daycare for improper discipline, and is investigating the daycare. If the daycare is found to have violated state licensing rules, it could face an array of consequences, including civil penalties. The La Petite corporate office has declined to comment on the matter.

Find out more details about the toilet training incident at this Tennessee daycare at High-rated Knox daycare center cited for "improper discipline".

If your child has been abused or neglected by your daycare provider, please contact our Jacksonville, Florida law firm for child injury law counsel.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Aaron Pace of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was babysitting twenty month old Suliaman Orrell Kirkland recently, with other family members present in the home. Pace, who refers to himself as the child’s godfather, allegedly wet a rag with Drano and applied it to the child’s skin to punish him for being uncooperative.

Of course, Mr. Pace and / or any other potential Defendant has the right to advice and counsel from a criminal defense attorney. The district attorney and police department have a duty to investigate deaths of this nature to determine if a crime was committed, the type of crime committed, and the evidence available to prove such a crime. Some child deaths result from inattention, negligence, or just an unfortunate and unpredictable incident. Others result from intentional and reckless acts which should be prosecuted.

Pace’s family members did not witness the alleged Drano incident, but did notice sometime later that Suliaman was injured, and called the child’s mother. She in turn called an ambulance. When paramedics arrived, they found the child covered with chemical burns on his upper extremities. The child was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. He died of his injuries the next day. Pace is being held by police but has not been charged with any crime.

There are far too many stories in the news about children being “punished” by being exposed to toxic household chemicals. These chemicals are very dangerous and can seriously injure or even kill a young child. Parents and caregivers need to understand that injuring a child is not an appropriate disciplinary tool. More details about the tragic death of Suliaman Orrell Kirkland can be found by visiting Police: Babysitter killed toddler with Drano.

By Scott A. Marks, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Anthony Jerome Hall Jr. was accused of beating and stomping his girlfriend’s baby to death while she was at school. According to prosecutors, Hall killed the child late in the evening, telling the mother that he had put the baby to bed before she arrived home. The next morning, after the girlfriend left the house, Hall allegedly stuffed the boy’s body into a plastic trash bag, and then took several trains and a bus to Long Beach, where he tossed the baby in a trash bin.

He then called his girlfriend and told her that the child had been abducted; cutting himself with his own keys to make it look as though he had been attacked. When Hall’s girlfriend called the police, the dispatcher called Hall’s cell phone, and police were able to locate him in Long Beach, where they quickly discovered the body.

Hall admitted to officers that the kidnapping had been a lie, but insisted that the child’s death was an accident. He later told investigators that his girlfriend had killed the child, and then asked him to dump the body. Later on he changed his story again, saying that he had struck the child several times before putting him to bed, and that he had found the boy dead the next morning.

The defense painted Hall as a “fall guy,” who was willing to take the blame for his girlfriend’s actions, and pointed out that there was no physical evidence linking Hall to the child’s death. The case has been turned over to the jury. Find out more the tragic death of a California infant at Baby killing case goes to jurors.

If your child has been injured, please contact our Jacksonville, Florida law firm for child injury law counsel.

By Jonathan Safran, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Wisconsin's Governor recently announced the rating system that will be used to rate day care centers in the State. The rating system will be a helpful tool for parents searching for a day care center and it was reported that the ratings may be linked to State of Wisconsin funding. You can read more about the Governor's announcement at ABC News.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

When a parent sends a child to a day care center, it is expected that the child will be safe and out of danger. Unfortunately, at times, injuries take place at day care centers. Some incidents are unexpected and could not have been prevented. While others could have been easily prevented through better supervision and safety precautions.

In Perth, Australia, a toddler was bitten by a venomous snake. Fortunately, he got the treatment that he needed and is expected to survive this trauma that could have ended this child's life.

Snakes in day care centers are far from common. However, other types of injuries take place at day care centers on a more common basis. These include falls, bus accidents, corporal punishment, and playground incidents. Day care center owners and care givers should use their best efforts to keep children safe and out of harm's way. See Toddler Survives Snake Bite.

By Steven Smith, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Manhattan, New York, the Office of Special Narcotics arrested Akwasiba Radellant, age 36, for running a drug den out of an apartment that also served as a day care center. Ms. Radellant, of course, is entitled to representation from a private criminal defense attorney or the public defender. Ms. Radellant claims that the marijuana did not belong to her and she had no knowledge of its presence in her apartment. Prosecutors, however, believe that Ms. Radellant was involved and had knowledge of the drugs in the apartment since a digital scale was obtained as evidence. In addition, plastic bags were covering windows to the apartment as well. Ultimately, this case will result in a plea deal or a trial. The evidence and witness statements must be analyzed by each side to determine how the case will be pursued or defended.

Day care centers in New York and other States should be a haven of safety and education for children. Drug dealing or use near children can lead to dangerous and disastrous consequences. Day care operators should take all reasonable efforts to act in the best interests of children under their care. You can read more about this story at Manhattan Day Care Center Was Drug Den: Prosecutors.

By Scott A. Marks, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In an effort to keep kids out of foster care, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services is giving abusive parents accused or suspected of abusing their children a second chance to be good parents to their children. Experts call the experiment, run by the nation’s largest county-run child welfare program, one of the most promising experiments for child welfare. However, it is not without risks; it does place children back into homes that have been deemed unfit.

The program was developed in response to the fact that children in foster care often end up homeless, jobless, and incarcerated as adults. The theory is that the money spent on foster programs would be better spent educating the child’ biological parents to improve their parenting skills.

Los Angeles County is taking advantage of a new federal program which allows them to accept a set amount from the government, rather than an amount determined by how many children are in foster care. Under the program, the county can use any excess funds as they see fit. In some cases, the county may pay for furniture for the child’s room, child care, parenting and anger management classes, and even a bus pass to get to job training classes. If the child moves back in the parent may also be eligible for more housing, food stamp and welfare benefits.

The program seems to be working; in the last decade the county has reduced the number of children in foster care by more than half. And the savings in monthly foster care costs has allowed the county to hire more case workers. Find out more about this foster care avoidance program in California by visiting With time and help, a mom may learn to conquer anger.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

A strong-willed child is a child who doesn’t mind his parents. He may also be described as stubborn or willful, and will strongly reject overt attempts to control his behavior. Children tend to become strong-willed in phases, during the “terrible twos” and the teenage years. According to a recent article, the skills required for dealing with these two very different ages of children are basically the same.

How can you handle a strong-willed child?
- Be consistent. Don’t let the child wear you down until he gets what he wants. This just reinforces nagging behavior.
- Show them you mean what you say. Bending the rules or not following through on punishments only teaches children that sometimes they can get away with bad behavior if mommy and daddy are tired or distracted.
- Do not get dragged into a fight with your child. You are the adult and you need to bring the level of the discussion up to your level. Take a break and walk away from the conversation if you need to.
- Be sure that all of the child’s caregivers and the rest of the family are aware of the plan and willing to stick to it. The plan will be much more successful if the child is subject to the same rules wherever he may be.

Parents can console themselves with the knowledge that strong-willed children generally grow up to be motivated, successful adults with high self-esteem. When they are being strong-willed they are just demonstrating that they need someone to show them the discipline to control their behavior. Read the full article with links to more tips at Parenting the Strong-Willed Child and Keeping the Upper Hand.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Dr. Ben Leichtling is the author of the book “How to Stop Bullies in Their Tracks.” He recently posted a blog article in response to a parent whose four year old child was being bitten and punched by a classmate. The parent felt that the other child might be too young to realize what he is doing, and the fact that the school has done nothing to discipline the child has made the mother feel that maybe she is overreacting to “normal” kid stuff.

Dr. Leichting gives some advice that all parents can benefit from. He says not to think too hard about the other kid or the school. He said to think about what type of environment your child should be in and whether he or she should be subjected to physical abuse by another person under any circumstances. He suggests asking yourself if it is appropriate for teachers and administrators to ignore abusive behavior and turn their back on a child who is being hurt.

Parents should not wait until they get pushed to the limit to make their voices heard. Children are not able to protect themselves, so it is the parents' responsibility to do so if the school will not. Parents, whether on their own or with a group of other parents, need to go to administrators and let them know that they will not tolerate abusive actions toward their child. Parents need to be clear that an apology is not enough, that the aggressive child needs to be disciplined to either stop the behavior or be removed from school. Parents need to be willing to do whatever it takes – even going to the media or removing their own child from the school.

It is important to keep in mind that discipline is helpful to the aggressive child as well. Children who are not taught to behave appropriately at a young age will suffer disciplinary problems and risk becoming a social outcast or criminal. Read more about how to deal with bullies at Stop Bullying by a 4-Year Old.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

Day care centers have a duty to supervise children. In addition, day care centers should be more than just a babysitter. Day care centers should use their best efforts to enrich the lives and education of children by engaging the children in meaningful activities. Unfortunately, many day care centers bring the children into the day care center or day care home and turn on the television. It is well known that inactivity in children is not healthy for the bodies or their minds. You can read more about the issue or problem at
Day Care Centers May Increase the Time that Children Watch Television.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

The Star Tribune (Minnesota) Newspaper website recently reported an encouraging article about day care centers in Minnesota. While the article lacked specific statistics and scientific analysis, the article did provide some home and encouragement for parents who have children in Minnesota day care centers. The title of the article - Beating the Flu at Day Care Centers - noted that some day care centers are very aware of the flu and germs that can show up at day care centers and to and from young children. Education and awareness are key to limiting the spread of the flu among young children. While it is impossible and unreasonable to expect that a child will never get a cold, flu or germs from another child in a day care center, it was encouraging to hear that some day care centers have been successful in limiting the reporting incidents of the flu. The simple act of turning off a community water fountain and being diligent about cleaning up a bathroom can help avoid the spread of the flu. You can read more about this article at Minnesota - Beating the Flu at Day Care Centers.

By Ryan E. Alekman, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Massachusetts and other States, day care centers have a duty to properly supervise children. It is vital that the children receive constant and consistent supervision. This includes but is certainly not limited to making sure that children remain in the facility. When a child leaves a child care facility without proper adult supervision, serious personal injuries and even wrongful death can result. In Douglas, Massachusetts, two young children were found wandering approximately 1/2 mile from the facility. Fortunately, the children did not suffer any injuries and were not abducted. Police were contacted and the children were eventually reunited with their families. Just because neither child was injured does not take away from the seriousness of this matter. The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families will investigate this matter to determine what procedures were in place, what procedures were followed, and what steps need to be taken in the future by this day care center to make sure that similar incidents do not take place in the future. You can read more about this story at Douglas Massachusetts - Two Children Wander Away from Day Care Center.

By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network

In Minnesota and other States, children are very curious. Young children often lack good common sense and safety awareness. This is especially true when it comes to putting objects and items in their mouths. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a 13 month old baby was found sucking on a crack. Fortunately, the crack was wrapped in plastic at the time. It is not certain how the crack got into the day care center. In the typical day care center, there are various ways in which drugs or dangerous items make their way into the day care center. A child may have brought it in from home. A parent or other adult could have hidden or stored the item in the child's clothing or backpack. A child may have found the item on a playground, parking lot or field trip. It was reported that the child did not suffer any serious personal injuries from this incident. This story shows the importance of ongoing and diligent maintenance and inspection of day care centers by the owners and employees. It also shows the importance to parents and other adults of keeping dangerous items out of the hands and mouths of children. You can read more about this story at Minneapolis Day Care Center - Child Found Sucking On Crack.