Articles Tagged with child abuse

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By David A. Wolf, Child Injury Lawyer

Toy Blocks E & AIn Minnesota and other States, working parents rely on day care centers so that the parents can provide for their children.  While parents, given a choice, would have one parent at home or a family member at home to raise the child during the tender years, the economic realities of life make it necessary to put a child in a day care program.  Some day care programs are excellent while others are operated by ill equipped and trained people who open a day care center for the sole purpose of making a living.  The substandard day care centers often fail to get licenses, fail to train their staff, and fail to look after the best interest of the child.  In addition to training of staff and maintaining a safe environment, there is something else that is needed in every day care center in the form of “patience”.  It is well known that children, especially infants, will cry and fuss.  Because of this, it does take a certain temperament, personality, and, yes, patience to properly care for a child in a day care center.

A bizarre set of facts took place recently in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  It was reported that a day care center provider got fed up with her job and placed a child in a noose to hang the child. The day care provider then took off in a vehicle in a hurry and then got into an automobile accident that was reportedly her fault.  You can read more about these incidents at Day Care Center Faces Criminal Charges in Minneapolis Minnesota Following Hanging of Baby.

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By David A. Wolf, Attorney
Child Injury Lawyer Blog
Kids Wooden Blocks Falling As Symbol For Education And Learning
In Oklahoma and other states, hard working parents rely on day care centers for the proper supervision and education of their children.   With both single parents and dual income parents, day care centers have become a necessity in order for parents to support their children.  Most day care centers do a fine job in caring for children in a loving and nurturing way; however, there are far too many child care providers out there who lack the maturity, patience, responsibility, and common sense to serve as a proper day care provider.  While it should be well known out there that shaking a baby, infant, or toddler can cause serious permanent injuries, there continues to be incidents reported that children have been injured by forceful shaking, corporal punishment, and / or the hitting of a child.  This, in turn, caused serious head and brain injuries to child who was supposed to be cared for rather than harmed in the day care center setting and environment.
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By David A. Wolf
Child Injury Lawyer Blog
Justice Red White and BlueWorking parents do their best to support the family.  In doing so, working families need the services of day care centers.  Most day care centers are well run by caring individuals.  However, there are many day care incidents and wrongful death incidents out there that do and should cause concern for all working parents which children enrolled in a day care center.  When a child dies, there are in many instances more questions than answers and sensible explanations for the death of the child.  It should be made clear that an infant and toddler at a day care center need supervision at all times including sleep and nap time.  When a child mysteriously dies at a day care center, there is typically an investigation by local law enforcement and the social service agency that licenses day care centers.  An autopsy should be performed to help determine the cause and preventability of the death of the child.
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By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

ChildAbuse-IconDavidBusy working parents rely upon day care centers, child care centers, and summer camps to provide a safe learning environment for children. On most days for most children, there is excellent education, supervision, and care.  Unfortunately, for far too many children, a day care center, child care center, or summer camp is the site of a abuse, neglect, and molestation of a child.  It is tragic when a child is subject to abuse or neglect in the very environment where the child should be protected.  When a child is abused or neglected in a day care center, the parent of the child can pursue a civil case or claim against the day care center, the day care center worker, and others who may be liable or at-fault for the injuries caused to the child.  It should be noted that a civil case is quite different than a criminal case or an administrative case against the day care center work and owner.  A civil case can be brought assuming that a parent can establish the following four elements against the Defendant as follows:
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By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Building Block - M - Day Care CenterIn Connecticut and other States, day care centers, schools, and summer camps should be safe havens for children. Unfortunately, at these very locations, children are subject to abuse, neglect, and corporal punishment. Let’s face it. Children, at times, will misbehave and fail to follow instructions. However, this is no reason for hitting or striking a child in a day care, school, or summer camp setting. In fact, there are no good reasons to justify the abuse, neglect, corporal punishment, or exploitation of a child. When a child is abused or neglected in a child care setting, there may be one or more legal proceedings that result from the alleged bad conduct of the day care provider. There may be an arrest or criminal prosecution in the form a criminal case. There may be a fine levied against the day care center or a suspension of the license in the form of an administrative procedure. There may also be a civil case or claim against the individual day care center provider and / or business for the injuries / damages suffered by the child. It should be noted that the pursuit of any one of the three types of cases are not dependent on each other. For instance, a civil case or claim can be pursued even if there are no criminal charges filed.

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By  David Wolf, Attorney

Child Care Note Or Message As Reminder For Kids Daycare
In North Carolina and other states, parents rely upon babysitters to provide supervision and care for children while the parents are at work or otherwise running errands for the family.  Most babysitters are caring individuals who put the necessary time and effort into properly caring for the child; however, there are some babysitters out there who lack the patience, skill, and common sense to safely care for children.   Some of these absolutely careless and reckless babysitters are very young and some are very old. There are bad babysitters of all ages out there.  It is amazing that babysitters still think that it is acceptable to beat, spank, or shake a child even an infant when the child is crying or acting up.
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By David Wolf, Attorney

Published by the Child Injury Lawyer Blog

Video Surveillance - Day Care CenterMany day care centers across the nation have video surveillance equipment in place to monitor the children under the care of the day care center.  The video surveillance is also used to monitor the care being provided to the children enrolled in the day care center.  In most States, there is no legal requirement per se that requires a day care center to have the video surveillance in place. Some may even argue that such video surveillance would violate the privacy rights of the children, owner, and / or staff members. When a parent enrolls a child in a day care center, a parent should look for transparency and full disclosure by the day care center.   Video surveillance can go a long way to keeping both the children and staff members in line.  Better yet, if a parent has online access to watch the streaming video live while a child is at a day care center can help put another set of eyes on the children and staff at a day care center.
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In professional sports, there is a wide gambit of behavior for coaches and players.   Many are wonderful role models who use their celebrity, good work, and inspiration to help others and improve the community and beyond.  Other professional athletes, however, by a single act or many bad acts put the league and professional sports in general in a bad light.  The National Football League is tested on a daily basis to bring entertainment to the masses while at the same time policing its own players, coaches, and other personnel.  It is a tough balancing act  but an important one especially since the players and coaches are looked upon for guidance, inspiration, and, yes for role modeling.   Recently, the NFL issued a firm statement regarding the playing status and suspension of one of the finest athletes in the NFL – Adrian Peterson.  While the suspension was handed down to one individual by the name of Adrian Peterson, the carefully and well crafted words of Roger Goodell took a strong stance against corporal punishment and child abuse.  As so aptly pointed out by Goodell, the injury was inflicted on a child who was only 4 years old.  Goodell pointed out that the size and strength of the child was so much different than that of Peterson.  Furthermore, Goodell pointed out that unlike an adult – a child had no realistic ability to fight back, flee, or seek the assistance of law enforcement.  Then, Goodell noted that the switch (i.e. tree branch) was the equivalent of a weapon that Peterson repeatedly used on his son.  Goodell then noted that Peterson indicated that he would not stop “whopping his kids” in the future.  (It should be noted that Peterson recently stated that he would never use a switch again on his son.)  These statements caused much concern to Goodell about Peterson’s proclivity to repeat these criminal acts and inflict harm on a defenseless child.  Because of all of the above and more, the NFL is requiring Peterson to undergo counseling and to sit out the rest of the 2014 season. His reinstatement in 2015 will depend on Peterson’s compliance and the results of counseling and treatment.
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