Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Day care providers in Minnesota and other States have a duty to properly supervise children in their case. In Bloomington, Minnesota, a jury recently returned a guilty verdict in a case that charged the day care provider (Doris Meeks – age 48) and her daughter (Harmony Newman – age 22) with second degree manslaughter while committing child neglect. A 22 month old boy under the care of the day care center died as a result of asphyxiation. It was reported that the child was buckled into a car seat in a playpen. You can read more about this story at Minnesota Day Care Provider Convicted of Manslaughter Charges for Death of Child Under Her Car.
Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle recently signed into law four bills aimed at protecting children while being cared for outside the home. The new laws will better enforce preventative procedures against fraudulent child care services and help ensure child safety. The bills were introduced in reaction to discovery of fraud in the state’s child care program, Wisconsin Shares, which assists low-wage-earning parents in paying for child care.
In Mississippi and other states, people run businesses out of their homes. Some businesses are day care centers. Typically, caring individuals and family operate home based day care centers. Unfortunately, there are other day care operators who put children at danger by running drug operations and conducting other illegal activities at the day care center. Recently, drugs and pornography were discovered at a home which also served as a day care center for your children. Investigators and authorities found chemicals and meth lab materials as well as needles and other gear used to manufacture meth. It is well know that meth is highly toxic and labs are high flammable. As such, the possession and / or manufacturing of meth at or near a day care center definitely poses a health hazard to children.
Nancy Owens and Vanessa Ramirez were at a birthday party together, where both have admitted to drinking. Ms. Owens reportedly allowed Ms. Lopez to drive her three children home, even though she admitted to police that she was aware Ms. Lopez was “drunk.”
Daycare owner, Shannon Veradt, of Taunton, Massachusetts, was allegedly found passed out on the second floor of her home while the children she was supposed to be caring for were unattended downstairs. Her own mother had called the police because she believed her daughter was drunk and she was worried about the children. Ms. Veradt admitted that she had been drinking, saying she was stressed from her marriage. This day care owner showed “poor judgment” but is being allowed to reopen the daycare center.