Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Scott A. Marks, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In California and other States, parents send their children to school with an expectation that there will be supervision and instruction in a safe learning environment. In Bakersfield, California, a sixth grade teacher was recently arrested for intoxication. The teacher was removed from the school in handcuffs. Science teacher Larry Michaels was arrested at the school during lunch time. Mr. Michaels was evaluated by deputies who determined that he was under the influence of alcohol and possibly prescription medication. Mr. Michaels reportedly refused testing. Like any other criminal defense case, Mr. Michaels will be entitled to a defense on this matter.
California parents rely on child care center to provide their children with supervision, educational instruction, indoor play activities, and outdoor play activities during the day. Unfortunately, children suffer personal injuries at day care centers / child care centers on playgrounds. Many of these incidents result from inadequate or improper supervision and or negligent playground maintenance /design. Because children are prone to injuries at child care center playgrounds, the California Department of Social Services require child care centers to comply with Section 101238.2 -Outdoor Activity Space. The regulations as to child care center playgrounds / outdoor activity spaces can be accessed online at 
California day care centers / child care centers are regulated by the State of California – Health and Human Services Agency – Department of Social Services. The California Child Care Regulations cover a wide area of matters including but not limited to operation, maintenance, supervision, and enrollment. The regulations can be accessed online at 
Emergency rooms in California and other states get their fair share of child injury patients. Summer is a peak season for drowning related personal injuries and deaths throughout California and many other states. It is estimated that approximately 70 % of all child drownings take place in the three months summer period of June, July and August. Most of the tragic injuries and deaths related to child drownings in California involve children who are found in residential / backyard swimming pools and spas. Parents, guardians, and / or caregivers fail to realize that a child was in the swimming area or got out of the house. Because of this, it is important to have barriers like fences and gates to keep children out of pools even when they get out of the house unsupervised. Drownings can be significantly reduced with proper supervision and safety precautions like gates, fences, and pool alarms.
In California, parents depend on day care centers / child care centers to properly supervise their children. Children need to be treated with due care, dignity, and respect. While the parent is not technically the person enrolled in the California child care center, the California Department of Social Services, the agency that licenses and regulates child care centers, requires that child care centers give the notice and sign an acknowledgement of receipt of the notice.