Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David A. Wolf, Attorney – Child Injury Lawyer Blog
When a child is placed under the care of a third party in the form of a nanny, babysitter, child care provider, and day care provider, it is important that the person caring for the child act in a reasonable and conscientious manner. Certainly, the child care provider should be attentive to the needs to the child and act at all times in a calm, professional, and caring manner. Unfortunately, far too many children suffer injuries while under the care of a third party due to inattention, neglect, distractions like a mobile phone or tablet, and other reasons. Communication and documentation can be quite helpful to parents who are concerned about the well-being and care of the child during the time periods that the child is under the care of a third party. If the child is enrolled in a licensed day care center, there are requirements for documentation that in many instances are a bit minimal. For children being watched by a nanny or babysitter, there are no documentation procedures or requirements in most states. As such the care and documentation for the same are up to the respective nanny, baby sitter, or child care provider and the parents who hired the third party. A couple in Dover New Hampshire developed a program / app called Cubby Notes which provides child care providers a tool to document the care, observations, condition, and well-being of the child while under their care. See New Hampshire Couple Develops Cubby Notes for Child Care. It is a tool that can and should be used by all nannies, babysitters, and child care providers. While the app or tool is not a guarantee that a child will be well cared for, it is a useful tool that keeps the duty of care as top of mind for child care providers. There is a maxim in the medical world as follows: “If it is not documented – it is not done.” This is a simple but important motto that can and should apply to the day care settings as well.