Know The Signs: Halting Daycare Abuse Quickly

26 January 2017
 Categories: Law, Blog

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Most parents just couldn't make it work without reliable daycare for their child, and the choice in providers was undoubtedly exhaustive. When you do find a wonderful place for you child to spend the day, it allows you to focus on your work without worrying about the health and safety of your child. However, like most parents, your attention is always captured by media reports of daycare gone wrong and you cannot help but wonder if your child is safe. The signs of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or just neglect can be easy to miss unless you know what to look for. Read on so that you can know the signs of daycare abuse in your child.

Do Careful Screenings

You can head off abuse not only by carefully screening the daycare and the caregivers, but by showing up at the facility (or home) unannounced on an irregular basis. You can gauge a great deal by what you see when you catch the caregivers off-guard and by the reaction of the workers to your surprise visit. If they seem displeased with your visit, you may want to probe deeper. It should be noted that you should take pains not to be seen by your child during these visits, since doing so could set off some unfortunate behavior. Many daycare facilities have windows where you can view your child and still be unobserved.

Additionally, some daycare facilities now offer parents the ability to view their child via the Internet whenever the mood strikes. The mere presence of those video cameras can influence good behavior in the caregivers, and facilities that show that they have nothing to hide are likely good choices for your needs.

Be Aware of the Signs

  • A child who previously had no problem attending daycare is now crying and upset at being left there.
  • A child who is faking sickness to stay away from the daycare.
  • A child who appears to be afraid around daycare workers that they have been in previous contact with.
  • A child who begins to act out with behavior such as aggressiveness, irritability, and moodiness.
  • A child who has begun to have nightmares regularly.
  • A child who is exhibiting inappropriate sexual behavior or activities that are not in line with their level of maturity.
  • A child that seems to be regressing back to a previous maturity level with things like thumb-sucking, bed wetting, etc.
  • Unexplained bruises, cuts, scratches, or other injuries.

Taken one by one, none of the above should cause you to jump to conclusions, but should instead cause a heightened sense of awareness. If you suspect something is wrong, you may be right and it's best to act on your instincts. You should know that if the horrible truth reveals that your child is being abused, the people responsible should not be allowed to get away with it. Make sure that you hold the daycare accountable by consulting with a personal injury attorney at once. For more information, contact local professionals like Downs, McDonough & Cowan LLC.