Identifying Issues of Understaffing and Daycare Negligence
Daycares are in business to provide excellent care for your children when you are at work, or otherwise unavailable to look after the needs of your kids. Unfortunately, daycares often have a high turnover rate or operate at levels which are lower than the standard required for a safe environment. Instances of negligent supervision at daycares and understaffing and daycare negligence, in particular, are growing. This devastating situation puts your children at risk, but at Reed & Terry LLP in Sugar Land, TX, we can take the legal steps necessary to hold daycare facilities accountable for their actions.
How Daycare Understaffing Can Hurt Your Child
Daycare-age children are typically very active, requiring constant supervision. When several kids are put in a classroom or other area together, with only one staff member, the likelihood of an accident happening is significant. Daycares are required to abide by safety rules and regulations. However, when the child to staff member ratio is high, there is no guarantee they will be properly supervised. Children may be hurt by:
- Another child if they are not being thoroughly overseen
- Broken or defective toys that have gone unnoticed due to a lack of enough trained staff members on site
- A fall from playground equipment, because there are not enough workers to keep their eyes on the children and prevent dangerous play from taking place
- A lack of proper first aid care from not having a sufficient number of qualified workers to attend to injuries
When the hiring, training, or staffing model of a facility place your child in danger, that facility must be held accountable for any harm that occurs under their care.
What Are the Staffing Requirements at a Daycare?
Aside from maintaining the actual property in a safe manner, free from hazardous walkways and play areas, daycares are required to follow certain rules when hiring workers. One of the most important staffing requirements at a daycare pertains to the number of staff members per child enrolled. This depends on the age of the child, with rooms for infants nine months or younger requiring at least one worker per every four children. The ratio of staff to children decreases as the age of the children increases, with the rule being one caretaker for every nine children between nine and 21 months old, and one worker for every 22 kids at the age of five.
Any deviation from these rules is a violation, and if a lack of the proper number of skilled workers causes injury to your child, you have the right to take legal recourse against the daycare. For help making this decision, which can often be emotional and feel utterly overwhelming, you should contact an attorney.
Contact Us Today
We understand how precious your family is. If your child has been injured while at daycare, contact us online to schedule an appointment. We understand the anxiety that goes along with finding the proper treatment for your kids and how scary it can be to fight for what is right, so we take the pressure off of your shoulders by tackling this task for you.
