Did a Daycare Accident Hurt Your Child?

Parents place immense trust in daycare centers and childcare providers. We drop off our little ones, often with a heavy heart but a firm belief that they will be safe, cared for, and watched carefully. However, sadly, accidents and injuries can occur in daycares due to carelessness or a failure to follow crucial safety protocols. For the team at The Child Injury Firm, it’s heartbreaking to see that trust broken.

• What It Is: An injury to a child that happens while they are at a daycare, preschool, or with any childcare provider because the caregiver was negligent or didn’t follow important safety rules. These aren’t just minor scrapes; we’re talking about serious harm that could have and should have, been prevented.
• Causes: Common causes include:
• Not Watching Closely Enough (Inadequate Supervision): This is a very common and critical problem. It could be too many children for too few adults, or adults not paying full attention to the kids. When supervision is lacking, a child might wander off, get into something dangerous, fall from playground equipment, or get hurt by another child. In fact, inadequate supervision is one of the most frequently cited violations in daycare inspections.
• Unsafe Play Areas:Playgrounds at daycares need to be safe. If they have broken equipment, hard surfaces under swings or slides instead of soft materials (like wood chips or rubber), or are not properly maintained, children can get seriously hurt. Falls are a leading cause of injuries in daycare centers, often from playground structures.
• Hidden Dangers: Sometimes, hazards are left out in plain sight or not properly secured. This includes items such as cleaning supplies, exposed electrical outlets, unsecured furniture that can tip over, and small objects that pose choking hazards to young children.
• Staff Mistakes: This could involve staff members who are not adequately trained, have a poor attitude toward children, or make mistakes such as administering the wrong medication or failing to respond promptly to an emergency, like an allergic reaction. A lack of proper training for childcare staff can lead to higher rates of injury.
• Statistics: While exact national numbers for daycare injuries can be challenging to track consistently across all states, reports from state licensing agencies and advocacy groups show significant concerns. For example, a 2022 analysis in New York City found that one in ten daycare facilities had serious violations during routine inspections. These violations included failing background checks on staff and improper child-to-staff ratios. Child Care Aware of America’s analysis has found that maintaining required staff-to-child ratios is crucial for safety, and violations can lead to neglect and increased risk of accidents. Studies also indicate that children aged 2-5 who attend childcare centers may be at increased odds of injury compared to those cared for at home. Sadly, about half of daycare injury cases involve neglect, which can lead directly to injuries.
• Long-Term Impact: Injuries sustained in daycare can range from concussions, broken bones, amputations, and severe cuts, to more severe harm if a child is left unattended or exposed to serious hazards (like a child wandering off and drowning). Beyond physical injuries, profound emotional trauma can occur if a child experiences neglect, abuse, or is hurt due to a caregiver’s failure to protect them. These emotional scars can significantly impact a child’s development, trust, and overall well-being for many years.

If your child was seriously hurt at a daycare, and you believe it was due to someone else’s carelessness or a safety rule being broken, you have rights. The daycare has a big responsibility for your child’s safety. Please call our team at The Child & Birth Injury Lawyers immediately. We can investigate what happened and help your family seek justice.