Daycare Center Settles Disputed Case

DAYCARE CENTERS NEED SUPERVISION

I recently filed a case against a local Memphis daycare center alleging it failed to provide adequate supervision and staffing during spring break when several children were in their care. Holidays can mean special challenges for them.

Though the daycare center disputes all the allegations, we alleged that a three-year-old child broke his femur as a result of falling from a non-toddler swing after having been put into it by another child. The three-year-old was in a cast for an extended period but made a full recovery.
We arrived at a pre-trial settlement of $192,500.

Daycare centers are expected to do one thing and do it without fail: keep children safe. This is why we must have adequate staffing and supervision at daycare centers. If they can teach music appreciation, or creative art projects, all the better, but they are expected to assure the safety of children.

How do I find an attentive child day care center?
What is the ratio of caregivers to children? You will want to visit the childcare center while the children are there and active. Is the day care licensed, and by what regulatory agency in the state or county? Is there a file for each child that contains important contact, pick-up and health information?  Interview the childcare giver(s). Ask questions about educational background, length of employment and feelings about the facility. Inquire of whether or not background checks and drug screens are done as a requirement of employment at the childcare center. Ask to see the kitchen and nutritional inventory. You will observe for cleanliness and the variety of food choices.  Inquire as to where the children eat and how the food is served. Is there fencing around the outdoor play area? Do they transport? Who drives? What books, music, and toys are available, how are they cleaned and are they age appropriate?  How does your child respond to being left at the day care? When you pick your child up, is she happy or irritable? What interaction did she have with other children? What age were they? Many centers take kids 12 weeks to 12 years. How many adults can hold how many babies and look after how many kids? Are their remote viewable cameras?

I encourage parents to check the ratings of day care centers in Tennessee by logging onto the state website at http://www.tn.gov/humanserv/adfam/ccrcsq.html.

If you believe a child has been injured by negligence, seek counsel.