Tips on Choosing the Right Daycare

One of the most important decisions parents make for their child is their choice of a child-care provider. Parents’ worst nightmare is placing their child in the care of someone that does not have the child’s best interest at heart. Too often, however, children are injured or killed as the result of a caregiver’s negligence or intentional misconduct.

In November, the owner of a Memphis day care center was arrested on charges on abuse and neglect. According to a civil complaint filed against Kendra Holmes of the Neighborhood Learning Academy, she disciplined a three-year-old child by spanking her hard enough to inflict bruises. After the mother noticed the bruises on her daughter, she hired an attorney and criminal charges were soon filed against Holmes.

These types of cases are not limited to Memphis. Consider the recent California case involving the death of a 4-month-old baby boy. Facility workers at Magic Place Children’s Center in Terra Linda, CA, called 911 after they found the child unconscious. It was later determined that the baby had suffocated on his bedding. The parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility and prosecutors have filed criminal charges against the owner, Claudia Gil. Specifically, Gil is alleged to have violated six counts of child care licensing requirements, including failure to provide medical treatment; failure to provide direct visual supervision; making false statements; failure to provide adequate staffing; allowing an employee to provide care without a criminal record clearance; and failure to maintain equipment in a safe condition.

In Ohio, a six-year-old child walked right out the front door of his day care center when he decided he wanted to go home. He made it about a mile in 90 degree heat before he came upon a toy store that was displaying Power Wheel trucks outside. When the toy truck failed to start, he popped the hood and correctly wired the battery. An alarmed motorist called police when they saw him driving down the highway in the toy truck. The facility never knew he was missing. Luckily, this child was found before he was seriously injured or killed.

Unfortunately, the frightening stories above are only three of countless incidences of child care neglect. Of course, there is legal recourse that parents may seek when their child dies or is harmed as the result of caregiver negligence, and the lawyers at Bailey & Greer are experienced and ready to help. Ideally, however, parents should take certain steps to avoid injury in the first place. Here are some tips on choosing the correct day care facility for your child:

1. Look around.  When you tour the facility, pay attention to how the staff interacts with the children.  Young children, especially infants, need to be held and nurtured.  Is the staff patient, calm, and responsive to the children? While each state dictates its own caregiver-to- child ratio, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than three children under 24 months of age per one adult.

2.  Ask about the drop in policy.  A day care should be happy to allow parents to drop in at any time.  Conversely, visitors should be properly screened to ensure the safety of the children at all times.  Pay close attention to how the facility’s procedures concerning drop-ins and pick-ups.

3.  Verify licensing/accreditation.  In most states, child care facilities are required to obtain special licenses depending on the number of children they serve.   Verify that the facility you are considering is in fact licensed, and check on any outstanding violations.  In Tennessee, you can verify licensing by calling the Department of Human Services at 615-313-4778.  Also, read over the requirements for obtaining a child care license in Tennessee.  You can access the licensure rules here:http://www.state.tn.us/sos/rules/1240/1240-04/1240-04-03.pdf.

4.  References.  Ask for references and call them.  A reputable facility should be able to provide you with more than one positive reference from parents who use the facility.

5.  Consider the setting.  You may want your child in a classroom setting, or you may prefer something less structured.  There is no right or wrong here, just make sure that you are comfortable with the learning style of the facility that you pick.  Also, be aware of how the children are grouped; infants should not be left alone with toddlers or older children, for example.

6.  Trust your gut.  Most importantly, listen to your instinct.  It is imperative that you be able to have open and honest communication with your child’s caregiver.  If you feel uncomfortable or like you cannot talk to the person, keep looking.