Children are inherently vulnerable. Not only are they generally unable to physically defend themselves, but they also may not have the ability to recognize something is not okay or communicate that they are in distress. You also will not be able to monitor everything that happens at a daycare facility. 

This dynamic allows bad actors to shirk their responsibility to children left in their care. It can even result in situations where children are physically or emotionally abused. 

Daycare abuse can take many forms, including:

• Deliberate or inadvertent failure to adequately supervise children
• Insufficient employee-to-child ratio, meaning a caregiver is forced to look after too many children at once
• Unsafe conditions, such as poorly maintained playground equipment or choking hazards being within children’s reach 
• Physical harm, including the use of excessive force (grabbing a child’s wrist so hard it bruises, for example) 
• Mental abuse, such as screaming at a child or insulting them repeatedly
• Failing to accommodate a child’s needs, including dietary restrictions

Any form of neglect can lead to serious injuries or illness, even though the employee or employees did not intend to cause harm. For example, a failure to properly supervise children could lead to a child improperly climbing a structure, falling, and hurting themselves. Failing to remember a child’s dietary needs could result in them experiencing a dangerous allergic reaction. 

Other types of abuse may be the result of deliberate misconduct. For whatever reason, an employee could intentionally subject a child to physical or emotional harm or deny them basic necessities, including clean and safe conditions. 

Though some injuries are completely accidental, you should not assume an incident was entirely unavoidable. Our Birmingham daycare abuse attorney can evaluate your situation and determine whether you have a case.