It is an unfortunate fact that those most vulnerable and least able to protect themselves are often those at the highest risk for abuse or neglect. Elderly persons confined to nursing homes, the mentally ill and the retarded, and the very ill are often vulnerable targets for abuse or the victims of neglect. To this list, we can add one more group: children in day care. While the vast majority of day-care facilities and day-care providers are trustworthy and responsible, cases of abuse or neglect, while rare, do occur. *Preventive Measures*
The good news is that such abuse or neglect is usually preventable. Before enrolling a child in day care, be sure to visit the facility. It can be a good idea to drop by without an appointment, so that you can see how the center operates when it is not expecting outside visitors. Make sure the facility welcomes parents in all areas, and that it does not have any "no-go" areas. Ask if the center performs criminal background checks on all of its employees and volunteers, and inquire if the center screens for other, noncriminal issues such as drug abuse or emotional problems.
Ask the day-care facility how it handles discipline--when children may be disciplined, by whom, and how. Make sure that the children being cared for appear to be relaxed, happy, and engaged in constructive activities such as learning or play.
You may also want to take steps to guard your child against dangers that could occur outside the facility itself. If the facility takes the children on field trips, check to see if the transportation is safe and determine how many adults will accompany the children to ensure that everyone returns unharmed.
Find out what the day-care center's policies are about having children picked up at the end of the day, and who will be allowed to claim your child. Make sure to identify, in writing, who is allowed to take your child from the facility. Find out what will be done if your child becomes seriously ill while at the day-care facility, and what steps will be taken if the facility cannot get in touch with you immediately. *Avoid Abuse*
Additional steps should be taken to ensure that your child is not the victim of intentional abuse (as opposed to neglect) while he or she is at the day-care facility. When you visit, check to see that the bathrooms do not contain areas where children can be isolated, and find out how the facility handles toileting issues. Most of the cases of child sexual abuse at day-care facilities occur in the bathroom. Also make sure that children are well supervised during naptime. Day-care providers will sometimes leave the room when the children are sleeping, increasing the opportunities for someone to abuse a child.
It is important that any contact between the children and those not working at the facility is strictly supervised. Abuse often is not the work of the day-care teacher but of those not directly involved in caring for the children, such as bus drivers, janitors, and relatives of those who operate the day-care center. One study suggests that as much as one-third of reported abuse occurs in the hands of the day-care provider's family members who do not actually work for the day-care center.
Keep your eyes open for signs of abuse or neglect. If you suspect that your child has been abused or neglected at a day-care facility, it is important to act promptly. If your child is old enough, try talking with him or her to find out what happened, keeping in mind that children are sometimes not entirely reliable sources of information. You might also contact other parents who use the same day-care facility and ask if they have noticed any of the same signs of abuse or neglect in their children as you have seen in yours. If you still suspect something is wrong, contact the local authorities or, if the matter is very serious and places your child or others in immediate danger, contact the police.
If the investigation reveals that abuse or neglect has occurred, call our office. We know how important your children are. We will go to work for you to get you everything you deserve under the law, AND to prevent the same problem from happening to someone else.
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