Why Kids Should Never Be Left Outside Their Daycare
Children should not be left alone outside for an extended period of time because of all the threats that surround them. Without supervision, a child could easily fall and injure themselves, potentially worsening the severity as there would be no one available to tend to the injury. Additionally, that child could be bitten by a snake, stung by a bee or wasp, or get stuck on playground equipment. This can pose an extreme danger when the caregiver doesn’t know that a child has been left outside.
Other threats to children can include dangerous temperatures—where children can be susceptible to hypothermia or heatstroke. A child left outside in extremely cold or hot temperatures can be in a life-threatening situation in a matter of minutes.
Another example we have seen is where a group of students was playing on a playground. It was time to come inside to change diapers, give medications, and wait for parent pickup. The group was brought in and put in their classroom. When the parents came to get their kids, one wasn't found. The daycare did not know where that child was. Turns out, the kid was left outside for over an hour. Think about all of the things that could have happened to the child in this scenario.
Along the same lines, if a child is left alone outside they may miss diaper changes and medication updates. Not changing diapers or providing them with medication that they are required to have is potentially life-threatening. Serious repercussions happen when kids are left outside without any supervision at all.
What Can Be Done To Prevent Daycare Centers From Leaving Kids Outside?
Every daycare center must have a system in place to supervise all kids at all times. The system must be written down, and all employees of the daycare must have access to it. Employees must be trained on it, and employers must supervise the employees and enforce the system to be completed the same way every time. Extensive training in this area should have already been done, and this should be the number one rule of all daycare facilities: to double and even triple-check to ensure that all kids are accounted for.
Some of the procedures that must be implemented include:
- A written checklist of names for that day’s roster to account for each kid at all moments of the day.
- A second employee verifying that all children have been accounted for at each transition: inside, outside, diaper changes, and feeding times.
- Qualified employees trained to count and watch kids and care for them all day.
- A smaller child-to-teacher ratio. Just because the state of Texas minimum standards state that daycares can have a certain number of kids per teacher does not mean the daycare has to keep the maximum amount of kids per teacher every day.
Learn More About What To Do When Your Child Was Injured at a Dallas Daycare
Our team of experienced and passionate daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for you and your family if your child was seriously hurt because they were left outside at a daycare facility. We are ready to listen and fight to help your family get justice and move forward. Our attorneys at The Button Law Firm are recognized on the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers list, and we can help guide you after a traumatizing incident involving your child. We work on contingency, meaning we don’t charge you or collect any upfront fees to get started on your case. Call us at 281-857-6116, email us at [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free consultation.
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