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FORT WORTH, TX – According to WFAA, a Fort Worth mother is demanding accountability after learning her toddler was restrained to a chair with blue painter's tape while attending daycare.
For parents, it is a disturbing story.
Young children depend entirely on the adults caring for them to keep them safe, treat them with dignity, and respond appropriately to their needs. When that trust is broken, families deserve answers.
The Button Law Firm (BLF) is not involved in this specific matter. However, we represent kids in daycare and child injury cases to help them get life-changing results and justice against bad daycares, schools, and companies that abuse and neglect the safety of children.
As Fort Worth daycare abuse attorneys, we know that incidents like this can leave families questioning not only what happened to their child, but whether similar conduct may have occurred before.
What WFAA Reported
According to WFAA, the child's mother received a call from the daycare informing her that her daughter, along with several other toddlers, had been abused and neglected.
The daycare later showed the family surveillance video and photographs from the classroom. According to WFAA, the footage showed a teacher wrapping blue painter's tape around multiple young toddlers to secure them to their chairs during meals and activities.
According to WFAA, the daycare acknowledged employees used painter's tape as a "makeshift seatbelt" during meal and activity time, stating the practice violated company policy. The two employees involved were terminated, and the Texas Health and Human Services is investigating.
Several details from the report are especially concerning. The child's mother told WFAA that another toddler reportedly lifted his shirt as the teacher approached with the tape, leading her to question whether this had happened before. She also believes additional surveillance footage exists and wants the opportunity to review all of it. For families, those details naturally raise questions about whether this was an isolated incident or part of a larger pattern of abuse inside the classroom.
Why This Raises Serious Concerns
Stories like this are especially difficult because toddlers often cannot tell their parents exactly what happened while they were at daycare.
Instead, families are left piecing together information from incident reports, surveillance video, and changes they notice in their child's behavior. In this case, WFAA reported that surveillance video played a critical role in revealing what occurred inside the classroom. Without that footage, parents may never have learned their children were being subjected to mistreatment.
No child should be restrained for convenience. Every child deserves to be treated with patience, respect, and care, and every family deserves honest communication when something goes wrong.
What Families Should Watch For After Possible Daycare Abuse
Children often communicate through changes in their behavior before they are able to communicate with words.
Families should look for sudden changes such as:
- Fear of going to daycare or around certain caregivers.
- Resisting highchairs, booster seats, or being buckled into chairs or car seats.
- Changes in eating, sleeping, or behavior.
- Increased clinginess, anxiety, or regression.
These behaviors do not automatically mean abuse occurred, but they should never be ignored. If something feels different, trust your instincts, continue observing your child, and ask gentle, age-appropriate questions in a safe and supportive environment.
What To Do If You Believe Your Child Was Abused at Daycare
If you believe your child may have experienced abuse at daycare, the first priority is making sure they are safe.
Document any visible injuries or behavioral changes and seek medical evaluation if appropriate. Report your concerns to Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation and, when appropriate, law enforcement.
Request copies of incident reports and ask that any surveillance video from the classroom be preserved. For young children who may not be able to explain what happened, video footage can provide important answers. It is also important to speak with an attorney experienced in daycare abuse cases who can help protect evidence, explain your family's rights, and guide you through the next steps.
How The Button Law Firm Helps Families
One of the first things parents tell us is, "We just want to know the truth about what happened to our child."
At The Button Law Firm, we help families obtain records, preserve surveillance footage, review reports, and investigate whether a daycare failed to protect the children in its care. We also work closely with our in-house Child Advocate to better understand how abuse may have affected a child and help connect families with counseling, therapy, and other resources that support recovery.
Our goal is to give families a team they can rely on during one of the most difficult moments of their lives. While parents focus on helping their child heal, we focus on finding answers, protecting their rights, and working to make our community safer for other children.
The Button Law Firm's Commitment to Protecting Children
Although The Button Law Firm is not involved in this Fort Worth matter, stories like this remind us why protecting children must always come before convenience. Parents place an incredible amount of trust in daycare providers every day, and that trust should be met with safe practices, honest communication, and respect for every child.
When that trust is broken, families deserve answers, support, and accountability. At The Button Law Firm, we are committed to standing beside families, educating our community, and holding daycare providers accountable when they fail to protect the children entrusted to their care.
If you believe your child has experienced abuse or neglect at a daycare, contact The Button Law Firm by calling 214-699-4409, emailing intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or filling out our contact form to share your story with our team.
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