What Happened at This Southlake Daycare?
SOUTHLAKE, TX – A daycare worker has been arrested after it was discovered that he allegedly committed indecency, sexual contact with a child. On October 11, 2022, he was arrested by Southlake Police and charged with two counts of Indecency with a Child/Sexual Contact, which are second-degree felonies. The alleged conduct is suspected of occurring on at least two occasions, while working at Carpe Diem Private Preschool in Southlake, according to Southlake police.
The accused caregiver, named Thaddaeus Andrew Davidson, worked for a daycare called Carpe Diem Private Preschool, a daycare located off Randol Mill Avenue in Southlake. The daycare allegedly placed Davidson on administrative leave after the sexual abuse allegations came to light. According to the daycare, our Texas child injury attorney adds, Davidson no longer works at the center.
Incidents of Sexual Abuse in Daycares
Parents should be able to trust that the daycare and preschool they pay to care for their children will keep them safe. It is the daycare’s obligation to properly qualify a caregiver when they are hired to ensure they have the requisite knowledge, ability, and education to care for young children.
A daycare must also submit their employees to a criminal background check to ensure the people they hire do not have a disqualifying criminal record.
Even more importantly, daycares must train and supervise their employees on caring for young children. Proper supervision of employees requires that the daycare monitor that employee’s interactions with children and properly respond when that employee demonstrates that they are not doing their job. Daycares should never place children at risk by allowing them to be alone and unsupervised with caregivers that are not qualified or trained to do the job.
Daycares are required to provide adequate supervision of children. This includes knowing where they are at all times and keeping them safe from danger. Sexual abuse of children is more likely to happen when daycares fail to properly supervise employees and children in their care. For example, allowing a child to be alone with an employee, in turn placing them at risk of becoming victims of criminal acts.
Daycare leadership, like owners and directors, should be closely monitoring children and supervising caregivers to prevent incidents like this from even happening.
How Do These Kinds of Incidents Happen?
As child advocates and daycare injury attorneys, we have helped families whose children were sexually abused at daycare. These instances of abuse are preventable, and we usually find one common denominator for these kinds of abuse – bad hiring practices and poor supervision of employees and children.
When daycares hire staff, they’re supposed to do background checks on the people that will be working for them and caring for children. Unfortunately, though, many daycares decide to skip out on this essential step because it can be easier to cut corners than to do the right thing.
Daycares face decisions on staffing versus money and the bottom line every day. When daycares attempt to save money, they often cut staff. Cutting staff leads to less oversight, less accountability, and a higher chance of the unthinkable happening – your child becomes the victim of an unsafe environment.
Skipped background checks plus the dangerous combination of little or no training and supervision, can lead to children being injured and traumatized in a variety of ways, including by physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
Texas Daycare Laws and Regulations to Prevent This Abuse
Licensed daycares in the State of Texas are required to adhere to laws and regulations to prevent the injury of children in their care.
The official guideline put out by the state is the Texas Health and Human Services (THHS) Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers.
The minimum standards state:
- Daycares must notify the parents of the child and the State of Texas about instances of abuse that happened in their facility.
- Daycares must ensure that no child is abused, neglected, or exploited in their care
- Child-care employees must meet requirements relating to background checks
What to Do If Your Child Was Sexually Abused in a Texas Daycare
If your child was cared for by Thaddaeus Andrew Davidson at Carpe Diem Private Preschool or any other daycare, or if you have discovered that your child was sexually assaulted by an employee at daycare, be sure to reach out to our experienced DFW child injury team.
We have helped many families through unbelievably challenging times, and we’re here to help you too. If you have more questions about pursuing a case against the daycare that allowed this to happen to your child, be sure to reach out to our team. We are here to help you and your family keep moving forward.
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