BLF Holds Texas Daycare Center Accountable After Child Dragged by the Arm

In September 2022, a little girl had a traumatic experience at her Texas daycare center. A teacher at the center became frustrated by the child’s behavior and dragged her by the arm and forced her to sit down in a chair.

Traumatized by the experience, the little girl told her mother about what happened. The mother then spoke with the daycare teacher, who admitted she was at fault when she apologized and said she “wouldn’t do it again.”

The girl’s mother contacted our experienced Texas daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm, and we fought to hold the daycare center accountable for breaking Texas childcare laws, also known as the minimum standards. With our help, the family was able to get justice and move forward.

How Did the Texas Daycare Center Break Childcare Laws?

Licensed daycare centers in Texas are required to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the children in their care. Under the minimum standards, caregivers are required to meet certain qualifications and receive ongoing training from the daycare center to ensure they follow the standards when caring for children. These standards also address appropriate methods of discipline.  When it comes to correcting a child’s behavior at a daycare center, caregivers are required to follow guidelines that include:

• Clear rules and consequences that are explained to children in a way they understand
• Positive reinforcement by recognizing and praising good behavior
• Redirecting a child’s behavior by offering a different activity
• Time-outs in a calm and safe environment for no longer than one minute for a child’s age

All these approved approaches focus on helping kids learn from their actions, not feel shamed or afraid. However, the daycare teacher in this case acted aggressively, turning to physical abuse to force the girl to sit in a chair.

In addition, daycare centers in Texas are required to provide incident reports to parents anytime a child is harmed or endangered at a center. These reports include details outlining what happened at the center, which caregivers were involved, and if medical attention was administered to the child. In this case, the caregiver acted inappropriately yet did not report this behavior to the girl’s mother. The little girl told her mother about the abusive treatment she experienced at the hands of the teacher.

How Did The Button Law Firm Help This Little Girl and Her Family Hold the Daycare Center Accountable?

When children are young, abusive treatment by a trusted adult, like a daycare teacher or caregiver, can negatively impact their psychological well-being. The little girl in this case was traumatized and suffered greatly because of the treatment she experienced at the Texas daycare center.

Following the incident, the little girl had trouble coping, which manifested through changes in her behavior. She became aggressive toward family members and other children and experienced sudden mood swings such as throwing tantrums and having sudden outbursts. She feared being left alone and became clingy to her parents.

In addition, the little girl grew timid whenever she was reprimanded and developed a speech delay.

Her shifts in behavior also extended to nighttime, where she experienced night terrors that disrupted her sleep routine and that of her parents. She also regressed in her developmental milestones: Potty-trained prior to the daycare incident, she began wetting the bed again.

Our team of daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm helped the little girl and her family get closure. We secured a settlement that compensated the family for the daycare center’s negligence and helped the family heal from the traumatic daycare experience so that everyone could move forward.

Contact The Button Law Firm If Your Child Was Injured at a Daycare Center

If your child was physically or emotionally injured at a daycare center anywhere in Texas, contact our experienced daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm. With lawyers in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we are ready to listen, fight for your family, and help your family move forward. Our lawyers 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 214-699-4409, email us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com, or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.