Child in gray shirt crying while at daycare.A young boy was inappropriately disciplined by an unqualified and untrained worker at a daycare center in Brentwood, Missouri. During nap time, one worker grabbed the young boy by his left leg and flipped him onto his stomach on a cot. When the boy wouldn’t fall asleep, the same daycare worker grabbed him by the upper arm and pulled him across the classroom floor to another cot on the other side of the room. Understandably, the boy was crying. No teacher or worker at the daycare center who witnessed the incidents stepped in to protect the boy or pull the daycare worker out of the room for using inappropriate discipline methods.

This daycare center failed the young boy and his family—breaking promises to keep the little boy safe while in its care. Instead, the daycare workers took shortcuts that sacrificed the boy’s well-being, as well as possibly traumatizing the other children at the facility.

The boy’s parents contacted our experienced daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm to get justice. Our legal team fought to hold the daycare accountable for this little boy’s injuries and for its failure to follow state laws. The family was able to cover expenses and provide resources needed to help their son heal, thanks to a settlement secured by our attorneys.

How Did the Daycare Hurt the Little Boy in This Case of Inapropriate Discipline?

As you can imagine, the little boy suffered drastic emotional distress from the traumatic incident. His temperament changed—he is now combative with his parents and grandparents, and aggressive around family members and friends. His tantrums and outbursts toward other children forced him to be pulled from swimming and gymnastics—two activities that he previously enjoyed. 

The emotional toll of the daycare abuse also impacted the little boy’s potty training and sleep habits. He regressed to the point where he continues to refuse to use the restroom and throws tantrums when his parents encourage him. In addition, he experiences 3-4 intense nightmares each night, waking up inconsolably crying.  

A History of Daycare Safety Violations  

It is heartbreaking to hear how this daycare abuse incident is negatively impacting this young, impressionable boy. It was easily preventable had the daycare delivered on its promise to keep the boy and other children in its care safe by following state-mandated childcare laws. Unfortunately, the daycare failed them in many ways.

An investigation after the incident, in this case, revealed that the daycare violated seven Missouri childcare standards, including:

  • Leaving children without competent adult supervision
  • Failing to provide frequent, direct contact so children are not left unsupervised on the premises
  • Failing to supervise and assist children under 3 years old while in the bathroom
  • Using inappropriate discipline methods that were not constructive nor age-appropriate
  • Enacting physical punishments such as spanking, slapping, shaking, biting, or pulling hair
  • Using discipline techniques—physical and verbal—that are humiliating, threatening, or frightening to children
  • Not properly recording information about the incident in the boy’s record

It was later discovered that the Brentwood daycare had a history of failing to meet safety standards. In fact, the daycare not only hadn’t ensured its employees were up to date on their annual training hours requirements, but they also did not submit documentation about their current status until one day after the little boy’s incident.

In addition, the investigation revealed the safety violations around the little boy’s incident were not isolated. The daycare had more than 21 citations by the state of Missouri over the course of five years for being out of the caregiver-to-child ratio, failing to properly supervise children, employing unqualified and untrained caregivers, and failing to supervise its employees.

What Parents Can Do to Protect Children in Daycare

Our daycare injury lawyers have created a free guide to help parents find safe daycares for their children. Our knowledgeable team has found that many childcare facilities—even those that present authority through fancy websites—fall short on their promises to keep children in their care out of harm’s way. Our goal is to make communities safer, and that starts with empowering and educating parents.

How The Button Law Firm Can Help Your Family with a Daycare Injury Case

If your child was abused or neglected at daycare, camp, or school, contact our compassionate child injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm. We are experienced in working on cases involving children, like this case where a young boy was hurt by an unqualified daycare worker at a daycare center that had a history of safety violations. Our attorneys will listen to you and your child to assess the situation and determine where a daycare, camp, or school failed to protect your child in its care. 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 214-699-4409 or fill out a contact form below for a free consultation.

Russell Button
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Dallas, Houston, and Midland Texas trial and personal injury lawyer dedicated to securing justice for clients.

DISCLAIMER: The results are specific to the facts and legal circumstances of each of the clients' cases and should not be used to form an expectation that the same results could be obtained for other clients in similar matters without reference to the specific factual and legal circumstances of each client's case.