Collin County parents were horrified to learn that a daycare center in McKinney, Texas, abandoned their 3-year-old daughter. The girl’s teacher did not notice she was missing until another worker entered a dark classroom and found the little girl alone and terrified. To make matters worse, daycare workers at the center forged the parents’ signatures on the state-mandated incident report. The couple was unaware of the report until they were questioned by state investigators.
Luckily, the little girl’s mother got our North Texas daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm involved to hold the McKinney daycare center accountable for neglecting the little girl and breaking state childcare laws. Our firm secured a settlement that compensated the toddler and her family for the mental anguish they suffered, along with the financial burdens and disruption to their daily lives because of the daycare incident.
How a McKinney Daycare Center Failed a Texas Toddler and Her Family
While it may sound obvious, the daycare center in McKinney endangered the little girl’s life when its caregivers failed to follow Texas daycare safety laws, known as minimum standards. The first failure occurred when the little girl was abandoned in the dark classroom by herself; the next one came later, when the daycare neglected to handle the fallout properly and broke multiple childcare laws.
Daycare centers in Texas are required to qualify, train, and supervise all caregivers on how to keep little ones safe at their childcare facility. Part of the training includes teachers maintaining physical proximity and visual and auditory awareness of each child in their care. The daycare center in McKinney clearly failed the toddler and her family when they “lost” her in the cold, dark classroom.
The state of Texas conducted an independent investigation into this daycare neglect case and found the McKinney daycare center fell short in complying with the following standards:
- Not leaving any child without competent adult supervision
- Ensuring children are not subject to child neglect
- Ensuring toddlers have constant care and supervision
- Ensuring that no child is abused, neglected, or exploited
- Training staff on how to appropriately redirect children
- Immediately notifying parents of any situation that placed a child at risk
- Reporting all incidents involving serious harm or injuries to the Department of Family and Protective Services
- Completing accurate incident reports on all situations involving harm or injuries to children
- Providing parents with a copy of a completed incident report
Sadly, the incident involving the little girl and the lack of child safety was not an isolated one. The upscale daycare center had been cited 16 times by the state over a five-year period for an array of violations, including failing to follow child supervision requirements and putting unqualified workers with incomplete background checks in charge of watching children, leading to the incident involving the toddler.
Helping a McKinney Family Move Forward After a Daycare Neglect Incident
As you can imagine, a 3-year-old being abandoned by caregivers can be a traumatic experience. In this case, the little girl was left to cry for help, which went ignored, until another teacher discovered her. After the incident, the young girl grew anxious and did not want to leave her parents’ side. At night, she experienced nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night screaming for her parents. She even began to act out aggressively when she felt scared or concerned that she was going to be abandoned again.
The incident also impacted the family, as the parents could no longer trust the daycare center to keep their daughter safe. They were forced to rearrange schedules and put their lives on pause while they searched for a new local daycare center that prioritized child safety and complied with the state’s childcare laws.
Our daycare injury lawyers helped the family get justice by securing a settlement against the daycare center in McKinney. The funds compensated the little girl and her family for the trauma and financial burden they experienced—from the disruptions in their life to obtaining the necessary resources that would help the toddler emotionally and mentally heal from her experience.
Let The Button Law Firm Fight for Your Family After a Neglect Incident at a Daycare Center
Our team of experienced and compassionate daycare injury attorneys at The Button Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for you and your family if your child was neglected while in the care of a Texas daycare center. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we are ready to listen, fight for your family, and help your family 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 214-699-4409, email us at [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free consultation.
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