In March 2024, a 3-year-old boy suffered a permanent, life-altering injury when unqualified and untrained caregivers at a Mesquite daycare center failed to closely watch the toddler’s class.How Did This Mesquite Daycare Center Break Childcare Laws?
The toddler’s injuries in this case were easily preventable had the Mesquite daycare center and its caregivers followed the state’s childcare laws, also known as the minimum standards.
Hiring requirements for daycare centers are the foundation of the minimum standards. It’s no secret that caring for children, especially toddlers, is challenging and requires a unique skill set. In addition to ensuring that caregivers are qualified, daycare centers should also provide ongoing training to make sure caregivers know the standards and run a classroom that complies with them. This includes the center’s duty to provide children with a safe environment and to closely supervise them.
It is no secret that closely supervising children is the top factor in preventing child injuries at daycare centers. When caregivers have visual and auditory proximity to each child in a class, the caregiver can easily identify hazards and prevent injuries before they happen.
The minimum standards also expect daycare directors to monitor caregivers by randomly visiting all of the classrooms at the center to ensure they are complying with the minimum standards. If a director notices any unsafe practices, they can easily intervene to protect the children under their watch.
The Mesquite daycare center, in this case, clearly failed this toddler and his family when they did not follow these basic safety practices that would have prevented the entire incident.
What Injuries Did the Toddler in This Case Suffer at the Mesquite Daycare Center?
The 3-year-old was evaluated at a local emergency room the same day of the incident and initially sent home with strict monitoring instructions. Within hours, his condition worsened—he began urinating blood, experienced excruciating pain, and returned to the hospital for further evaluation, sedation for pain control, and additional medical instructions. Over the following days and weeks, the toddler required multiple follow-up visits with his pediatrician and a pediatric urologist as symptoms persisted, including difficulty urinating and an abnormal, narrowed urine stream.
As complications developed, the child ultimately required urgent catheter placement and later surgical intervention to address scarring and narrowing at the opening of the urethra, including reconstructive procedures and placement of a suprapubic tube. He also faced ongoing pain, continued urinary issues, and infection concerns that required additional treatment and monitoring.
Beyond the physical trauma, the incident profoundly impacted the toddler’s emotional well-being. He experienced significant anxiety, fear surrounding bathroom use and medical care, and behavioral changes. This all prompted multiple play therapy sessions for the toddler and continued counseling to help him process the traumatic incident in a healthy way.
In fact, his family continues to navigate his medical follow-up appointments and the long-term effects of a life-altering daycare injury that never should have happened in a supervised childcare setting.
How Did The Button Law Firm Help the Toddler and Her Family Move Forward?
Our experienced legal team fought to hold the Mesquite daycare center accountable for all its safety failures that physically and emotionally harmed the toddler. We got justice by securing a life-changing result that also compensated the family for the toddler’s extensive and ongoing medical treatments.
With our help, the little boy and his parents were able to move forward.
Let The Button Law Firm Help Your Family After a Daycare Injury
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 offices 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.
.png)
.png)
