It is no secret that Spring, Texas, is growing—you may have experienced the increased traffic on Cypresswood Drive, Adeline Westfield Road, or Hardy Road. In fact, the population has increased 12.13%, according to a Spring-Klein Community Impact article published in 2022. And with that growth comes more families seeking help with childcare.
This increased demand on local daycare centers has led to an alarming practice in order to maximize profits—forgoing important safety protocols, including hiring unqualified workers who expose kids to drugs and unauthorized medications. Some negligent childcare facilities in Spring are allowing workers without completed background checks and proper training to watch young children without any oversight from a daycare director or other qualified individual. In some instances, these workers are bringing illegal and controlled substances such as alcohol, opioids, stimulants, marijuana, and tranquilizers into Spring daycare centers.
In addition, children in Spring are being drugged when unqualified workers give them over-the-counter medication, including melatonin or Benadryl and other antihistamines that make children sleepy, thus easier to control. Drugging incidents can also occur when daycare workers are distracted and give a child an incorrect dose of an approved medicine.
While this may sound alarmist, our daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm find incidents of drugging children are becoming more common because of the shortcuts that daycare centers take. That is why we’re helping parents in Spring know the six signs that can indicate a child is being drugged or improperly medicated at a daycare center:
- Changes in sleep patterns and behaviors, including frequent nightmares and bed-wetting
- Difficulty concentrating
- Frequent temper tantrums and outbursts
- Regressions in developmental milestones
- Signs of anxiety or depression
- Social anxiety, such as no longer wanting to play with friends
More information to help parents identify the signs of drugging or improper medication incidents at a Spring daycare center can be found here.
How Can Children Get Hurt When They Are Improperly Drugged at Daycare Centers in Spring?
Irresponsible medication practices and exposure to illegal substances at negligent daycare centers in Spring can lead to dire medical emergencies for young children.
Some common ways that children in Spring can be seriously injured include:
- Brain injuries, which can have lasting repercussions on a child’s development and future well-being
- Cardiac arrest or a seizure caused by stimulants can quickly become a life-or-death emergency
- Going into anaphylactic shock when a child is severely allergic to an unauthorized medication
- Irreparable damage to vital organs
Tragically, a child’s life can be cut short at a daycare center in Spring due to an extreme sensitivity to a medication or by an accidental overdose of an approved drug. These horrific outcomes are easily preventable when daycare centers in Spring follow safety protocols and proactively receive parental permissions as outlined by the state’s childcare laws.
Rules for Medication That Daycare Centers in Spring Should Follow
Minimum standards are the Texas laws created to protect kids at daycare centers. They cover all aspects of childcare practices and potential hazards at childcare facilities, including drugging incidents or improperly administering medication to children in Spring.
Before administering any medication, be it a prescription from a child’s doctor or an over-the-counter medication like Tylenol or Benadryl, childcare facilities in Spring are required to get permission from a parent. The strict law states that parents must give daycare centers in Spring permission using one of the following methods:
- Handwritten authorization that is signed and dated
- An electronic format like DocuSign or a PDF file that is capable of being viewed and saved
- Verbal consent via a telephone call, permitting a worker at the daycare center to administer a single dose of medication
Spring daycare centers must also keep all medication permission records current for the children in their care. For example, the first two parental permissions at local daycare centers only last one year—they “expire” after that.
Texas daycare laws make an exception for emergency situations such as a severe allergic reaction to certain foods when a child’s life is at risk. In these instances, daycare centers in Spring can give a child medication (for instance, an EpiPen) without preauthorization if the medicine is given to the child for its intended purpose.
How The Button Law Firm Helps Spring Families After a Drugging Incident
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 drugged or improperly medicated at a daycare center in Spring, Texas. We are ready to listen and fight to help your family get justice and 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 281-857-6116 or fill out a contact form for a free consultation.
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