What Texas Parents Need to Know About Hair-Pulling at Daycare Centers

How Can I Tell If a Caregiver at My Child’s Daycare Is Pulling Their Hair? 

Hair-pulling at the hands of a caregiver is also horrific because it doesn’t leave a visible bruise or bleeding like typical methods of child abuse, thus it can go undetected if a child isn’t old enough to express themselves.

Young children, especially toddlers and preschoolers, often struggle to explain what happened to them when the person who hurt them is someone in authority, like a caregiver at the daycare center. They may also be scared, confused, or unsure how to describe what they experienced. However, these abusive incidents can cause a little one to suffer immense pain.

That’s why it’s essential to watch for these red flags that signal something may be wrong:

• Anxiety around a specific caregiver
• Complaints about their head hurting after spending time at the daycare center
• Flinching when you comb their hair or touch their head
• Missing hair or sudden patches of hair loss
• Regressive behaviors like thumb-sucking or bedwetting when they are already potty trained
• Sleep disturbances or nightmares

Watch this video to learn more about the unexpected signs of daycare abuse that are not always visible and could indicate a caregiver is pulling your child’s hair at the daycare center.

What Should You Do If You Suspect a Caregiver Pulled Your Child’s Hair at a Daycare Center?

Discovering or even suspecting that someone hurt your child at a daycare center that you trusted is gut-wrenching. But you’re not alone. Our experienced daycare injury lawyers are here to guide you:

1. Talk to Your Child: We recommend taking an age-appropriate approach by using simple words, telling a story, and remaining calm when speaking to your child. This can help you learn more about their experience at the daycare center. Follow these tips to help your conversation and key questions to ask, like How did your hair get pulled?
2. Report the Incident: You can call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400 or report online at txabusehotline.org. The state will investigate the hair-pulling incident and determine whether the daycare violated any of the minimum standards.
3. Contact Local Police: Since child abuse is a serious crime, contact your local police department. They will investigate and could help press criminal charges against the caregiver for intentionally harming your child.
4. Seek Medical Attention: If your child is missing patches of hair or has any symptoms that signal they are being abused at the daycare center, take them to be evaluated at the pediatrician’s office or a local urgent care. This will help treat and document your child’s injuries.
5. Collect Evidence: Take photos and detailed notes from conversations with the daycare’s director or caregivers about your child’s injuries. Be sure to screenshot or print out any emails and text conversations with them. You can also talk to other parents who may have seen what happened to your child or suspect the same caregiver is also pulling their child’s hair.
6. Contact Our Daycare Injury Lawyers at The Button Law Firm: You may learn that hair-pulling is just the tip of the iceberg regarding safety issues at your child’s daycare center. Working with an experienced daycare injury lawyer like our team can help you understand your legal options, investigate whether hair-pulling incidents were part of a larger pattern of abuse, and help you hold the daycare center accountable for harming your child. Our team will also explain potential legal options to help you decide what is best to help your family move forward. Call us at 214-699-4409 or email us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com for a free case evaluation.

More Free Resources to Help Texas Parents After a Daycare Injury

Our experienced daycare injury lawyers have created more resources to help Texas parents navigate the aftermath of a daycare injury:

• 5-Step Guide for Parents Dealing with a Daycare Injury
• What Parents Need to Know About the Psychological Aftermath of a Daycare Injury
• Daycare Injury Cover-Ups in Texas and What to Do After Your Child’s Injury is Ignored
• What You Need to Prove a Daycare Injury Claim

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

If your child was seriously injured or harmed at a daycare center anywhere in Texas, contact our experienced Texas 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.