How to Seek Justice If Your Child Experiences Trauma or Emotional Harm at a Daycare Center

How Can a Child Suffer Emotional Trauma at a Daycare Center? 

Texas childcare laws, or minimum standards, require licensed daycare centers to provide a safe and nurturing environment for little ones in their care. However, not all daycare centers do this. Sadly, Texas Health and Human Services and the Department of Family Protective Services conducted 4,388 investigations into daycare incidents involving children younger than 4 years old in 2024 alone, per the agency’s March 2025 report.

A child can suffer emotional trauma at a daycare center from the following incidents:

• Being left alone in a daycare van or bus
• Being locked out of a building and left on the daycare center’s playground
• Caregivers neglecting a child’s needs for attention or comfort
• Experiencing chaotic classrooms because the daycare center is operating “out of ratio”
• Experiencing unapproved punishment methods such as being isolated from classmates for a prolonged amount of time or receiving corporal punishment
• Suffering physical or sexual abuse at the hands of a caregiver or worker at the daycare center
• Sustaining a serious injury, such as a burn from a bottle warmer
• Anaphylaxis from exposure to a known allergen
• A fall that requires emergency medical attention
• Untrained caregivers being frustrated and verbally abusing children by yelling at or shaming them
• Wandering and getting lost or discovered by a stranger outside of a daycare’s premises

In addition to a child’s direct negative experience at a daycare center, witnessing the abuse, neglect, or serious injury of a classmate at a daycare center can also lead to emotional harm and trauma.

How Can I Tell If My Child Is Traumatized From a Daycare Incident?

It is not always easy to spot emotional trauma, especially in young toddlers who have not developed the language skills to express what they are experiencing at the daycare center or how they are feeling about it. Most of the time, this will manifest through their behaviors and moods, so closely monitoring your child is key to picking up on emotional harm early.

Here are some signs of emotional harm and trauma to watch for in your child:

• Changing temperament, such as suddenly becoming aggressive, clingy, or withdrawn from the family or friends at the center
• Complaining about not feeling well with a stomachache, headache, or other ailment despite not being sick
• Development regressions like having bathroom accidents despite being potty trained, frequent thumb-sucking, or becoming nonverbal despite having language skills
• Exhibiting signs of fear about the daycare center or specific caregivers, which commonly manifest by throwing tantrums or refusing to go to the center altogether
• Sleep issues such as bedwetting, frequent nightmares, or night terrors

If you notice any of these red flags, try to have an age-appropriate conversation with them about what they are experiencing. You can also take your child to their pediatrician to have them evaluate your child and document their symptoms of emotional trauma.

What Can I Do If My Child Was Emotionally Traumatized at a Daycare Center?

If you suspect that your child has been emotionally harmed or traumatized because of a daycare incident, we recommend you contact our experienced daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm by calling us at 214-699-4409 or emailing us at [email protected]. Our team will be ready to listen and help you determine the best path forward for your family.

One option is to file a daycare lawsuit or claim against a center for failing to keep your child safe. By taking this step, our team will work to investigate the daycare center and determine if and how it either ignored or did not comply with the minimum standards to properly supervise, protect, or care for your child, which led to their emotional harm. Thus, your child and family may be entitled to compensation for emotional damages, to cover:

• Emotional distress your child suffered at the center
• Medical and play therapy bills to diagnose and provide long-term treatment for your child to process their trauma and move forward in a healthy way
• Loss of enjoyment of life if the trauma impacted your child’s daily happiness, regular hobbies, or activities

While some parents may think taking legal action against a daycare center is an overreaction, this step can help hold the center accountable and help ensure that other children are protected from suffering the same type of harm at the center. It can also provide closure for your family to know your child is safe and has access to all the resources they need to move forward and blossom.

If you are not quite ready to contact our team of daycare injury lawyers, check out these free resources that may answer some of your questions:

• What Are the Steps to Take When Suing a Daycare After an Injury to My Child?
• How Can I Choose the Best Daycare Injury Attorney?
• What Are Your Fees?
• Will My Child Be Involved in a Legal Case Against a Daycare?

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

If your child was traumatized or emotionally harmed 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 [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.