What Have We Seen Happen at Texas Daycares?
Lately, we have been handling cases where kids at daycare have been left outside and alone for extended periods of time. First, this should never happen. There is no excuse or explanation for leaving a child outside alone. The most important part of a caregiver's duty is to make sure that they have a headcount on all the children in their care. They should be double-checking and even triple-checking.
When children are left unattended, that likely means the caregiver wasn’t supervising well. Whether intentional or unintentional, kids should not be left outside alone and unsupervised while at daycare centers. This is a growing issue daily and will continue to be until we take a stand and hold these facilities accountable
Why Should Kids Never Be Left Outside Their Daycare?
Children should not be left alone outside for an extended period of time is because of all the threats that surround them. Examples might include a child falling and injuring themselves with no supervision, possibly allowing a serious injury to be unattended for a lengthy period of time. Additionally, that child could be bitten by a snake, stung by a bee or wasp, or get stuck on playground equipment. This can pose an extreme danger when the caregiver doesn’t know that a child has been left outside.
Other threats to children can include dangerous temperatures—where children can be susceptible to freezing or heatstroke. A child left outside in extremely cold or hot temperatures can be in a life-threatening situation in a matter of minutes.
One example we have seen is where a group of students was playing on a playground. It was time to come inside to change diapers, give medications, and wait for parent pickup. The group was brought in and put in their classroom. When the parents came to get their kids, one wasn't found. The daycare did not know where that child was. Turns out, the kid was left outside for over an hour. Think about all of the things that could have happened child in this scenario.
Children should also not be left alone because of missed diaper changes and medication updates. Not changing diapers or providing them medication that they are required to have is potentially life-threatening. There are serious repercussions that happen when kids are being left outside without any supervision at all.
What Can Be Done To Prevent Daycare Centers From Leaving Kids Outside?
Every daycare center must have a system in place to supervise all kids at all times. The system must be written down, and all employees of the daycare must have access to it. Employees must be trained on it, and employers must supervise the employees and enforce the system to be done the same way every time. Extensive training in this area should have already been done, and this should be the number one rule of all facilities, to double and even triple check to make sure that all kids are accounted for.
Some of the procedures that must be implemented include:
- A written checklist of names for that day’s roster to account for each kid at all moments of the day.
- A second employee verifying that all children have been accounted for at each transition: inside, outside, meals, diaper changes, and feeding times.
- Qualified employees that are trained to count and watch kids and care for them all day long.
- A smaller child to teacher ratio. Just because the state of Texas minimum standards states that daycares can have a certain number of kids per teacher does not mean the daycare has to keep the maximum amount of kids per teacher all day every day. That is asking for trouble.
Want To Learn More About What To Do When Your Child Was Injured at a Dallas Daycare?
If your child has been left outside or injured by a Texas daycare facility, reach out to us at 214-699-4409. Our highly trained team is ready to handle all your needs and answer any questions you may have. If your child is hurt, the last thing you want to do is deal with a legal battle. Let us guide you through that process so you can focus on your child’s medical treatment and your family.
