What Steps Should I Take If My Child Is Hurt at a Fort Worth Daycare Center?

Top 6 Steps to Follow After a Child’s Daycare Injury at a Fort Worth Daycare Center

Daycare centers in Fort Worth are required to follow Texas childcare laws, also known as the minimum standards. When the center and its caregivers do not follow these standards, little ones can be hurt physically and emotionally. Whether your child suffered a fall injury, broken bones, or a bottle warmer burn, or they experienced inappropriate discipline methods or neglect, such as being left inside a daycare van or bus, we recommend you follow these six key steps:

1. Seek Medical Attention: Immediately have your child examined by doctors in the emergency room at Cook Children’s or by a trusted pediatrician. This way, your child can get the medical care they need, especially if their injuries are not immediately obvious. This is key, especially if your child fell and hit their head, suffered an internal injury like a broken rib, or was victimized by a caregiver at the daycare center. A doctor may also be able to identify the cause of a child’s injury, which may differ from what the daycare center told you. Medical records document what happened, which can be valuable if you decide to take legal action later.
2. Contact Fort Worth Police: If you suspect a caregiver sexually abused or intentionally abused your child, be sure to contact the Fort Worth Police Department by calling 817-392-4200.
3. Report Your Child’s Injury to the State: Even though Fort Worth daycare centers are required by law to report any incident that endangers a child, our experienced team has seen firsthand that this does not always happen. We recommend that parents report the Fort Worth daycare center to the state. Your report will trigger an investigation to determine if the daycare center violated any of the minimum standards that led to your child’s injury, and the state will cite the center for violations, which can help warn other families of the center’s safety deficiencies.
4. Request an Incident Report from the Fort Worth Daycare Center: After a child’s injury, the minimum standards require daycare centers in Fort Worth and across the state to provide parents with an incident report that details what caused a child’s injury, which caregivers were responsible for the child, and what treatments or actions were performed by the caregivers, such as contacting emergency medical services, after your child’s injury. If the daycare center does not automatically provide you with a copy of the incident report, be sure to request it.
5. Gather as Much Evidence as Possible: Be sure to seek out as much information about your child’s injury at the daycare center in Fort Worth. This includes saving all written communications from the daycare center’s director and caregivers about your child’s injury, whether it be screenshots of text messages on your mobile phone, emails from your computer, or communications sent through a messaging app used by the center. If the center is equipped with surveillance cameras, our daycare injury lawyers recommend asking to review the footage that may have captured the incident. You can also speak to other parents at the center or seek out experiences via neighborhood Facebook groups such, as Tanglewood Moms or Fort Worth Moms Group, to see if your child’s experience was not isolated.
6. Contact the Experienced Daycare Injury Lawyers at The Button Law Firm: You have the legal right to hold your child’s daycare center in Fort Worth accountable for harming your child. This is called breach of duty. (You paid the center to keep your child safe, and your child was harmed.) Therefore, your family may be entitled to compensation, also known as damages. Our compassionate and knowledgeable team can guide you through potential legal options, such as filing a daycare injury lawsuit, and help you determine the best path to help your family move forward. Contact us for a free case evaluation by calling 214-699-4409 or emailing us at intake@buttonlawfirm.com.

More Free Resources for Fort Worth Parents After a Daycare Injury

We understand that you may not be ready to talk to our team after your child’s injury at a daycare center in Fort Worth, so we encourage you to explore our free resources:

• 5-Step Guide After a Daycare Injury
• What To Do If a Daycare Center Refuses to Share Surveillance Footage After My Child Is Hurt
• Am I Overreacting After My Child Had an Injury at a Daycare Center?

The Button Law Firm Can Help If Your Child Was Hurt at a Daycare Center in Fort Worth

If your child was hurt or seriously injured at a daycare center in Fort Worth, Texas, contact our experienced daycare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm. 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.