What to Do If Your Child Was Left Behind on a Daycare Field Trip

Why Is Leaving a Child Behind on a Field Trip a Serious Safety Issue?

Just like supervising children by maintaining close visual and auditory proximity to a child is key to their safety inside a daycare center’s classroom, close supervision is even more important when a daycare class takes a field trip. A child left behind exposes them to a variety of dangers that can be considered every parent’s worst nightmare, such as:

• Anxiety attacks or other medical emergencies without access to approved medications
• Encounters with strangers
• Heatstroke from prolonged exposure to extreme summer temperatures  
• Wandering into traffic or unfamiliar places

In a horrific, worst-case scenario, a child could pass away or be kidnapped when they are able to wander away from the daycare class and get lost during the field trip.

How Are Children Impacted by Being Left Behind on Daycare Field Trips?

Even if your child is physically unharmed, being left behind can leave a lasting emotional mark from the traumatic incident. Being left behind on a daycare field trip is considered neglect.

Children process fear, abandonment, and neglect differently depending on their age, but some common ways kids suffer after being left behind by a daycare caregiver or group include:

• A drastic change in their temperament
• Disrupted sleep patterns and nightmares
• Fear of returning to the daycare center or going on future trips
• Newly developed or increased separation anxiety
• Regression in milestones such as potty training

Learn more about other red flags that can manifest in a child following a daycare neglect incident here. 

How Can Texas Daycare Centers Prevent Leaving a Child Behind on a Field Trip? 

Daycare centers in Texas are held to Texas childcare laws, also known as minimum standards, which regulate every aspect of a daycare from the center’s daily operations and caregiver conduct to transportation and field trips. Minimum standards that are especially important when it comes to a daycare taking kids on a field trip include:

• Caregivers closely supervising all children in the group and can quickly intervene if a child gets distracted
• Ensuring caregivers know which children in the daycare class they are responsible for
• Following proper child-to-caregiver ratios by ensuring enough caregivers attend the field trip to watch over all of the children carefully
• Performing face-to-name counts when loading and unloading the daycare van and frequently throughout the day to ensure that all children are accounted for

While not required by the minimum standards, daycare centers can also go a step further to keep kids safe by practicing the field trip with little ones in advance of an outing. This includes covering how the class will move through a new place by holding a rope or walking in a line, getting in and out of the daycare van, and carefully listening to caregivers in a new environment. Kids will likely get excited about the outing because they know what to expect. In addition, practicing for the field trip ensures all caregivers are prepared as well.

What Immediate Things Should I Do If My Child Was Left on a Field Trip? 

Our experienced daycare injury lawyers are here to guide you after discovering a daycare left your child behind on a field trip:

1. Get Your Child Evaluated by a Pediatrician or Doctor at an Emergency Room. Emotional injuries such as panic attacks or anxiety disorders are not always immediately visible, so treatment from a doctor early on can be invaluable. Also, your child’s medical records can be used as important documented evidence if you decide to take legal action later.
2. Report the Incident to the State. Be sure to file a formal complaint with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services hotline for fall incidents caused by neglect. You can do this by calling 800-252-5400 or online at txabusehotline.org. The state will investigate the incident and determine whether the daycare violated any minimum standards.
3. Request an Incident Report from the Daycare Center. Daycare centers are required to provide parents with a written report of any injury a child experiences under their watch. This report should include what happened on the field trip, who was involved, and what steps were taken once it became known your child was left behind. If the daycare center refuses to give you a copy of the report, that may be a red flag for negligence.
4. Gather as Much Evidence as Possible. If your child has visible injuries such as bruises, swelling, cuts, or severe scrapes from their time left alone, take clear photographs. Also, take detailed notes from any conversations with the daycare’s director or caregivers about your child’s field trip incident and injuries. Be sure to screenshot or print out any emails and text conversations with them as well. Lastly, speak to your child about what happened on the field trip and how being left behind made them feel.
5. Contact Our Experienced Daycare Injury Lawyers. When a daycare center leaves a child behind, that is considered a breach of duty. You paid the center to keep your child safe, and they failed you. Speaking with our experienced team can help you explore potential paths to hold the center accountable by filing a lawsuit or claim. This step can potentially compensate your family for any medical treatments, play therapy sessions, or long-term resources needed to help your child move forward from being left behind.  

Call us at 214-699-4409 or email us at [email protected] for a free case evaluation. Note that there is a two-year statute of limitations, or time limit, to take legal action in Texas.

Helping Texas Parents After an Incident Involving Your Child’s Daycare 

Our experienced daycare injury lawyers have created more resources that address frequent questions we receive from parents and to help you navigate the aftermath of a daycare incident:

• 5-Step Guide for Parents Dealing with a Daycare Injury
• What Are the Steps to Take When Suing a Daycare After an Injury to My Child?
• Can I Take My Child Back to the Daycare Where They Were Injured?

Was Your Child Harmed or Injured Under the Watch of a Daycare? 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 [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.