[Transcript]
Parents often come to us feeling upset, looking for answers that they can't seem to get from the daycare. It's because daycare injuries can be confusing, and parents just aren't sure where to start. We often get questions like:
- My child had to go to the emergency room. Who's going to pay these bills?
- My child had a life altering injury, and needs around the clock care. How do we handle this?
- Or, it's been a while since the daycare injury, and my child is still showing signs of anxiety and trauma. What do we do? Who do we see?
These are common questions that we get from parents whose children have been abused and neglected in daycare. We have experience in navigating these complex and catastrophic cases, and we just want to help be a guide to the families that have gone through that. Because at the end of the day, the most important thing is to have closure after a traumatic event.
The first thing that you need to do if your child has been injured at a daycare is to ask for an incident report. The daycare needs to document injuries that happen on their watch. The second thing that you need to do is reported to the state. In Texas, the incident is reported to DFPS, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and that's so they can conduct an independent investigation into what happened to your child.
Third, if you suspect that your child has been physically abused, you need to report it to the police. Suing a daycare, that's a civil case. But criminal charges may be brought because child abuse is a crime. If your child receives medical attention, make sure that you're keeping all of the records from all those visits, because some injuries, they're just not going to be apparent right away. And that's why it's important to keep track of how your child is feeling in the days, weeks, and even months after the incident.
Taking your child to a therapist can help them work through the trauma and anxiety they're dealing with after an incident. Understandably, it can be hard for children to express what they're going through. So even when it may not be obvious to you, as the parent, children may still be suffering from trauma. Some signs of psychological trauma that may notice going on is your child being scared to leave your side. You may also notice that they're acting out in unusual ways, or they're having a fear of going back to the daycare.
It's important that your child sees a licensed therapist as soon as you notice these changes in behavior. Our team provides helpful resources and guides for free on our website. For more information about what to do after a daycare injury, check out our website. Give us a call and reach out to us. Email us. We're here to help guide you and your family through whatever you're going through and keeping moving forward.
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