What Parents Need to Know About Drug and Alcohol Exposure at Daycare

The Alarming Reality of Drug and Alcohol Exposure in Daycares: What Parents Need to Know

As shocking as it may sound, some daycares expose children to drugs, alcohol, and other dangerous substances. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that over nine months, approximately 317 children in daycares were harmed due to exposure to toxic substances, including drugs and alcohol.

For many parents, this raises an urgent question: How can young children at daycare be exposed to drugs and alcohol? Unfortunately, our daycare injury lawyers have seen cases firsthand where children suffered injuries from ingesting harmful substances while in daycare.

How Do Daycare Drug and Alcohol Exposures Happen?

There are several scenarios in which children can be exposed to drugs and alcohol at daycare. We have represented families where such unfortunate incidents often resulted from daycare negligence. These incidents typically happen when a daycare:

• Fails to establish a storage policy for personal belongings
• Fails to enforce a no-substance policy
• Neglects supervision, leading to an employee intentionally giving substances to children

Each of these lapses can put children at serious risk.

The Importance of a No-Substance Policy in Daycares

Daycares should have a strict no-substance policy prohibiting employees from bringing illegal or adult substances onto daycare premises. This includes items like cigarettes, vapes, alcohol, marijuana pens, THC gummies, prescription drugs, and any other drug paraphernalia. When daycares fail to enforce this policy, they create an environment where children are vulnerable to accidental or intentional exposure to these harmful substances.

Why Storage Policies Are Critical for Child Safety

Equally important is the enforcement of a clear storage policy, requiring all employees to keep personal belongings out of the reach of children. Dangerous items can be kept away from children if daycares require staff to store personal items, such as purses and bags, in secure lockers. When these policies are in place and strictly followed, the risk of exposure to harmful substances is greatly reduced.

The Scariest Scenario: Daycare Employees Intentionally Giving Drugs or Alcohol to Children

One of the most terrifying types of incidents is when a daycare employee intentionally gives drugs or alcohol to children. While this may seem unthinkable, we’ve seen cases where it has happened, and it often points to serious lapses in hiring and supervision practices.

Daycare employees should never expose children to harmful substances. However, the responsibility ultimately falls on daycare owners and directors to ensure that their hiring, training, and supervision processes are robust enough to protect children from this kind of negligence.

What to Do if Your Child is Exposed to Drugs or Alcohol at Daycare

If you suspect that your child has been exposed to dangerous substances at daycare, it’s important to act quickly.

Here are the steps you should follow:

1. Ensure Your Child’s Immediate Safety: Seek medical attention for your child right away to address any potential health concerns.

2. Hold the Daycare Accountable: It’s crucial to ensure that those responsible for the incident are held accountable, both to seek justice for your child and to prevent this from happening to another family.

At The Button Law Firm, we have handled cases where children were accidentally or intentionally exposed to harmful substances at daycare. If your child has suffered due to exposure to drugs or alcohol, don’t hesitate to reach out to our child injury lawyers for assistance.

We’re Here to Keep You Moving Forward

Protecting your child’s health and safety is the top priority. At The Button Law Firm, we’re committed to helping families seek justice and ensuring that negligent daycares are held responsible. Reach out to us today if you need help after a daycare exposure incident. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

We work on contingency, meaning we don’t charge you or collect any upfront fees to get started on your case. Get a free case evaluation by calling us at 214-699-4409, emailing us at [email protected], or filling out a contact form.