Understanding Day Care & Child Care Abuse
Posted on May, 26 2010
I'm a lawyer. I see the worst of society. Daycares, like so many other businesses, have their ugly side. For single moms, single dads and working parents quality daycare is critical. What is represented as "quality" too often is nothing more than quantity. Daycare in Georgia has become a very profitable business for some local providers, and more increasingly for regional and national conglomerates. Profitability often hinges on cheap labor. Cheap labor comes in many forms, as so many parents are aware: inexperienced young workers, inconsistent part-time help, and even illegal aliens. When turnover is high a parent should be concerned. If your child is English speaking, then the worker responsible for your child should also be speak English. Beware of the inconsistent part-time help that comes and goes. Consistency is vital to quality care. Experience matters - ask about each workers experience. Addressing these issues can be key factors in protecting your family from day care or child care abuse.
Why are so many children coming home from child care hurt or crying? Why is your child afraid to go back? Lack of proper supervision is the most common reason. The supervisor does not see what is going on between the worker and the child. The worker has no clue or doesn't care about the dangerous object on the floor that one small child will use to cut another. The underpaid worker is not concerned when another worker takes a child outside by himself where no one else can observe their interaction. The supervisor has allowed the worker to child ratio to exceed the state limits to the point where there is no way the worker can keep an eye on every child. The supervisor frequently goes on errands and leaving the child care in the hands of a part-time person who is not the state licensed director for the daycare or child care business. The owner lives out of state and has no idea what's going on. These are just a few typical examples from actual child care abuse cases I have handled.
As a result, in just the last few years I have represented parents for a variety of injuries to their children, including punctured eyes, ruptured ears, broken arms and legs, lacerations of every sort, and sexual molestations. The sexual molestations have become more common, and are deeply troubling. The investigation of this type of child care abuse almost always involves the crimes against children unit of the local police, a child advocacy center, a local children's hospital, a private counselor and the State of Georgia's Bright From the Start investigators. The perpetrator routinely denies touching the child, and immediately hires a criminal defense attorney. The insurance company that insures the day care / child care typically hires an attorney and a private investigator to protect their interests. Parents often don't know who to speak with, including whether they should speak to their child about what happened. Parents are asked to give statements and sometimes feel as if they are being blamed. This is particularly painful. Unfortunately, the nature of these crimes is private. The perpetrators are rarely caught in the act as they are careful to isolate the child. The child's forensic interview becomes the critical evidence, together with statements from the perpetrator's co-workers. The child's small innocent voice is usually my only direct evidence that the crime occurred.
If your child has been the victim of child care abuse, you need help. You need an advocate for your child. You need someone to hold the day care / child care center accountable. You need someone who has worked with this myriad of agencies and representatives in the past. This is what I do. Since 1993 I have represented parents and children who need a champion. There is no charge to call and talk about it. There is no charge to meet with me so we can figure out what you should do next. You will never have to pay me a retainer up front. My fees are always based on a successful outcome for your child. In a case involving a minor, the probate court of the county in which you reside must approve the settlement for your child and the applicable attorney's fees. If you think you need help, or just want to talk about it, call me, I can help.
Visit our Daycare Abuse GA and Negligence page to learn more or call:
Mathew G. Nasrallah
770-424-1234 ext.13
877-266-3694 ext.13