A few years ago, I was in a pretty serious car accident. During the aftermath, I became really familiar with a lot of different types of lawyers. I worked with personal injury lawyers, insurance lawyers, and many others. Perhaps the most important, though, was the estate planning lawyer. I was really young, and neither my wife or I had thought about starting a will. But the accident kind of scared us into it. What would happen if one of us were to die? Even when still in the hospital, I was working with the lawyer to draw up a will. Now, I have some peace and security about what the future will be like if something should happen to me. And I have a lot of experience working with various types of lawyers! The accident was kind of a blessing in disguise in that way.
It's time for you to get back to work and you need a place for your child to stay. It can be extremely difficult and stressful to find the safest daycare facility for your child. This is especially true if you've heard the horror stories of daycare fight clubs and unattended facility fires. While these things don't typically occur on a daily basis, it is important to know that they have occurred in the past. Here are three tips to help put your mind at ease when selecting a facility:
1. Make Sure That You See the Inside of the Facility.
While this may seem like common sense, you would probably be shocked at how many parents have actually never seen the interior of the facility they drop their kids off at every single day. However, it is crucial that you take the time to see the inside of the day care facility before allowing your child to go there. You can get a sense of the entire space and even see the activities that your child will likely be engaged in. This helps you to scope out the potential injury risks that your child may face if they were to go to this particular facility.
Make sure that when you do see the inside that it isn't a scheduled appointment. You also want to make sure that it is in the middle of the day when plenty of other children are there. This ensures that you catch the facility off-guard so that they aren't trying to be on their best behavior. You can make sure that the electricity is on, toilets and sinks function properly and that knives aren't improperly stored.
2. Request to See the Facility's Credentials.
There should always be a red flag if the facility doesn't want to show you their accreditation. There are two primary accreditation programs nationally, including the National Association for Family Child Care and National Association for the Education of Young Children. Apart from national programs, your state may have its own quality assurance program, such as in Florida, or specific requirements for licensing such as California. The same is true for local vicinities. Make sure that the daycare facility you are considering is properly and adequately licensed and accredited by national, state and local authorities.
3. Be Aware of the Signs of Injury or Neglect.
As a parent, you are the one person that knows your child better than absolutely anyone else. Therefore, take note in their demeanor and appearance prior to and following daycare. Keep in mind that abuse, neglect and injuries don't always take the form of bruises, cuts or other physical impairments. It can be emotional.
Always use your gut when selecting a daycare and even when deciding whether to stay at the same daycare or to find a new one. Parental intuition is pretty accurate most of the time. In the end, if your child is injured while at daycare and you believe that it was due to the facility's or a staff member's negligence, consult with a personal injury attorney, such as Richard M Altman, immediately to discuss the facts of your case and see how best to proceed.
Share16 September 2015
