How Can I Tell if My Child is Being Subjected to Daycare Abuse?

Daycare is an unfortunate necessity for working parents. We give up substantial portions of our income and we lose precious times of interaction with our children. At the very least, we expect that the facilities we pay to care for our children will keep them safe. But all too often, children are subjected to various forms of abuse while in daycare.

Parents can’t be there to supervise every minute, so how can you know when something wrongful is happening to your child? As a legal team that has helped many families obtain justice after their child has been subjected to abuse or neglect in daycare, we have seen some signs that frequently indicate a problem warranting investigation. Here are some factors to look for.

Signs of Physical or Sexual Abuse

When a daycare center fails to conduct background checks, doesn’t train caregivers properly, or fails to supervise employees, children in their care can be endangered by many types of abusive conduct. They can also be put at risk by neglect.

Sometimes, a child is harmed by intentional wrongdoing, such as when a caregiver loses their temper and hits a child. Other times, a caregiver may hurt a child because they don’t know or care that their conduct is harmful, such as when they allow a child to eat without supervision, risking a choking hazard, or when they allow a child to climb up on furniture or equipment which could cause injuries.

Signs that your child could be suffering from physical abuse include:

• Flinching when someone moves close by
• Unexplained or more frequent bruising and other injuries
• Difficulty sleeping
• Increased aggression with other children or pets
• Unusual reactions to noises or other startling events
• Becoming clingy or afraid of leaving you

If your child shows bruises, burns, or any physical injuries that didn’t exist before, the daycare provider should be able to provide a reasonable explanation. It is a good idea to have your child examined by a doctor if you suspect injuries are unusual or severe. In situations where you notice these types of injuries on an infant who is not yet walking and much less likely to get hurt on their own, it is especially important to seek medical attention. 

Getting a medical exam not only protects your child’s health but also provides evidence if you need to seek legal remedies. The doctor can document the injuries and determine if they may be more severe than they appear initially. Treatment can speed proper healing and prevent infection or other problems.

Signs of Emotional or Mental Abuse

Unfortunately, physical abuse is not the only type of abuse children suffer in daycare settings. Many people work in the daycare industry because they can’t find other jobs, and they take out their frustration on the children in their care by yelling at them or ignoring them. Other daycare workers feel a sense of empowerment when they make fun of or order around those who are younger and weaker.

When a child is subject to neglect or is taunted or berated over and over, the damage to their mental and emotional health can be extremely hard to overcome, requiring a lifetime of therapy. The symptoms can be subtle when a child is suffering from emotional or mental abuse. They may start responding differently to attention from family members, either by demanding more attention or rejecting signs of affection. They may become withdrawn and shy or overly aggressive. Sometimes, they can seem to regress and act younger than their age or they may suddenly act with what appears to be unusual maturity as they try to adjust to their painful reality.

Children abused in daycare often relive their experiences in bad dreams and may suffer night terrors or have trouble falling asleep. They may complain of stomach pains or headaches with no apparent physical cause.

As parents, you know your child, and you can tell when they are acting differently. When you notice changes, start taking notes to keep a record that could help establish a pattern and potentially provide evidence if necessary.

Signs of Sexual abuse

Government authorities put rules into place to reduce the opportunities for sexual abuse in daycare facilities, but it still happens far too often, especially when the rules are ignored. Some indications that a child may be subjected to sexual abuse include:

• Appearing to regress in behaviors by sucking their thumb or wetting the bed when they had previously stopped these habits
• Having nightmares and difficulty getting to sleep
• Displaying sexual behavior or revealing sexual knowledge that is inappropriate for their age and experience
• Signs of bruising or bleeding in the genital area
• Reluctance to sit down or problems using the toilet

Any time your child seems reluctant or fearful about going to daycare, it is important to find out why. When the answer is innocent, such as if your child just wants to play at home or doesn’t want to get dressed, that’s one thing. But when they don’t want to give a reason, that could be a sign of a problem that they are embarrassed about or afraid to share for fear of retaliation.

An Attorney Could Help You Investigate and Seek Legal Remedies if Your Child Has Been Abused in Daycare

It is hard to leave your child in someone else’s care when you would rather be with them yourself. It is much harder when you suspect that your child may be abused or neglected while you are gone. When you call attention to daycare abuse, you protect not only your own child but others who share the facility now and those who will come in the future. If your child has suffered significant abuse, Michael M. Day Law Firm may be able to help you recover compensation to offset the pain and suffering and help meet future needs for care, therapy, and more. For a free confidential discussion to learn more about how we may be able to help if you suspect daycare abuse, call us at 404-480-4284 or contact us online today.