In February 2024, the mother of a young boy arrived at a daycare center in Corpus Christi, Texas, to pick up her son. Daycare workers told her the child had been picked up earlier that evening, but they lied. No one had picked up the child. Worried about his son’s whereabouts, the boy’s father rushed to the daycare center while the mother contacted local authorities.
The parents searched the Corpus Christi center’s premises and vehicles until they found their young son crying and banging on the windows of a locked bus. He was pale, soaked in urine, and shaking in terror when they got to him.
The little boy’s mother contacted our daycare and child injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm to hold the Corpus Christi daycare center accountable for the negligence that caused the young child to be abandoned on the daycare bus for more than two hours and the subsequent attempt to cover up the incident. Our legal team got justice by securing a settlement to help the boy and his family move forward.
How the Corpus Christi Daycare Center Broke Texas Daycare Laws
Daycare centers across Texas are required to follow strict daycare laws, also known as minimum standards, which are intended to prevent these kinds of daycare van and bus neglect incidents from happening. In this case, the daycare center in Corpus Christi broke the law by not complying with several of the standards. For instance, upon the vehicle’s arrival at the daycare center, caregivers did not account for each child exiting the bus by performing name-to-face checks. They also did not conduct a safety sweep of the bus or utilize the required safety alert system that would have immediately located the boy on the bus and prevented the neglect incident.
The Corpus Christi daycare center did not train and supervise its workers to ensure that the children were properly monitored at all times, and workers failed to follow best safety practices when transporting little ones in their care.
To make matters worse, the Corpus Christi daycare center took no responsibility for its failures. An investigation conducted by the Texas Health and Human Services Child-Care Licensing Division cited the daycare center for:
- Preventing and delaying the inspection of an investigation, a violation cited twice by the agency because of the center’s repeated delays;
- Interfering with the state’s investigation into the neglect incident;
- Failing to properly supervise every child in its care by maintaining close physical proximity and auditory or visual awareness of each child;
- Having caregivers who did not comply with their responsibility to ensure children in their care are not neglected, abused, or exploited.
The Corpus Christi daycare center seriously endangered the life, safety, and health of this little boy by taking shortcuts when it came to child safety.
How the Corpus Christi Daycare Center Was Held Accountable for Failing the Child and His Family
As soon as the boy was found, his parents rushed him to a local children’s hospital, where he was evaluated and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of the incident at the Corpus Christi daycare center. Doctors referred him to his pediatrician, who recommended the boy receive counseling for ongoing treatment.
The traumatic incident greatly impacted the young boy’s mental, emotional, and behavioral health. He developed a fear of being left by his parents and became clingier. In public, the child had to keep his parents in sight at all times, screaming if he could not see them. (His mind immediately flashed back to when he was abandoned at the Corpus Christi daycare center.)
The daycare neglect incident also changed the boy’s personality from being outgoing and playful to introverted. The trauma made it difficult for the boy to regulate his emotions. He would get upset over minor issues and began biting his nails. In addition, his speech and sleep patterns regressed, making it so that he continues to be unable to sleep through the night unless his parents are in bed with him.
Thanks to our daycare and child injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm, the Corpus Christi daycare center was held accountable for neglecting the child on the bus. The boy and his family were awarded a settlement that compensated them for all damages, including life disruptions, medical bills, and ongoing therapy that helped the toddler process and move forward from the traumatic incident in a healthy way.
The Button Law Firm Can Help Your Family with a Texas Daycare Neglect Case
If your child was physically or emotionally harmed because caregivers did not comply with Texas daycare safety laws, contact our experienced daycare and child injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm. With attorneys in Dallas, Houston, and Midland, we are ready to listen, fight for your family, and help your family move forward. Our lawyers at The Button Law Firm are recognized on the prestigious Texas Super Lawyers list, and we can help guide you after a traumatizing incident involving your child. We work on contingency, meaning we don’t charge you or collect any upfront fees to get started on your case. Call us at 214-699-4409, email us at [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.
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