What Happens If a Daycare Center Fails to Tell You About Your Child's Injury?

What Are the Texas Childcare Laws for Reporting Injuries in Daycare and Childcare Centers?

Texas childcare laws, also known as minimum standards, require licensed daycare and childcare centers to contact parents and inform them about injuries or harmful activities that involve their child. They also must provide parents with an incident report that should also be filed with the state. Parents should be notified about all injuries ranging from minor scrapes and bruises to serious injuries like allergic reactions, severed fingers, broken bones, and burn injuries. They should also be made aware of any suspected abuse and wandering incidents that can cause extreme emotional trauma for little ones.

The minimum standards require that daycare and childcare centers notify parents when a child is injured at the center and the injury requires medical treatment; has been exposed to a harmful situation at the center, such as dangerous playground equipment or given the wrong dose a of medication; is involved in any incident that may impact their well-being, even if the injury appears to be minor at first.

The notification must be immediate and clear, providing parents with details about what occurred, how the child is doing, and whether further steps are necessary.

In addition to notifying parents, daycare centers are required to seek medical attention for children. Immediate medical attention is imperative in the event of serious medical episodes or incidents and injuries that occur at daycare centers, because every second counts. Denying a child medical care to pretend like an incident did not happen can put a child’s life at greater risk.

For example, our daycare and childcare injury lawyers got justice for a Dallas family when a 4-year-old girl broke her elbow and the daycare center kept silent about her injury. In another case, a young boy suffered severe burns on his neck, shoulders, and chest from an unattended baby bottle warmer at a Plano daycare center, yet the center failed to contact emergency services while his burns formed blisters and his wounds deepened.

Why Is Immediate Parental Notification So Important After a Child Is Harmed at a Daycare or Childcare Center?

When a child gets injured at a daycare or childcare center, every second counts. In many cases, an injury that appears to be minor and insignificant could worsen over time. Our experienced daycare and childcare injury lawyers often see this with head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that happen at local facilities, especially with infants and younger children who are unable to clearly communicate with caregivers. In one of our recent cases, an infant experienced a head injury and the daycare center waited eight hours until they told the baby’s parents.

Immediate notification allows parents to monitor their child’s condition and seek additional medical care if necessary. Here’s why this is crucial:

• Delayed Medical Care Can Worsen Injuries. Injuries, like concussions, internal bleeding, and fractures are types of injuries that may not show obvious signs initially but can develop into serious health issues if left untreated. If parents aren’t informed about the injury right away, they lose valuable time to seek appropriate medical care.
• Parents Deserve to Know. As a parent, you have a right to be aware of everything that happens to your child while they’re in the care of a daycare or childcare center.
• Children May Be Unable to Communicate. Younger children, especially those who are not yet verbal or who have developmental delays, might not be able to express that they’re hurt or in pain.

What Should You Do if Your Child’s Daycare or Childcare Center Didn’t Inform You About an Injury?

If you discover that your child was injured at a daycare or childcare center and the facility failed to notify you, it’s important to act quickly. Here are steps you can take:

1. Seek medical attention at your local hospital’s emergency room or an urgent care center. Texas has excellent resources for children at:

• Central Texas: Dell Children’s Medical Center
• Dallas: Children’s Health
• Fort Worth: Cook Children’s Health Care System
• Houston:  Texas Children’s Hospital
• Midland: Midland Health
• South Texas: Driscoll Children’s Hospital
• Spring and The Woodlands: Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands

2. Report abuse to the state if you did not receive an incident report or suspect your child’s injuries were intentionally caused by a caregiver at a local daycare center. Call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 800-252-5400 or submit a report online at TXAbuseHotline.org.
3. Document any information from the incident by keeping track of all correspondence from the negligent daycare center and caregiver. Screenshot text messages and save emails discussing the incident; take pictures of your child’s injury and keep detailed notes of any related phone calls. While it may be overwhelming to remember these steps when you are more concerned about your child’s health, keeping a file of correspondence and other documentation can benefit your family’s legal case to hold the negligent party accountable for your child’s injury.
4. Reach out to our experienced Texas daycare injury lawyers by calling 214-699-4409, emailing [email protected], or filling out a contact form for a free case evaluation. In the eyes of a court, daycare injuries can be complex. Our knowledgeable legal team is ready to listen and advise your family on the best approach to hold the negligent daycare center accountable for your child’s traumatic experience and failures to report their injuries.

How Can The Button Law Firm Help Our Family If a Daycare Center Doesn’t Notify Us About an Injury?

If your child was physically or emotionally harmed or injured because of negligent practices at a daycare or childcare center anywhere in Texas, our team of experienced and compassionate daycare and childcare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm can help. We’re dedicated to advocating for you and your family. We are ready to listen and fight for your family to get justice and 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. Get a free case evaluation by calling us at 214-699-4409, emailing us at [email protected], or filling out a contact form.