As the number of caregivers and facilities declines in The Woodlands, the demand for childcare is not going away. According to a Community Impact article, the demand has grown eight times higher in recent years than the number of available childcare facilities for families in the 77385 ZIP code. Unfortunately, the increase in demand has caused some daycare and childcare facilities to cut safety corners and hire unqualified caregivers to meet families’ needs.
This dangerous choice by daycare and childcare owners and directors puts innocent little ones in the community at risk of serious and potentially fatal injuries. That is why our experienced and knowledgeable daycare and childcare injury lawyers in The Woodlands are raising awareness about the dangers of unqualified caregivers and how little ones can be harmed by them in classrooms at local centers.
What Are the State-Mandated Requirements for Daycare and Childcare Workers in The Woodlands?
Because caring for multiple children requires a unique skill set and training, Texas daycare laws, also known as the minimum standards, devote a section to the qualifications needed by workers and caregivers at daycare or childcare centers, including facilities in The Woodlands. However, parents in The Woodlands might be surprised to find that the criteria for working at a daycare or childcare center are minimal, considering the significance of the role.
Daycare and childcare caregivers in The Woodlands are required to:
- Be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or the equivalent
- Complete a notarized licensing affidavit swearing to the worker’s criminal background history
- Have a medical record showing they are not infected with contagious diseases such as tuberculosis (T.B.)
- Pass a background check that includes criminal background, sex offender registry, and child abuse or neglect findings
Any daycare directors who are charged with caring for 13 or more children in The Woodlands are required to:
- Be at least 21 years old
- Have a high school diploma or its equivalent
- Meet certain experience and education qualifications such as completing:
- nine college credit hours in child development
- nine college credit hours in management
- three years of experience at a licensed childcare center
- Submit all qualifications to Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) for verification
A daycare director in The Woodlands will be issued a certificate once the state agency has verified and approved their qualifications.
Daycare and childcare centers in The Woodlands should thoroughly evaluate their employees before hiring and, once hired, monitor all caregivers to ensure they:
- Anticipate behaviors that can lead to injuries
- Confidently know and understand the minimum standards and state-mandated safety procedures
- Engage with children with care, honesty, and patience
- Have a passion for protecting and encouraging kids
In addition, daycare and childcare centers in The Woodlands should provide ongoing training for all caregivers to grasp the best supervision tactics, appropriate discipline methods, and best practices in an emergency such as an allergic reaction or choking incident. Topics should include:
- Continued annual training
- On-the-job orientation
- Pediatric first aid and CPR training
- Pre-service training hours
- Transportation training, if the daycare or childcare center uses a van or bus for field trips or school pick-ups
Parents in The Woodlands can use our free daycare and childcare guide, which is full of tips on how to find a safe facility and how to ensure caregivers meet or exceed the bare minimum requirements to provide a safe environment for little ones.
What Can Happen When Daycare or Childcare Centers in The Woodlands Hire Unqualified Caregivers?
Our experienced daycare and childcare injury lawyers have seen firsthand how little ones in The Woodlands can be seriously harmed when local facilities rush hiring and put unqualified caregivers in charge of children.
The most common ways innocent little ones in The Woodlands can be harmed by unqualified caregivers:
- Brain injuries caused by choking, drowning, or fall injuries
- Chemical burns when harsh industrial cleaners are used incorrectly or improperly stored in a classroom
- Drugging(s) with Benadryl or melatonin to make it easier to care for them
- Heatstroke when left outside too long on a hot day or locked in a daycare van
- Injuries from wandering incidents when little ones are able to exit a classroom or the center’s premises unnoticed
- Physical injuries such as dislocated elbows, broken bones, and bruises caused by abusive behavior and inappropriate discipline tactics
- Psychological injuries and trauma caused by verbal abuse when abandoned or isolated from a class or humiliated in front of peers
- Poisoning by THC and nicotine from vape pens and drugs that look like candy
- Severe allergic reactions when exposed to a known allergen
- Severe burns when bottle warmers are not properly stored or caregivers do not take precautions when the gadgets are in use
- Severed or crushed finger injuries caused by improper supervision around heavy doors and unmaintained playground equipment
- Sexual abuse when a caregiver has not completed a background check or is not properly monitored by a daycare director
- Shaken baby syndrome, when unqualified caregivers get frustrated with a crying baby
- Skull fractures caused by lack of supervision and fall injuries
- Sleep injuries when caregivers do not comply with safe sleep practices
- Spinal cord injuries when little ones are improperly supervised and fall from a high surface
- Tragic fatalities that were easily preventable
While this list of child injuries is long and daunting for parents, there is good news: These injuries can be easily prevented when daycare and childcare centers in The Woodlands hire qualified caregivers.
Can I Sue a Daycare or Childcare Center in The Woodlands If My Child Was Hurt Because of an Unqualified Daycare Worker?
Parents in The Woodlands have a legal right to file a lawsuit to hold the daycare or childcare center accountable for its negligence, including hiring unqualified and untrained caregivers, that led to a child’s injuries.
Families may be compensated for the following damages:
- Emotional distress
- Medical expenses, including a child’s ongoing or future medical treatments and therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Other unexpected costly fees
- Wrongful death of a child in the tragic event that a little one suffers a fatal injury while in the care of a daycare or childcare center in The Woodlands
It is important to note that there is a two-year time limit from the date of the incident at a daycare or childcare center in The Woodlands to file a lawsuit. Read this article to learn more about your legal rights to hold a daycare or childcare center in The Woodlands accountable if your child was harmed or hurt by an unqualified caregiver.
Don’t know where to start? Use these five tips to help your family choose the best lawyer after a daycare injury in The Woodlands.
Contact The Button Law Firm After a Daycare or Childcare Incident Caused by an Unqualified Caregiver in The Woodlands
Our team of experienced and compassionate daycare and childcare injury lawyers at The Button Law Firm is dedicated to advocating for you and your family if your child was physically or emotionally injured by unqualified caregivers and workers at a facility in The Woodlands. Helping clients in Montgomery County, we are ready to listen and fight for your family. 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 281-857-6116, email us at [email protected], or fill out a contact form for a free case evaluation.
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