How Should Parents Respond to Signs of Daycare Abuse and Neglect?

Earlier, we reported some startling facts about child abuse in Georgia’s daycares. No one wants to think or believe their children will be unsafe when they leave them at daycare to go to work for the day, but approximately 1 in 100 children in Georgia will experience some form of abuse or neglect.

This means that you, as a parent, should know how to respond in case your child starts acting differently. You should learn how to spot the signs of abuse and neglect, how to treat your child and how to report your concerns to the proper authorities.

Learn the signs of daycare abuse and neglect

Young children are rarely able to articulate themselves as well as adults, and it is likely they will react to child abuse or neglect through changes in their behaviors. As a parent, you should be able to identify concerning behaviors. You should also keep an eye open for any physical signs of abuse.

Child protection services frequently point to a wide range of potential signs of abuse:

• Unexplained injuries and bruises
• Crying and other extreme emotions when it’s time for parents to separate
• Depression
• Fear of the caregivers
• Constant tiredness or fatigue
• Complaints about illnesses or headaches
• A rise in attention-seeking behaviors
• Self-harm
• Other sudden changes in behavior

Notably, this list is not exhaustive, nor will every item point unerringly toward abuse or neglect. Instead, these are signs that your child is going through something difficult, and it is your job to help.

How to respond and treat your child

If there are clear signs of physical or psychological injury, you want to get the appropriate treatment as soon as possible. Many times, however, the signs will not be as clear, and children may need their parents to help them express themselves.

This means you should learn how to respond to your child’s concerns. As Nationwide Children’s Hospital notes, you want to try to keep your body language and speech as calm and neutral as possible.

• Show that you are listening without judgment
• Allow your child sufficient time to process his or her thoughts and speak
• Reflect your child’s words to demonstrate that you are listening and want to understand the story clearly

If your child’s physical marks, behavioral changes and words give you reason to suspect abuse or neglect, it is time to act. You do not want to put your child back into a dangerous situation. Instead, you will want to report the matter.

Report your concerns to the proper authorities

In Georgia, your daycare providers, along with teachers and many other professionals who work with children, are considered mandatory reporters. If they have reason to suspect that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect, the law requires them to report their concerns.

As a parent, you are not a mandatory reporter, but you are still able to report your concerns. You can contact the Division of Family and Children Services of the Department of Human Services to file your report. As an alternative, you can contact the police. The law demands that the authorities investigate all reasonable concerns.

Among other things, their reports must include:

• The child’s name and age
• The parents’ names and addresses
• The names and addresses of the child’s caretakers
• The nature and extent of the child’s injuries, including evidence
• Any other information that you believe may help the authorities establish the cause of the injuries and the identify of the perpetrator

Georgia allows hospitals, doctors and law enforcement to take pictures of minors, without their parents’ consent, to support these reports. If you have photographic evidence, you can provide it.

Help your child recover

After you report any reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect, the final step is to help your child recover as fully as possible. Depending on the type and severity of the abuse, your child may need medical care, therapy and extra support to readjust. The perpetrator may be subject to criminal charges, but a criminal conviction won’t help your child recover.

Instead, you may be able to sue the perpetrator. Criminal charges do not prevent you from seeking this type of financial recovery. When daycare staff or the daycare itself are responsible for your child’s suffering, a lawsuit can let you hold them accountable for the cost of getting your child the full recovery he or she deserves.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »