Many unregulated and lenient practices in the childcare sector can lead to childcare negligence. These statistics are not currently reported according to a national standard. It is usually left up to state processes or investigative journalists to compile and conclude, leading to what can be called the best guess. We shouldn’t be guessing about their quality of care when it comes to our children.
Near misses, accidents, daycare injuries, and deaths away from home are often not reported, called “private fatalities.” This is because the reporting and investigations are minimal, and it is challenging to compare childcare data from different states due to standardization. Despite this, the CDC reports “unintentional injury” as the leading cause of morbidity or mortality in children in the United States.
Unintentional injuries happen at any time, whether at school, home or in extracurricular activities. A child can find themselves in a dangerous situation by being distracted for just a few minutes. Even though injuries to after-school activities like swimming and gymnastics are pretty common, many injuries can be prevented by having well-informed coaches and staff aware of preventable injuries, deaths, and accidents.
Stanford research has shown that more than 3.5 million children aged 14 and under are injured each year while playing sports or engaging in recreational activities. Lacerations, contusions. Head trauma. Sprains and strains. Dislocated joints. Internal injuries. Fractures and broken bones. Accidental strangulation. “Falls” are the most common nonfatal injury for young children, and drowning is the most fatal.
Selecting childcare services can be stressful for parents, and it is a decision that can lead to even more stress. How do you start? If you decide between in-house or childcare, psychologists recommend that children under three years old use in-house care, while older children benefit from quality pre-schools. This is a great way to support your child’s growth.
Even if we have a system that works well for us, whether at home or in daycare, the next question is: Is that care enough? Is the standard of care high sufficient to prevent injury or death for our children’s health? How do we know that the schools our children are sent to are safe? This is not something you can do with a quick Google search.
It is essential to choose the best daycare for your child. Here are some tips to top childcare for your children.
Too few staff.
More accidents are common in facilities that have a low staff-to-child ratio. If there isn’t enough staff, they can’t keep an eye on everyone. Childcare workers make less than other professions and are in great demand right now. It is essential to ensure that your child’s care provider has enough staff to handle the number of children they accept. It won’t work out for you and your family.
Unaware.
Unawareness is another sign it’s time to change childcare services. This means that the staff didn’t have enough eyes to watch everyone, and no one was paying attention when your child got hurt. It’s almost a miss today, and tomorrow, it could prove fatal.
Public areas are messy or unorganized.
All buildings must meet minimum hygiene standards required by law and regulation. If a daycare cannot maintain this standard, it could be a sign that they don’t care enough or don’t have enough staff.
Children are fighting and screaming whenever you enter the building.
The children’s behavior is not under control.
Supplies for the office are easily accessible.
The leading cause of death among young children is poisoning, and this is a red flag if cleaning supplies or office supplies are within reach of children. The supplies are easily accessible to the child.
Your child withdraws from daycare.
They hardly touch their food and may be afraid of going to school or daycare in some cases. These behaviors do not automatically mean it isn’t a safe daycare, but it is worth looking into.
Did not pass a background screening.
You have access to a database of licensed childcare services and products that meet a high standard. You can also obtain a background check on any childcare business you use, so you can see past accidents and make informed decisions about who to send your children to.
Parenting is hard enough, and it can feel like you are navigating a million rules and then two million more written ones. Will your child be OK if you do this? Add to that the uncertainty of quality childcare and the lenient practices in the childcare industry, and parenting becomes more complicated. All of this can feel overwhelming, especially when you consider how your choices will impact your child’s quality of life.
The childcare industry is in crisis. The industry is in financial trouble, and business owners will do anything to keep their clients. The problem of understaffing in childcare is common, particularly now that COVID-19 has made so many families rely on childcare services. Understaffing is a sign that mistakes are likely to happen. One instance was when an owner kept children hidden between walls to house more children than she could. Even in a difficult industry, there are still ways to ensure your child is safe when you let them go to take care of your responsibilities.