Child Physically Assaulted Outside of Daycare Facility

Case Overview

This case involves a child care provider who dealt with young children. The daycare provider was associated with a series of youth groups in an urban area. During the day, children were free to go to a number of “stations” where different equipment and activities were provided. Occasionally, children wandered outside of the building where the daycare was located. Two weeks prior to the incident in question, a child had wandered outside of the facility and had been assaulted. Despite the assault, no extra precautionary measures were put in place. Two weeks later, a second assault occurred, and the child sustained serious injuries which required a five-month hospital stay. A child welfare expert was sought for this case.

Questions to the Child Abuse and Neglect expert and their responses

Following the first assault, should extra precautionary measures have been put in place to prevent this type of incident?

In most cases, when a similar event occurs, precautionary measures need to be taken (warning the parents, extra security, speaking with the children, reducing space available to children). If changes were not made, the provider is probably liable.

About the expert

This expert is the owner and president of a privately owned company that provides on-site training and consultation in the child care industry. She began her career as an early childhood teacher before having a child of her own. After that, she began teaching adult students about child care in the evenings. Ultimately, she started her own training and educating courses, and provided on-site education to various types of facilities, including schools and day care centers. She has been providing training for Early Childhood Education Specialists for over 30 years.