When you drop your children off at daycare, you expect that they will be cared for and kept safe from harm. Yet studies and investigations are showing that daycares aren’t always the safest place to leave your child. In fact, there are times that daycares pose significant dangers. 13 million children under the age of 6 spend their days in childcare, and all of those facilities are supposed to adhere to safety standards that are created the state. Yet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission declares that at least two-thirds of all licensed programs have safety hazards that need to be corrected. It is important that you are aware of the dangers in these daycares as a parent and know that you have the right to litigate against a childcare service that has harmed your young one in some way.

One of the most dangerous health hazards in daycares is often the cribs. The USCPSC has created a new list of requirements for cribs including eliminating all drop-side cribs and making sure that the baby beds have a firm support and no space between the mattress and the bed slats. 8 percent of all inspected daycare facilities do not have cribs that meet the current safety standards, and this can create serious injuries. In many cases, the slats in the crib are placed too far apart, causing the potential for a child to get their head stuck between the bars. As well, there are many decorative head and foot boards on cribs that can catch a baby’s clothing, potentially choking the child. There are also dangers regarding pillows and other un-breathable fabrics that are placed in a crib with a young baby. If the child rolls over and is face down in the pillow, he or she could be smothered. 18 percent of all daycare centers inspected had dangerous soft bedding in their cribs like heavy quilts, pillows, or thick comforters.

Studies show that 13 percent of all daycare centers don’t have child safety gates installed by danger zones. For example, the USCPSC declares that all stairways should be blocked by a gate so that a toddler will not tumble down the steep stairs and suffer an injury. If you child is injured this way because of a lack of a gate, you certainly have the right to sue. As well, 26 percent of all daycare centers have loops on their window blind cords which can be a strangle hazard for young children. All children who are under the age of 5 are at a significant risk to being choked in these blinds, so daycare centers are supposed to install a tight cord with his bolted into the wall. As well, many daycare centers used recalled products that are dangerous for children to play with. 5 percent of all daycares have recalled toys, bean bag chairs, and other products that have been declared dangers by the USCPSC.

24 percent of all daycares with a playground lack the property playground surfacing which will help shield a child from significant injury in the event of a fall. If your child is injured on the concrete because of a lack of a cushioned or safe surface, then you can also sue for this. 27 percent of all daycares also fail to maintain their playground by cleaning, eliminating rust, or fixing broken swings or money bars. As well, some daycares have been accused of neglecting to take not of a child’s allergies, and can feed a young one food that the parents have expressly stated are dangerous for their young one. If your child was injured at a daycare, then you have the right to seek damages from the facility for their lack of caution and neglect of your child’s needs. Contact a personal injury lawyer today for more information about suing a daycare for harming your child.