Most parents love their children and do all their best to protect them, but working parents often need an assist. In order to work, they must leave their children at daycares where they cannot personally supervise them and oversee their development. In Georgia, parents might have more reason to be suspicious of their daycare providers than parents in other states.
There are some concerning statistics about child safety in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Public Health notes that Georgia ranks 38th in the United States for child wellbeing. That’s not last, but it’s not great either. An older fact sheet from the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services provides additional context. The numbers may have changed since the sheet was released, but they reveal child abuse and child neglect are far more common than most of us might suspect. In fact, in 2014, 1 out of every 100 children in Georgia had experienced abuse or neglect.
Watch for the signs of abuse
The children who suffer abuse and neglect in daycares are rarely able to articulate their experiences in adult terms. This means they won’t necessarily tell their parents, “Mom, the daycare staff are abusing me.” They won’t say, “Dad, the daycare staff aren’t supervising us closely when we’re playing on the swings and climbing equipment.” Instead, their parents will need to watch for some of the tell-tale signs of child abuse and neglect.
As BabyCenter notes, the signs may be different for physical abuse than for emotional abuse. In either case, they will likely include mysterious physical signs or sudden emotional changes:
- Unexplained bruises or other injuries
- Crying when it’s time to go to daycare or separate from parents
- Shunning parental affection
- Clinging more strongly to parents
- Complaining about illnesses such as headaches or stomach aches with no physical source
- Nightmares or other trouble sleeping
Of course, there may be other reasons a child displays these symptoms. They may not immediately signal child abuse or neglect, but they are warning signs. Parents will want to look for their causes, and in many cases the cause may be problems at the daycare.
What can parents do?
Naturally, parents will not want to see their children abused or neglected. If you ever experience such a travesty, you may have a couple different options. First, you can report any concerns about criminal activities to the authorities. Child abuse can have criminal consequences, and daycare providers need to stay out of trouble to maintain their licenses. Second, you can file a lawsuit for the compensation to help with your child’s recovery.
Whether you’re looking at broken bones or traumatization, or both, serious neglect can carry long-lasting consequences. Your child does not deserve to suffer in life because someone else failed to act responsibly. A lawsuit may not undue the damage, but it can help your child work through that damage and get back on track toward a more positive future.