Hidden Dangers at Day Care

When the baby boy’s parents dropped him off at daycare, they expected the environment to be safe. In fact, the facility was far from it. Kim Blanchette had been running an unlicensed home day care center in Ocala with improper safety standards.

After the one-year-old died in Blanchette’s illegal daycare center, she told police that he fell off a chair. According to doctors, the story is not consistent with the baby’s injuries.

According to a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report, more than two-thirds of the licensed daycare facilities visited by the CPSC in a nationwide study had egregious safety hazards. For example:

• 26 percent had window blind cords with loops, which is a strangulation danger
• 13 percent did not use safety gates to block stairs and other dangerous areas
• 5 percent used unsafe products recalled by the CPSC, such as toys and cribs

In Florida, daycare centers are licensed and regulated to ensure the upmost safety for our children. However, even after securing the official paperwork, the facility may not be up to par. If your child attends a daycare facility, make sure to confirm its state licensing. You should also regularly inspect the facility for yourself and get to know the staff. Staying alert and vigilant can ensure your child’s safety.

Although bumps and bruises are a normal part of childhood, serious injuries are not. If your child is injured while in daycare, it may be due to the daycare staff’s negligence or abuse. If you believe this to be the case, contact an experienced Clearwater personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. At the Law Office of Paul B. Genet, P.A., our legal team has years of experience fighting for the rights of the injured. We’ll make sure your child recovers the fullest compensation for his or her injuries.