By Ryan E. Alekman, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts regulates day care centers / child care centers through the Department of Early Education and Care, otherwise known as The EEC. The EEC licenses child care programs and enforces regulations to promote the health, safety and welfare of children in Massachusetts’ child care facilities. The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Official Web site contains rules, regulations, procedures, applications, and other information as a resource to parents, child care licensees, and the general public.
Child care programs, under the licensing and regulation authority of the EEC, include family child care homes, school age child care programs, child care centers, residential programs for children, adoption and foster care placement programs.
In addition to licensing, regulation, and inspection, the EEC also investigates complaints against child care centers that are filed or called in by parents, caregivers, and other interested persons. Many complaints involve serious personal injuries to children in a Massachusetts child care center. While compliance with the EEC’s rules and regulations cannot prevent all incidents or injuries from taken place, compliance can certainly help reduce the number of incidents or injuries to children in child care centers in Massachusetts.
In addition to the EEC, parents and caregivers can seek the advice, counsel and representation of a Massachusetts child injury lawyer as to the rights of the injured child and the legal responsibilities of the child care center.