By Robert Chaiken, Attorney & David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Important questions that every parent of a child in a day care center should ask are as follows:
Who is running my child’s day care center?
What are the risks to my child?
These are basic but important questions for a parent to ask and get the information. Most day care providers are responsible adults who truly care about the safety, education, and welfare of children. Unfortunately, there are others who see a day care center as only a business center. Worse than that, some day care operators use the venue of a day care center to abuse, neglect, and / or assault children under their care.
Certainly, a parent cannot prevent or anticipate all abuse, neglect, or assault related incidents that take place at a day care center. When such acts are discovered, it is important for a parent to take action by reporting the incident to law enforcement, social service, and to a child injury lawyer. Hopefully, these acts will prevent other incidents in the future at the day care center.
If a person has no prior criminal history of assault or abuse, there probably will not be any public records to clue a parent in as to the dangers of a particular person. Furthermore, if a day care center provider has never been caught committing bad acts, the dangerous or abusive propensities of the day care center owner or provider may be unknown or undiscovered. Nevertheless, it is important for a parent to do his or her due diligence to find out what he or she can about the people owning or operating a day care center.
Once a child is enrolled in a day care center, it is important for the parent to frequently visit and, yes, inspect the day care center. Also, a parent should speak to his or her child to find out about the activities and interaction at the day care center with other children and the child care providers. If there are any signs of suspicious activity, immediate action should be taken.
It was reported in San Antonio Texas that a day care center owner was criminal charged with sexually molesting a boy under his care. Bradley Bendele was arrested for multiple incidents of child sexual abuse at a Texas day care center owned and operated by Bendele and his wife. If the allegations are confirmed, it is most unfortunate and tragic that a boy was abused by a person who was responsible for his care, supervision and well being. Mr. Bendele will be entitled to legal representation by a Texas criminal defense attorney or the public defender’s office. See Sexual Assault Reported at Texas Day Care Center.