By Will Brown Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Athens County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating allegations that a 72-year-old man inappropriately touched six children at day care centers in Athens County. The police and Children Services were first notified when a mother of two teenage girls said that the man groped her daughters at a store connected to a home day care center.
By Scott Zahler, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Pursuant to Rule 591-1-1-.26 – Playgrounds – of the Georgia Rules and Regulations for Child Care Learning Centers, child care centers must meet certain criteria and requirements. First and foremost, the outdoor area must larger the center’s licensed capacity for children, specifically the area shall be equal to 100 square feet times 1/3 the center’s capacity. Each center is required to provide 100 square feet for each child occupying the outside play area at any one time, groups of children may be rotated if necessary. The play area shall be adjacent to the child care center, or in an area that is accessible by a safe route or other approved method. However, school-age centers shall have shaded areas. The play areas shall also be protected by a fence or other secure barrier, which is 4 feet or higher. Child care centers must keep the play areas clean, so as to be free from litter and hazards (“free from hazards” can mean but is not limited to non-resilient surfaces under the fall-zaon of play equipment, exposed tree roots and exposed sharp edges of concrete or equipment. The equipment shall be age appropriate and provide the children at the center with various opportunities and engage in a variety of experiences. The outdoor equipment must be free from lead-based paint, sharp corners and be checked regularly to maintain safety.
By Scott Zahler, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Pursuant to Rule 591-1-1-.29 – Required Reporting – of the Georgia Rules and Regulations for Child Care Learning Centers, the director or other designated person-in-charge in the director’s absence, is required to report or cause to be reported the following:
By Scott Zahler, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Pursuant to Rule 591-1-1.31 Staff – of the Georgia Rules and Regulations for Child Care Learning Centers, a child care center is required to have a director who is responsible for the supervision, operation and maintenance of the center. The director must be on the center’s premises. When he or she is not on the center’s premises, a person must be designated to assume responsibility for the operation of the center.
By Scott Zahler, Attorney & David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
After the tragic death of two-year-old Jazmin Green, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning has drafted an emergency rule change. Green died after day care workers left her in a hot van for an extended amount of time after a field trip. It was alleged that the center’s owner, Marlo Fallings, her daughter Quantabia Hopkins and an assistant falsified transportation records in connection with the incident. The state closed down Marlos Magnificent Early Learning Center in Jonesboro and assigned monitors to make sure it remains closed.
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
South Carolina authorities are investigating how a toddler wandered off from a College Park Road day care center. The Department of Social Services spokeswoman, Marilyn Matheus, said that a two-year-old girl walked off the property of Noah’s Ark Daycare Center and Kindergarten while she was under their care. The toddler was found uninjured and DSS was contacted.
By J. Rock Palermo, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
A van occupied by church members heading home from a Bible class veered off a highway in northeast Louisiana and crashed. Tragically, two adults and two children were killed and seven others were hospitalized.
By Will Brown, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Cleveland, Ohio, the police have arrested five people for abusing a handicapped toddler; the child’s mom and boyfriend were arrested along with three others. According to the police, the suspects burned the handicapped child with a hot iron. The incident occurred at W. 38th and Dension. The person who answered the door at the address claimed it was just an accident, but the child could not even walk, said the police. The grandmother of the child was horrified when she saw the burns on the child’s leg and called for help immediately. The grandmother said that nobody had taken the child to the hospital for treatment or reported the incident to 911.
By Scott Zahler, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
Elijah Johnson, nine-years-old, was treated for severe personal injuries at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. The boy’s family alleges that he was a victim of a brutal attack at an Atlanta day care center, but the day care center claims that the boy injured himself.
By Joseph R. Hillebrand Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The State of Missouri is revising the child care laws for the first time in two decades. Two of the main revisions include: 1). A requirement that Missouri Child-Care Centers put babies to sleep on their backs; and 2). A requirement that state Child-Care Centers have a staff member trained in CPR on staff at all times. The “back-to-sleep” rule is expected to be in effect by late summer 2011 and the CPR regulation by January 1. The revisions are to aid in the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidental suffocation. According to a study conducted by Rachel Moon, a pediatrician and SIDS researcher with Children’s National Medical Center, 20% of all SIDS deaths occur in child care centers, a rate that should only be 8%. The new revisions will affect approximately 2,200 centers and 1,440 licensed home-based child care centers. However, the new revisions are neither applicable to unlicensed home-based child care businesses within the state (which account for well over 5,000) nor the 670 faith-based child care centers (because they are exempted from state licensing). However, following these rules is an important step in providing better quality care for children. The Missouri Child Fatality Review Program recorded two infant deaths in licensed child care facilities because of SIDS or suffocation. For more details see Missouri revises child care laws to prevent SIDS and accidental suffocation.
Child Injury Lawyer Blog