You expect your children to be safe when you drop them off at daycare in the morning. However, that isn’t always the case, as two recent cases in Wichita illustrate. One involves an 18-month-old who inhaled a piece of kernel corn in October 2017 that had to be surgically removed from his lung. Another case involves a nine-month-old who came home bruised and scratched in April 2017 after a daycare worker repeatedly yanked him up off of the floor. Both children had been attending their daycare facility for less than a week. Both sets of parents filed lawsuits, citing negligence.
Keeping children safe
” Every child deserves to be safe at a daycare and parents deserve the peace of mind to know that their children are safe when they drop them off,” said Richard James, a Wichita attorney representing one set of parents in their suit against Kindercare of Wichita. KinderCare’s Emily Snyder responded by saying, ” The safety and well-being of the children in our care is one of our highest priorities.”
The older daycare facility being sued is Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Daycare, a facility that Elizabeth West ran out of her home until she closed down the business in August of this year. However, she denied any wrongdoing, saying, ” Feed corn is offered at a lot of daycare centers. It’s sensory experience for children.”
These two cases aren’t the only ones involving daycare facilities pending in Wichita courts. Another case, this one involving a 10-month-old who fell or was dropped at a daycare center near K-96 and Woodlawn, claims the child was injured due to a staff member’s actions or negligence. Like the other two cases, these parents are seeking a settlement of more than $75,000.
How widespread is daycare neglect
The actual number of children injured in the Wichita area is difficult to ascertain since such injuries are not required to be reported. The official numbers state that 26 children died as a result of injuries at daycare centers in Wichita from 2010 to 2016.
