How to Sue a Daycare Provider for Abuse or Neglect

You've heard it on the news, but have you experienced it in real life? Abuse and neglect are serious problems in daycare, school and other child care services all across the country. When you leave your child with a professional, you expect to pick him up in the same condition in which you dropped him off. If a daycare provider has abused or neglected your children, you may want to sue.

1- Document Everything

From the first phone call to the last day in court, you and your pen needed to be joined at the hip. If you're going to sue a daycare provider for abuse or neglect, you'll need solid evidence that you can bring in front of a judge or jury. This might include notes about conversations you've had with child care providers, pictures of injuries sustained by your child, quotes from witnesses who have information about the abuse, and correspondence between yourself and the daycare provider.

2- Remove Your Child

As soon as you suspect a daycare provider of abuse or neglect, pull your child from the program immediately. If they can later show that you knew about the circumstances and continued to allow your child to attend, it will be nearly pointless to sue. Submit a formal withdrawal letter to the administration department of the daycare, or the owner if no such department exists, and request a refund for any monies paid so far. You won't get it back, but this will be included in your lawsuit.

3- Interview Other Parents

If possible, it's a good idea to interview other parents who have attended the same daycare to see if their children have shown any signs of abuse or neglect. Bringing it up might trigger a memory that they dismissed as a casual injury or comment, and your case will be stronger if you have other adults to back you up. Unfortunately, a child's testimony carries only so much weight in court, even if the child doesn't have a history of lying.

4- Obtain Medical Proof