Aug 01, 2013 in News Negligent Supervision

Negligent Supervision: Negligent Supervision of Children

They are the apples of our eyes and need special attention and care, but though our children are most precious to us, the people who we trust to care for them often neglect their well-being. In Ontario, you need a license to serve food, but you do not need a license to provide care for extremely young children. This is where we often run into problems with our childcare system. Unlicensed daycares are completely legal as long as they provide care for no more than five children under the age of ten regardless of how many staff are employed. This excludes children that are related to the caregiver. Because these daycares are unlicensed, there is no way for the government to monitor them unless there is a complaint from a neighbour or parent. This contrasts the protocol for licensed daycares which The Ministry of Education checks up on yearly to make sure that they are meeting the provincial standards. Just recently, a two-year-old girl died at an unlicensed Vaughan daycare. The Toronto Star reported that when police arrived, they found that there were 27 children at the day care. The conditions there failed health inspections and there were hazards regarding food safety and infection prevention. This daycare had complaints prior to this incident. In 2011, the owner of a Mississauga home daycare owners was charged with second-degree murder after the death of a 14-month-old girl. The daycare was unlicensed and was also reported to have exceeded the maximum number of children allowed. In 2007, it was reported that the owner of a Toronto home daycare was charged with criminal negligence after a toddler allegedly suffered as many as 20 bite marks from another child in one day. The injuries caused bruising, swelling, and broken skin. The child was taken to the hospital for treatment. These are just a few real cases of negligent supervision of children. Right now there is a shortage in childcare spots and cast of day care can be high. Both of these factors mean that parents often end up putting their children in unlicensed centres which can be careless. In Toronto, there are 21,000 parents waiting on daycare subsidies and licensed childcare is readily available to one in three children. Those who can afford to pay for the more expensive facilities are often waitlisted for a few years. The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been handling all types of injuries for over 40 years including injuries from negligent supervision of your children. We understand the impacts injuries can have on you and your family's life and we know how to help you. Call us at 416-920-4242. Set up a free consultation and come talk with us.

Photo credit: Joe Goldberg/Creative Commons