Apr 10, 2014 in News Negligent Supervision

Negligent Supervision: Unlicensed daycares: Toronto sees 4th child daycare death in 7 months

Questions are being raised after a four-month-old baby boy was found dead in an unlicensed daycare in a Toronto apartment building on Valentine's Day. He was pronounced dead at the hospital and the police are investigating the case. Little details are known as of yet, but Ontario education minister Liz Sandals told the Toronto Star that the ministry had not received any complaints about that daycare. Unfortunately, this is the fourth death of a child in an unlicensed daycare in seven months in Ontario, according to the Toronto Star. But neither the provincial coroner's office nor Ontario's education ministry could tell the Toronto Star whether this number was atypical for unlicensed daycares. Coroners investigate all deaths of a child that are not natural, but there is no specific coding to determine the track the number of children who die in daycares, a Toronto West regional supervising coroner told the Toronto Star. Negligent supervision is garnering media attention, especially in light of these unlicensed daycare deaths. The education ministry recently introduced stricter policies for unlicensed daycares in an attempt to tackle this issue, but it's estimated that 80 per cent of children are in unlicensed daycares due to the lack of daycare spots available, says the Toronto Star. New rules require that unlicensed daycares can only take care of five children under the age of five, including their own children. Ontario is pushing to offer more spaces within licensed daycares, but meanwhile Ontario education ministry inspectors have discovered that 40 per cent of complaints against unlicensed daycares are focused on overcrowding, says the Toronto Star. Between July 2012 to July 2013, there were 180 unlicensed daycare complaints in the GTA, which accounts for 60 per cent of the complaints, says the Toronto Star. Meanwhile, a caregiver was charged with manslaughter after a two-year-old girl she was caring for in her unlicensed daycare died last July. She had her first court appearance in mid-January. The toddler was found drowned in a bathtub with no vital signs and she was pronounced dead at the hospital. Toronto Police Const. Sarah Diamond told the Toronto Star that "an autopsy revealed 'various injuries' that 'substantiated' the charges against Sosa." The cause of death has not been made public. The personal injury and accident lawyers at Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers have been handling all types of injuries and wrongful death cases for over 43 years including those arising 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: Kids Work Chicago Daycare / Creative Commons