Day Care in a COVID-19 World
For many parents, childcare is essential in order to keep up with professional demands and is less of a choice and more of a necessity. Despite this, many people who have little ones have struggled with the idea of sending their children to day care as cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, continue to occur around the country. And unfortunately, recent statistics only validate these concerns.
COVID-19 and Young Children
According to Miami Herald, the results of a new study indicate that kids who are infected at day care often spread the virus that causes COVID-19 at home. The study, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicated that the children who were studied spread the virus to about 25 percent of the people they encountered later after being infected themselves, highlighting the role children can play a role in spreading the virus from child care settings to household contacts. Combined with a recent pediatric report published by the Department of Health concerning coronavirus cases throughout Florida that confirms that more than 10,000 children below the age of 5 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, it is clear that the effects of COVID aren’t limited to adults.
What Questions Should I Be Asking My Daycare Provider?
- What are the general infection control policies including daily screening measures?
- How are toys, books, seats etc. being disinfected?
- What are plans for social distancing?
- What is the policy in place for when an illness is suspected when is the child or staff member allowed to return?
If you don’t like the answers you receive from your provider, you should not hesitate to find another facility for your little one.
Understanding Potential Liability
Kids have always been mini Petri dishes so it unfortunately isn’t surprising that they can get and spread the virus. At this point, it remains unclear whether people who become infected with COVID-19 can sue the people who transmitted the disease to them for negligence. There would be several potential issues with this in the context of a day care, ranging from the fact that it is often difficult to pinpoint the origin of coronavirus due to the incubation period to the limitations on young children being legally liable for their actions.
Regardless, it is clear that child care facilities are obligated to provide a certain standard of care and that when the negligent failure to do so leads to a tragedy involving your child, you have every right to hold the responsible parties accountable. After all, there are a variety of ways that a child can become injured at a day care and unfortunately, tragic incidents have been happening long before the current pandemic and will likely continue long after.
Has a Child You Love Been Injured at a Day Care?
When this kind of tragedy happens and your child is injured, it is important to seek both medical and legal help immediately. The Miami personal injury attorneys of The Pendas Law Firm are ready to help if you reach out for assistance today.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the West Palm Beach, Ocala, Tampa, Bradenton, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Daytona Beach areas.
Resource:
miamiherald.com/news/article245668595.html
https://www.pendaslaw.com/why-you-should-take-pictures-after-a-car-accident/
