Laws to Protect Your Child at Daycare in Michigan

Legally Reviewed and Edited by: Terry Cochran

In these busy times where both parents are likely to be working full time, sending your little ones into the care of others is often a necessity. Your children are the most important part of your life, and you would never want to have to contact a personal injury lawyer because of an incident at daycare. Fortunately, in Michigan, there are several laws in place meant to help reduce the potential for unwanted accidents at childcare facilities.

Staff Training Requirements

The first preventative measure that helps keep parents from needing to hire a malpractice lawyer is making sure the daycare staff is properly trained. There must be at least one caregiver, who is certified in CPR, present at all times. In addition, all caregivers must complete12 hours of training each year on various safety topics.

These topics can include things such as shaken baby syndrome, blood borne pathogens, and early childhood development. It is very important for caregivers to have the proper credentials that let parents know they have the training and the knowledge to keep their children safe.

Ratio Requirements for Staff to Children

Another law in Michigan that is integral to protecting your child at daycare are the requirements for how many caregivers are needed per number of children. This ratio varies based on the ages of children concerned. The younger the group of kids, the more supervision needed.

These guidelines help to minimize the chance that a parent would have to contact a medical attorney at our law firm because of an accident that occurred due to inadequate safekeeping.

Program Requirements

In Michigan, there are rules in place that stipulate the types of daily activities that are considered essential for keeping children healthy and safe. These activities are a mix of quiet and loud, active and passive, individual and group oriented, and should be a balance of being initiated by the child and by the caregiver. Top personal injury lawyers would agree that maintaining a comprehensive and balanced roster of activities makes sure kids do not inadvertently overexert themselves, which could potentially lead to physical injury due to an establishment’s negligence.

Disciplining Children

As much as parents want to believe their children are always obedient, on occasion, bad behavior calls for daycare staff to discipline the charges in their care. Fortunately, in Michigan, numerous regulations are listing out acceptable and unacceptable forms of punishment. These stipulations address both physical and emotional forms of reprimand that caregivers may choose to employ. In addition, a copy of the facility’s discipline policy must be provided to both staff and parents to ensure there are no misunderstandings.

Medication and Illness

It is a fact of life that children get sick. Sometimes they require medication to treat an illness or injury. Laws have been enacted in Michigan to ensure daycare staff has the understanding and capabilities to care for children while they are ill or when they require medication for any reason.

From parental authorization requirements for medication to its safe storage and proper administration, these statues are very important in making sure there is no medical or pharmaceutical negligence on behalf of the child care facility and its employees.

Physical Surroundings

Something that can easily be overlooked by parents when choosing a daycare facility for their young ones is the actual, physical aspects of the building itself. There are guidelines in place not just for areas where their children will play or sleep or eat, but also for the more industrial elements such as hallways, food storage and preparation areas and parking lots. Auto accident lawyers can be called in if an incident occurs in a parking lot as readily as for an auto accident on the road. Therefore laws governing the various physical requirements of childcare facilities are vital.

This is just a sample of the many ways that governing bodies in Michigan have been proactive in ensuring that your child is as safe and protected as possible while under someone else’s care. Hopefully, you never have to contact a personal injury lawyer due to an encounter at daycare, but should you need one, the top personal injury lawyers at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. at 866-MICH-LAW, are an excellent resource for a variety of issues.

Our law firm never charges a fee unless a recovery is made so contact us today for a no obligation consultation.

Disclaimer : The information provided is general and not for legal advice. The blogs are not intended to provide legal counsel and no attorney-client relationship is created nor intended.