An Austin, Texas daycare, The Children's Courtyard, has been sued twice based on allegations that children were physically abused there.
The allegations involve separate incidents in which young children were allegedly mishandled and inappropriately disciplined by caregivers. Live feed videos provided by the families show the alleged abuse, including aggressive handling and inappropriate discipline.
The daycare denies wrongdoing. The daycare also confirms that the employees involved are no longer employed, but the reasons for their departure were not revealed. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/physical-abuse-daycare-live-camera-austin-texas-the-childrens-courtyard-lawsuits/269-ae27e28d-b83c-490b-ad40-5fa1211d5126 (Oct. 01, 2024).
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Cameras at the daycare center provided a live feed to parents (allowing for the witnessing of abuse) and possibly recorded the alleged abuse. Without the cameras, the claimed abuse may have gone undiscovered until it was too late. Witnessing the abuse live via a camera is what sparked the complaint of abuse, and it is easy to assume that recorded footage may have also led to the two workers in question losing their jobs.
According to the attorney who represents the parents, the video shows a "caregiver yanking the child and throwing him down onto his nap mat."
Adults forcefully yanking a child can lead to bruising, cuts and broken bones, emotional trauma, but also head injuries, including concussion. According to the CDC:
Concussions should be taken seriously because they can produce changes in your child's brain, body, and behavior. Most children with a concussion feel better within 2 to 4 weeks. However, some children have symptoms that effect their behavior, mood, memory, or emotions for months or longer. Symptoms that stay around can affect children as they grow up and even through adulthood. https://www.cdc.gov/heads-up/about/index.html
The takeaway is that organizations that work with children should use cameras to help protect the children under their care from abuse. The cameras should provide a live feed for parents/guardians, but should also be monitored, if possible, and record employee interactions each day to make certain work participants are safeguarding children.
Here are signs of concussions in small children that adults caring for them should be aware of:
- "Excessive crying and/or cannot be consoled
- Headache that does not go away
- Change in the way that they play or act
- Change in eating, sleeping, or nursing pattern
- Becomes upset more easily than normal or abnormal temper tantrums
- Appears sad or depressed
- Lack of interest in normal activities
- Appears unsteady or loses balance easily"
https://www.centerfoundation.org/concussion-symptoms-kids/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwoiBypeiiQMVIF9HAR0EvDDFEAAYAiAAEgIN8_D_BwE
