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Daycare allowed a child to fall down stairs...
We are not sure what to think. I guess the kids all play in a room that is several steps below the main floor (so it is not a full flight of stairs). Somehow, one of the kids fell down the stairs. She is fine, but her mom took her to the ER and she now has a huge bruise on half of her face. These kids are all 12-18 months old (this little girl is 15 months old). I could understand if a 4-yr old tripped and fell - that would be an accident. But how on earth is a 15 month old unsupervised enough around stairs to fall down them? We can't figure it out. Our daycare has been going through a lot of turnover lately, and we've been having other problems, but this is kind of the last straw. The other daycare in our neighborhood only has one day open, so we are thinking about switching to a nanny part time until we can get into the 2 year old program at a different school. What would you do? Do you think this is an accident that could have happened, or was the school negligent?
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Re: Daycare allowed a child to fall down stairs...
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
They have to go down the stairs to get to the gym, so they allowed her to fall because she fell! Why would you have a 15 month old near stairs without assistance? I don't really know the entire situation - it just shouldn't have happened. Why was she allowed to fall?
I would think this same thing.
Both my children have fallen and required stitches and/or staples both at daycare and while I have been staying at home. Stuff happens.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
I would ask them for details as to what happend (i.e., was the gate left open in error, did a child open the gate, was she pushed by another child, etc)
and find out what their normal operating standards are for transporting children who can't do stairs well up and down into the play zone and to ensure that the proper gates are in place at all times.
I would be more concerned about the high turnover of staff that you mention rather than one accident (if it was an accident that could have been prevented, that is).
They didn't "allow" the child to fall, accidents happen every day. Kids need to learn to go up and down stairs and sometimes they fall down in the process.
Accidents happen, that's how.
Do you carry LO up and down the stairs all the time?
I know I don't. I'm right there with her, but it only takes a quick second for something to happen.
I carry DD2 down the stairs every time. I let her crawl up the stairs only if I'm right there behind her. She's 14 months.
I'm not sure why a 15 mo would be unsupervised around stairs enough to fall down them. Yes, it's an accident, but imo it's also negligent.
Charlotte Ella 07.16.10
Emmeline Grace 03.27.13
How do you know the kid was unsupervised? I've watched as DD tripped down ONE step, feet flying in the air, and face planted. Since I didn't get to her at lightening speed or have super stretchy arms to grab her does that mean I "allowed" her to fall? Am I a negligent mom?
OP, if you're that concerned you need to get the FULL story. Saying, "Somehow, one of the kids fell down the stairs" makes it clear that you're speculating. You're taking second hand account and running with it.
You admitt you don't know the entire situation, so how in the helll do you KNOW that she was near the stairs without assistance? She could've fallen even WITH assistance (as many of the ladies here have pointed out). PLUS, if you don't know the situation, then you don't know how the little girl fell.
do you have stairs in your home?
I do- and all 3 of my kids have fallen down them at some point... i never "allowed" them to fall - it happend by accident - and thankfully they were all fine... but things happen.
if you don't like the daycare- then leave - but i certainly would not leave b/c of this incident.
Ditto. They did not "allow" her to fall down the stairs. Pretty dramatic statement. Sorry. Accidents happen. Kids fall. Luckily they are resilient.
There are no stairs at my daycare, but they do have gates up all over the place so kids can't get out of certain play areas.
When my older daughter was about 13 months old, she fell down two cement stairs outside on the playground at daycare, and had the worst "road rash" all over the right side of her face. Basically, the support person who was with her wasn't standing right with her and she fell down. Of course I was upset that my child got hurt, but as others have said, accidents happen. She's is very active and very clumsy and she has had accidents in my care too. I spoke to the director about the need for a gate, they were appropriately concerned and put a gate up immediately. Now my DH and I joke about it being the "LD [my daughter's initials] Memorial Gate".
All you can do is address your concerns with the director, if you don't feel that you've been heard or that it's been handled appropriately then you can look at other options.