After Oklahoma Daycare Abuse

Finding, researching, and paying for childcare is stressful enough for most parents without having to worry about their children being harmed in the process. Unfortunately, daycare abuse is a troubling reality in Oklahoma.

Every year, dozens of children in the state are sexually abused by daycare workers, with many cases never reported. If your child is the victim of daycare abuse, the Oklahoma child injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw want to help you get justice.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, over 30% of children in the state under 6-years-old live in working families, either one-parent homes where the parent works or two-parent homes where both parents work.

That’s nearly 86,000 children who require childcare. Childcare is generally defined as any place caring for two or more children outside of the home (daycare, preschool, church facility, after-school program, etc.).

There are currently over 3,000 licensed centers in Oklahoma. Most children spend 20-30 hours per week there, at an average cost of around $8,000 per year.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 60,000 children are sexually abused every year. Here are some facts our Oklahoma daycare abuse attorneys think you should know about the numbers in our state:

• There were over 62,000 investigations into child abuse in a one-year period.
• Over 15,000 of those cases were substantiated.
• Sexual abuse accounted for 3.41% of all cases. That percentage may seem small, but it represents over 1,000 children sexually abused in a single year.
• Approximately 0.5% of perpetrators were daycare teachers or employees, totaling over 100 cases.

The most frequent sexual abuse reported was inappropriate touching or fondling (31%), which a U.S. Department of Justice study found to be the most common form of sexual abuse in daycare.

It’s estimated that over 60% of sexual abuse cases go unreported, often because the victim is shamed, coerced, or intimidated into silence. Some are simply too young to vocalize their trauma. Because of that, it’s important that parents watch for signs of abuse.

There are resources available that can provide you with a long list of warning signs. For now, our lawyers suggest you watch out for the most common:

Victims of child abuse often exhibit signs of anxiety and depression such as restlessness, anger, severe mood swings, and social isolation.

Some children express a sudden fear of going to daycare, or of a specific person there.

Physical signs are rare, but can include bruising or redness in sensitive areas.

Some victims begin to use sexual language, engage in sexual acts, or display sexual knowledge beyond their years.

If you suspect abuse, file a report through the Oklahoma Department of Human Services hotline. If your child is in imminent danger, call the police. In Oklahoma, a person who reports suspected abuse in good faith is immune from criminal or civil liability. In fact, failure to report suspected abuse is a misdemeanor offense.

After you’ve filed a report, call one of our local attorneys at Carabin Shaw so they can walk you through the next steps to take after Oklahoma daycare abuse.

If your child is the victim of daycare abuse, we know you want justice. We want it too. We can help you get the compensation you need for treatment and to ease the pain and suffering your family has endured.

The Oklahoma child injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw have the knowledge and experience to fight for you and win. Call us toll-free at 800-862-1260 to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys. Our English and Spanish-speaking staff are available 24/7.