Help for Victims of Child Care or Daycare Abuse in New Mexico

Every day, tens of thousands of New Mexico parents rely on daycare centers to watch their children while they work. An overwhelming majority of providers keep those children safe and secure, but tragically some don’t.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that over 60,000 children per year suffer some form of sexual abuse. The majority of cases occur in the home, but a significant number originate in daycare centers.

If your child is the victim of daycare sexual abuse, the New Mexico daycare attorneys at Carabin Shaw are here for you. A lawyer will know what steps to take to get you justice.

New Mexico defines child care as any facility that cares for two or more children outside of the child’s home. These most commonly include licensed private homes, daycare centers, churches, preschools, and before- or after-school programs.

Data from the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department shows that a majority of children in the state require some form of child care, often at great cost to the parent.

• There are around 60,000 families with children aged six and under with all available parents in the workforce.
• Nearly 100,000 infant and preschool-age children from those families require child care (over 59% of young children in the state).
• There are currently over 1,200 licensed child care providers in New Mexico.
• The average New Mexico family pays around $8,500 per year in child care costs, which is nearly $2,000 more than the average annual cost of college tuition.

Most parents would assume the high cost of child care in the state translates to high-quality service that guarantees their children are safe from abuse and neglect. Our New Mexico sexual abuse attorneys understand that isn’t always the case.

Last year, the New Mexico CYFD investigated over 22,000 reports of child abuse and neglect. They substantiated around 6,500 of the reports. Nearly 300 of those cases involved some form of sexual abuse (around 5% of all reports).

New Mexico doesn’t currently report the scene of all child abuse cases, but national averages suggest that 0.3-0.5% of all cases originate in daycare centers, which would equal over a dozen instances here.

That number may seem small compared to the 100,000 children currently enrolled in daycare, but our New Mexico child sexual abuse lawyers know that even a single case is unacceptable.

Parents need to keep vigilant watch for the signs of sexual abuse. Studies show that many abuse cases last for long periods of time because the perpetrator silences the victim through fear and intimidation (with many never reported).

Sometimes, the signs are physical, such as redness or bruising in sensitive areas. More often, they are emotional or behavioral.

Watch for symptoms of anxiety and depression, mood swings, a sudden fear of daycare (or a specific employee), use of sexual language, mimicking sexual acts, and reverting to outgrown behaviors like bedwetting.

If you suspect your child is a victim of sexual abuse, report it immediately to the New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department using their 24/7 hotline. If you feel your child is in immediate danger, make a second call to the police.

After you’ve filed a report, call one of the attorneys at Carabin Shaw to discuss your next steps. Help for victims of child care or daycare abuse in New Mexico is one of our top priorities.

If your child suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a daycare employee, the New Mexico daycare injury attorneys at Carabin Shaw are ready to fight for the justice your family deserves.

Call us toll-free at 800-862-1260 to schedule a free initial consultation. Our English and Spanish-speaking staff are available 24/7.