Partner
You trust your child’s daycare provider to provide your child with a safe environment. This includes an environment free from contaminants like mold that can cause respiratory issues and exacerbate other health conditions.
Do you suspect that your child’s daycare facility is infested with mold? If so, your child’s health demands you take quick action.
Signs of Mold Exposure in Children
Before you can take any action, you must first find out whether your child may have been exposed to mold. Do not depend on your daycare provider to tell you this information. Instead, you must be vigilant and follow up once signs of mold exposure begin to manifest.
Look for these common signs and symptoms that suggest a daycare is infested with mold or that your child has been exposed to mold:
- Unexplained skin rashes or skin irritation
- Frequent coughing or wheezing
- Worsening of your child’s asthma symptoms, especially while at the daycare
- A musty smell as you enter the daycare or parts of the daycare facility
- Visible mold growing on the daycare’s walls or ceilings
If mold spores come to rest on your child’s clothing, your child may transport mold from the daycare back to your home. Seeing mold on your child’s clothing or noticing unexplained mold growth in your own home may also indicate a mold problem at your child’s daycare.
What to Do After Discovering Mold at Your Child’s Daycare
Once you are fairly certain that your child’s daycare is infested with mold, you should take the following steps:
Get Medical Attention for Your Child
One of the first steps you should take is to have your child’s symptoms evaluated by your pediatrician. This step is particularly critical if your child is displaying symptoms of mold exposure or if your child has an underlying respiratory condition like asthma.
You should follow your pediatrician’s instructions for treatment. Be prepared, too, to find other suitable childcare arrangements for your child until the mold situation at your daycare has been remedied.
Notify the Daycare
You should notify the daycare director or management of the signs of mold infestation as soon as possible. While you can do this verbally, it is better to notify them in writing.
An email will create a paper trail that makes it harder for the daycare to deny knowledge of the issue. In your email, ask the staff what steps they plan to take to fix the mold problem.
Seek Legal Advice from a California Attorney
If your child suffers from health complications due to mold exposure at daycare, it may be time to speak with an attorney. You should also seek legal counsel if the daycare is not taking appropriate steps to get rid of the mold infestation.
You might have legal rights to monetary compensation if your child suffered health or other consequences from mold exposure. Ask a lawyer whether you are eligible to be reimbursed for expenses such as copays and treatment costs. You might also seek compensation for the cost of having to find alternative childcare arrangements.
Thompson Injury Law Is Your San Diego Environmental Trial Law Firm
Based in San Diego, CA, Thompson Injury Law represents parents and others whose loved ones have been exposed to environmental contaminants, including mold. We can help you assert your legal rights against daycares and other facilities that do not adequately protect against or remedy mold infestations.
Reach out and contact our office today to schedule an initial case evaluation with us. We will discuss your case and advise you on what steps to take next.
