A few even die. They suffered from overdoses, broken bones, bites and concussions, as well as more routine cuts and sprains. In hundreds of cases, distracted caregivers neglect children. Kids have been left to wander near busy highways, cry unheeded in locked vans and go for hours without medical attention. During the two years that ended June 30, day-care regulators documented more than 480 cases of neglect and abuse.
Many more cases go unreported.
But day-care owners say problems are rare. Fewer than one of 500 children in day care is found to be neglected or abused each year. Children are more likely to be neglected or abused at centers that meet only minimal licensing requirements. A-licensed centers meet minimum state standards, while AA centers must meet tougher staffing rules. The smallest day cares, subject to the lowest requirements of all, fare even worse.