Boca Raton Child Neglect Lawyers

Making Our Community Safer for Children

All of us have fundamental needs, but children need more assistance in seeing to theirs. This is the reason we ensure that, whether they are in schools, clubs, faith-based communities, or other activities, they have a trustworthy adult there to help.

Unfortunately, some caregivers do not take their responsibility seriously and instead neglect the children under their care. Neglect may be done out of malice, or it may simply happen when there are insufficient resources—for example, when a daycare group has too many children for one adult to handle.

Regardless of the reason, neglect can have long-lasting effects on children. We are here to help families who have learned their child is not receiving the care he or she needs and deserves.

Our Boca Raton attorneys have fought multiple complex and high-profile cases. We are solid in our dedication to protect children and hold accountable those who neglect them. Reach out to us today to learn what you can do about a neglectful caregiver who has harmed your child.

Call us at (866) 629-1061 for a free consultation with one of our child neglect attorneys. We serve families in our Boca Raton community.

Identifying Child Neglect

Especially as they grow, children need freedom to learn and explore—but they also need affection, education, supervision, and help attending to physical needs. Adults who do not provide these services can make a child feel unloved and unsafe. This can lead to developmental delays, risky or delinquent behavior, a higher chance of mental health problems, and trouble forming trusting relationships. These hardships can stay with a child as they grow up, causing them to fall behind academically or struggle to find and keep a job. It can change their path in life and decrease their opportunities.

The first step in keeping children safe from neglect is knowing what it looks like. Child neglect takes four major forms:

• Physical neglect refers to an adult who does not take care of basic needs like clothing, food, and shelter; or who does not properly supervise a child and keep them safe.
• Educational neglect happens when a parent does not ensure their child is given a proper education. Because it is up to a parent and not a third-party caregiver to make sure a child goes to school, you probably will not be able to file a lawsuit for this type of neglect.
• Emotional neglect is what happens when a child is not nurtured or cared for. This may look like an adult ignoring, humiliating, intimidating, or isolating them.
• Medical neglect refers to a situation where a child is not given proper health care. Ignoring a child’s clear need for medical attention or the recommendations of healthcare professionals may constitute medical neglect.

Neglect often happens alongside child abuse, but they are not the same thing. Abuse consists of actions or behaviors that actively harm a child, rather than a passive failure to meet a child’s needs.

Signs of Child Neglect

Neglect can cause varying signs depending on the type and the reaction of the child. Also, children’s moods and actions shift frequently. Therefore, child experts recommend you look for multiple signs of neglect that have lasted a while.

It’s also important to notice the way these signs interact with a child’s attendance or participation in certain activities. If he or she displays some of these signs on a regular basis, but only after being in a certain place, that’s the first place you should look for neglect.

A neglected child may:

• Be smelly or dirty
• Be hungry
• Miss doses of their medication
• Frequently get injured in accidents
• Have injuries that have not received basic first aid or were not reported to parents
• Have frequent or untreated diaper rash (infants)

Because neglect causes at least as much emotional damage as it does physical, it can also cause behavioral shifts:

• Clinginess
• Aggressive behaviors
• Depression and/or anxiety
• Being withdrawn
• Changes in eating habits
• Obsessive behavior
• Difficulty concentrating or joining into activities
• Self-harming or partaking in destructive behaviors like substance use

It’s important to listen to your child and ask questions if they say anything worrying. Children do not understand the world the same way adults do, so they may not report neglect in the same manner an adult would. If you are concerned your child is not receiving the care and attention they need when they are not with you, it’s always better to ask questions (in a non-judgmental and blame-free manner) to determine the reality of their situation.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for Neglect?

Both caregivers and the institutions that employ or sponsor them can be named in a lawsuit regarding child neglect. In some cases, the individual may hardly be at fault—perhaps they know they are stretched too thin and have asked for more resources and support but been denied. Even if they have not made such a request, it’s ultimately an institution’s job to make sure children are getting proper care.

We can help you bring a claim against:

• School, after-school, or educational programs
• Sports teams and clubs
• Daycare and childcare centers
• Churches or religious institutions
• Youth programs
• Medical clinics, including long-term care homes
• Counseling facilities
• Drug rehabilitation clinics

Our attorneys start each case by thoroughly investigating the allegations to identify the at-fault party and find evidence of their misdeeds. Share your story with us to learn how we can help your case.

Let’s End Child Neglect Together

Bringing a claim against those who neglect children is not only important because it can help you secure the compensation necessary to help your child and show him or her what happened was due to someone else’s actions. It can also help other children: those who are currently in the same situation and those who may have ended up there in the future.

By filing a lawsuit, we can help you push for the removal of purposefully neglectful adults from caregiver positions. We can also push for systemic changes to ensure there are proper resources in place to care for children.

In over 30 years serving clients in Boca Raton and the rest of Florida, our team has helped multiple families like yours. We have the best interests of you and your child at heart, which is why we always offer free consultations to help you fully understand your legal options. Our team provides all-around support to our clients and stays with each case until its resolution.

Learn more in a free consultation by calling our Boca Raton office at (866) 629-1061. We want to do our part to help our community’s children.