NACOGDOCHES, TX (KTRE) -
The last Texas child vehicular death occurred in a day care van. It followed
a field trip, similar to the one children took Wednesday in Nacogdoches from Right
Step Daycare. That's the only similarities owner Lisa King wants to see.
"Is that child care center liable and responsible for that death?
Absolutely, yes they are," King said.
Truth is leaving a child behind can happen to anyone, so the administration
for children and families sends out annual messages to day care providers.
"Every child death due to heat exposure inside a vehicle is preventable,"
said Linda Smith, the assistant secretary at Early Childhood Development. "It's
your job to make sure that it doesn't happen to a child in our care."
What follows are simple preventive rules. The same rules King's staff
follows before and after a van ride.
No matter a child's age the headcount is made.
"And I will count heads when we get to our location," said Diana Kelley, a
daycare teacher. "We count heads again before we load up and we count heads
again when we unload."
The preventive measures can be applied by anyone in their own vehicles.
"Absolutely, because you know especially with public school about to
start, there will be grandparents and other people that will be transporting
kids to and from school that don't normally do that and it's so easy to just
forget when you're out of your routine," Kelley said.
Double check your actions and double check with your helper that everyone
arrived to and from their destination safely.
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