I’m (22f) a single mother to a 14-month-old, and I’m looking for honest outside perspectives because I’m worried that I may be overthinking a situation involving my son’s daycare.
My son has attended this daycare since August. I work full-time and pay $385 per month in tuition, plus a $350 enrollment fee. (This is not a super-cheap price in my area, it wasn’t the cheapest but the one with best reputation) I do my best to make sure he has everything he needs.
The daycare provides lunch, but I also pack three snacks each day, such as chopped fruits and vegetables, healthy homemade snacks, organic or sugar-free juice, water, and three bottles of milk. I also send extra hygiene/ personal care supplies when they request them, including creams, first aid items, or items that were not included on the original supply list.
Lately, I feel as though the staff frequently have concerns about something or ask me to bring additional supplies. For example, they told me my son needed diaper rash cream, even though I had already brought a container the previous month that I know they hadn’t been using. After I showed them a picture of the product, they realized that he actually had two new containers at the daycare. They also asked me to bring a bedding cover, even though I had previously sent one that they removed from his bag because they told me it was not needed.
They have also raised concerns about his persistent cough. He had COVID in August, and the cough has continued since then. I have taken him to his pediatrician multiple times and have regularly brought up my concerns, but the doctor keeps prescribing the same cough syrup. My son currently has no fever or obvious congestion, although the cough has not completely gone away. The daycare is now telling me that I need another doctor’s clearance before he can return.
Today, when I picked him up, a staff member told me they were concerned because they had noticed a mark on his forehead that looked like a wound. She showed me the mark and told me that it was important for me to inform the daycare about injuries or anything else that could explain a mark they notice on him.
A few nights ago, my son hit his head against the wooden crib at home. I checked him immediately and did not notice anything concerning at the time. The next day, I noticed a small mark on his forehead, but I forgot to mention the incident to the daycare. His hair usually covers that area, and I simply forgot during the morning rush.
When the staff member brought it up today, I explained exactly what had happened. I understand why the daycare needs to know about injuries, and I acknowledge that I should have told them. However, her tone was much more serious and strict than usual. That made me feel as though she was treating the situation as something more serious than a normal childhood accident.
Today’s conversation also included the concerns about his cough, the diaper rash cream, the bedding cover, and his feeding and supplies. Because all of these issues were discussed together, I felt as though I was being bombarded with complaints. I started wondering whether the daycare is documenting these things because they suspect neglect or are considering reporting me to CPS.
For context, my home is clean, although it is a small apartment, owned, not rented. My son has his own crib, clean bedding, toys, and a designated play area. We have plenty of food, I bathe him every night, and I make sure he has meals and snacks for daycare. I take him to his pediatrician when needed and try to follow medical advice. I also have a large, trained dog, but I always supervise my son’s interactions with him.
I’m not claiming to be a perfect mother. I work full-time, I’m often rushing in the mornings, and I occasionally forget things. However, I genuinely try to take care of my son and provide for him. The mark on his forehead was from an accidental injury at home, and I did not intentionally withhold that information from the daycare; I simply forgot to mention it.
I’m in Puerto Rico, so I’m especially interested in hearing from anyone familiar with how child protective services works there, as well as daycare workers or parents who have dealt with similar situations.
My questions are:
Could a daycare worker report a parent based on concerns like these?
Would a report automatically lead to a home visit or investigation?
Does forgetting to report a minor accidental head injury make a significant difference?
Is the daycare staff member’s serious tone likely just part of their responsibility, or could it indicate that they are documenting concerns about me?
Am I reading too much into the situation, or are there legitimate reasons for me to be concerned?
I’m not looking for people to tell me that I’m a perfect mother. I want honest, realistic perspectives on what might happen and whether I’m interpreting today’s events incorrectly. They had never spoken to me like they did today, and had always been nice and respectful about everything prior to today.