How to Report a Daycare in Texas
Something happened at your child’s daycare and you want the State of Texas to know. Here is who to call, what to say, and what a report can and cannot do for your family. Your name stays confidential by law.
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When the Daycare's Answer Isn't Good Enough
You picked up your child and something was wrong. A bruise no one could explain. A call that came hours late. A report that didn’t match what your child told you.
You can report any licensed daycare or child care center in Texas to the state. You don’t need proof first. You don’t need the daycare’s permission. And the law keeps your name confidential.
Reporting is one step. If your child was hurt, the daycare negligence claim is a separate one. This page covers both.
⚠ Act within 48 hours: the daycare's video may be erased
Daycare cameras are often recorded over within 48 hours. Ask for the video of the whole day, from drop-off to pickup, not just the moment your child was hurt. What happened before and after often matters most.
The daycare generally does not have to save that video just because you asked or filed a state report. The obligation to preserve it typically begins when the daycare receives notice of a claim and a written demand to preserve the evidence. Malley Law can send that preservation demand right away.
How to File a Complaint Against a Daycare in Texas
- If your child is in danger, call 911. Get medical care first. Ask the doctor to write down what they see.
- Write down what happened. Dates, times, names, the daycare’s explanation, and what your child said, in their words. Take photos of any injury. Ask the daycare in writing to save the whole day’s video (see the 48-hour warning above).
- Call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400, or report online at TxAbuseHotline.org. Call the hotline, not the website, for anything urgent, including any injury to a child 5 or younger. Online reports can take more than 48 hours to process. You must give your full name and a phone number.
- Get your report number. Save it. You will need it to follow up, and so will your lawyer.
- Call Malley Law before you sign anything from the daycare. Incident reports, video, and staff schedules can disappear. We can ask that they be preserved, and we have experience helping families file state complaints.
One thing not to do: don’t send your child back. Returning to the daycare that hurt your child can put them at risk again, and it can make it harder to show how serious the problem was.
How to Write a Daycare Complaint the State Will Act On
The state has a limited number of investigators and a long line of reports. Quick answers are rare. The complaints that move are short and precise. The state’s own reporting site warns that reports without enough detail may be closed at intake with no further action.
Most parents do the opposite. They start with the morning drop-off, walk through every phone call, and bury the injury in paragraph six. The investigator has to dig for the facts. A precise complaint hands them over.
A strong complaint:
- Starts with what happened to your child, in one or two sentences: the injury or incident, the date, and the daycare’s name and address.
- Names who was involved and who was supposed to be watching.
- Lists what the daycare told you, and when, in date order.
- Points to the rule that was broken, such as a missed injury report, too few staff, or no supervision.
- Attaches proof: photos, medical records, the incident report, texts and emails.
- Leaves out the parts that don’t change the facts, however hard they were to live through.
| Hard to act on | Easy to act on |
|---|---|
| “I dropped Emma off at 7:40 like always and she seemed fine, then I called at 10 and nobody answered, then I called again…” | “On March 3, my 2-year-old came home from Sunrise Kids, 123 Main St., Houston, with a fractured wrist. The daycare did not report it to me until pickup at 5:15 p.m. and gave no explanation.” |
Malley Law has experience helping families file daycare complaints. We know what the state looks at, and we know the Texas laws and child care rules that can be cited.
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How to Look Up Daycare Violations in Texas
Before or after you report, you can see what the state has already found. Texas HHS publishes inspection results and cited violations for every licensed daycare and child care center.
- Search the daycare by name or address at Search Texas Child Care, the state’s public database. It covers both centers and home-based daycares.
- Open its inspection history. Look at dates, what was cited, and whether the same problem repeats.
- Save a copy. Screenshot or print the record. Daycares can correct a violation, but the history matters.
A clean record does not mean nothing happened to your child. Many problems are never reported. A long list of violations can help show the daycare knew about a risk and did not fix it.
When a Daycare Report Is Not Enough
A state investigation asks one question: did the child care center break the rules? It can cite the center, require changes, or close it. It does not pay a single medical bill.
If your child was hurt, you can report the daycare and sue the daycare. One does not replace the other. A strong report can help a claim, and a claim can hold a center accountable long after an investigation closes.
What You Can Report About a Daycare
Abuse or Rough Handling
Hitting, grabbing, shaking, or any force used on a child.
Neglect or No Supervision
A child left alone, wandering off, or hurt while no one was watching.
An Injury the Daycare Didn't Report
A late call, no call, or a report that doesn’t match the injury.
Too Many Children per Caregiver
Rooms over the state’s child-to-staff ratio.
Unsafe Building or Playground
Broken equipment, hazards, or unsafe sleep for infants.
Food, Allergy, or Medication Mistakes
Wrong food, wrong medicine, or a missed dose.
Unsafe Transportation
A child left on a van or driven without proper restraints.
Operating Without a License
A home or center caring for children without the required permit.
What Families Need to Know About Reporting a Daycare
- Who do I call to report a daycare in Texas?
The Texas Abuse Hotline: 1-800-252-5400, open 24 hours, or TxAbuseHotline.org. The report goes to Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation, the state agency that licenses and inspects daycares. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 first. - Can I report a daycare anonymously?
No. Anonymous reporting to the state ended on September 1, 2023, when House Bill 63 took effect. The Texas Abuse Hotline now requires your full name and a phone number, or it will not accept the report. Lawmakers made the change because anonymous reports could not be verified, and too many false ones were costing investigators time. Your report is still confidential: the law protects your name, so the daycare is not told who reported. If you must stay anonymous, you can report to local law enforcement instead. Read more: Can you report a daycare anonymously in Texas? - How do I file a complaint against a daycare in Texas?
The same hotline handles complaints about rule violations, like ratios, unsafe rooms, or missed reports, as well as abuse and neglect. Describe what happened, when, and who was involved. - Can I report a daycare worker instead of the whole center?
Yes. Name the worker in your report. The state looks at both the worker’s conduct and the center’s supervision. - What happens after I report a daycare?
Child Care Regulation reviews the report and decides whether to investigate. Serious reports are handled first. You can ask for the outcome using your report number. - How do I look up daycare violations in Texas?
Search the daycare by name at Search Texas Child Care. It lists inspections and cited violations. See How to Look Up Daycare Violations in Texas above. - Can I sue a daycare in Texas?
Yes, if the daycare’s negligence caused your child’s injury. A report is not required to sue, and suing doesn’t stop a state investigation. See daycare negligence.
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