Toddler Gets 2nd-Degree Burns on Feet When Daycare Lets Him Outside Without Shoes

An outraged mom posted photos of her toddler's feet after a daycare allowed her to walk outside without any shoes on a hot day.

As a parent, the idea of leaving my children home alone with someone other than me or my wife is nerve-wracking, and I'm even talking about members of my own family here. We're lucky enough to have plenty of relatives, including both of our mothers, who live close by enough to watch over our son and daughter.

The reason why I'm so thankful is that the thought of leaving my young children at a daycare is really scary. That's not to say there aren't centers that are amazing and run by incredible people who truly love to watch over kids, but it still freaks me out. 

While I'm very lucky to be in a situation where I don't need daycare, tons of people rely on them to support themselves and their family.

Like Tiffanie Cedillo, who has a 16-month-old daughter enrolled in Wee Care for All in Brenham, Texas. She received a call one day from one of the employees at the center that her daughter had burns on her feet. After her heart most likely dropped to the pit of her stomach, she asked Wee Care what happened, and recorded the whole conversation.

She was told that her daughter had a pretty nasty case of diarrhea that day — so bad that it exploded from her undies and ran down her legs and into her shoes. The daycare workers, understandably didn't want her child to play all day in poop-sodden kicks, so they took them off her feet.

Tiffanie spoke with local news station KBTX about the aftermath of their decision:

"She said she was sent out on the playground with no shoes on, because earlier that day she had diarrhea and it went down to her shoes."

When Tiffanie asked the employee whether or not the burns were bad, the person on the phone responded by saying that it doesn't "look too good."

After the call, Tiffanie drove to go and pick up her daughter from the daycare center and, when she arrived, she said that her toddler was "screaming." The mom immediately rushed her baby to the emergency room, where doctors, after inspecting her feet, declared she had sustained second degree burns. 

Tiffanie was baffled as to why the daycare workers would allow her daughter outside without shoes on a very hot day.

"It was almost a hundred degrees yesterday. It’s just common sense you don’t send kids out barefoot on the playground. My child was neglected and I would like for people to know that."

While it may sound like an oversight to some, pavement, especially blacktop, can absorb a ton of heat on a hot day. The same goes for playground equipment, which is why parents need to be especially careful when taking their children to play in super warm weather.

AccuWeather spoke with a certified playground safety instructor with the National Recreation and Park Association, Tom Kalousek. He said that, during the summer, it's not uncommon for playground equipment to reach temperatures of 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. To put it in perspective, it takes 157 degrees to fry an egg.

Kalousek says younger children, because of their small size and sensitive skin, can easily suffer second or third degree burns in a matter of seconds. Teenagers and adults aren't as susceptible by comparison.

"Younger children, especially under 5 years old, can suffer second- or third-degree burns in a matter of moments. They take their shoes and socks off and use their hands and feet to get around and don't realize the dangers," he continued.

Tiffanie's daughter should make a full recovery, but it's definitely something to think about when your kids are outside playing this summer. Make sure they keep their shoes on!