Can you sue a daycare for sexual abuse in Reading?
Yes. If your child was sexually abused at a daycare or childcare center in Reading or anywhere in Berks County, you can often hold both the abuser and the facility that enabled it accountable in a civil claim — separate from any criminal case the police or the Berks County District Attorney may bring. You do not need a criminal charge, a conviction, or a prior report to speak with a lawyer about your family’s options.
Reading is the seat of Berks County and one of Pennsylvania’s larger cities, and families across the city and its surrounding boroughs rely on a wide mix of childcare — franchise chains, in-home providers, faith-affiliated centers, and early-learning programs serving a fast-growing and largely working community. That mix means more places a trusted institution can quietly fail a child. A civil case filed in Berks County is frequently the only way a family ever learns the full truth of what happened in a center’s care.
Who is liable for daycare abuse in Reading?
The abuser is responsible for what they did — but in most strong cases the daycare company itself is also liable, and it is usually the center (and its insurance) that has the resources to provide meaningful compensation. A Reading daycare can be held responsible when it was negligent in ways such as:
- Negligent hiring — putting a worker with children without a proper Pennsylvania background and child-abuse clearance check, or despite known red flags.
- Negligent supervision — leaving one adult alone with children, ignoring ratio rules, or failing to watch nap rooms, bathrooms, and pickup.
- Negligent retention — keeping an employee on after complaints or a prior incident.
- Failure to report — not reporting suspected abuse as Pennsylvania’s mandated-reporter law requires of childcare staff.
- Cover-up — concealing what happened to protect the center’s name or its franchise relationship.
Sorting out every responsible party — the local center, an owner or national franchisor, a staffing company, even a building’s landlord — is part of what an experienced attorney does. Learn how institutions are held liable →
Why a Reading daycare case belongs in Berks County
A civil claim against a Reading daycare is generally filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, the local trial court downtown. Knowing how these cases move through the Berks County court, how a local jury weighs an institution’s failure to protect a child, and how to obtain a center’s hiring files and complaint history matters to the outcome. You should never have to settle for an anonymous national hotline routing your family out of state.
How long do you have to file in Reading?
Pennsylvania has specific deadlines, and they have changed in recent years — so the safest step is to confirm yours directly. The civil deadline depends on the child’s age, when the abuse happened, and other facts, and the rules have been the subject of ongoing reform in Harrisburg. Because getting it wrong could cost a Berks County family its case, we do not list a single number here. Even abuse from years ago may still be within the deadline, and waiting can forfeit the right to file. (SOL-REVIEW: confirm current PA limitations language with the attorney before go-live.)
How to start with a Reading daycare abuse lawyer
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. To report suspected child abuse anywhere in Pennsylvania, contact ChildLine, the state’s 24/7 hotline, at 1-800-932-0313. You can be anywhere in Berks County and still work with Ashley — consultations happen by phone or video, so distance is never the obstacle. Support is available in your language.
Every case is handled from Ashley’s Philadelphia office at 123 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, with representation across Pennsylvania. You can reach her directly at (267) 502-9090 or ashley@survivorsofabusepa.com — a real, credentialed Pennsylvania attorney, not a call center or an out-of-state intake line.
Survivors of Abuse PA handles these cases on contingency: there is no cost unless we win. The first conversation is free, confidential, and available 24/7 by phone or video — you share only what you are comfortable with, at your own pace. Past results never guarantee a future outcome; every case is judged on its own facts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sue a daycare in Reading for sexual abuse?
Often yes. When a Reading daycare or childcare center fails to protect a child — through negligent hiring, poor supervision, ignoring complaints, or failing to report — it can be held financially responsible in a civil lawsuit, separate from any criminal case. You do not need a criminal conviction to bring a civil claim.
Do I have to live in Reading to work with a Reading daycare abuse lawyer?
No. Ashley DiLiberto represents families across Berks County and all of Pennsylvania with free phone and video consultations. You never have to travel — the case is still filed and handled where it belongs, in Berks County.
Where would a Reading daycare abuse lawsuit be filed?
A civil claim against a Reading daycare is generally filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, the local trial court. An attorney handles the procedural details so you do not have to navigate the court system yourself.
Who is liable for daycare abuse in Reading — the worker or the center?
Often both. The abuser is responsible for the abuse, but the Reading daycare itself is frequently liable too — for negligent hiring, failing to supervise, keeping a worker on after complaints, or failing to report. The center and its insurance usually have the resources to provide meaningful compensation.
What if the Reading daycare is part of a national franchise chain?
A national brand may argue the local Berks County owner — not the corporation — is responsible for hiring and supervision. Whether that holds up depends on who actually controlled the policies, training, and complaint-handling. An attorney investigates the franchise relationship to identify every party that can be held accountable.
How long do I have to file a daycare abuse case in Reading?
Pennsylvania's deadlines depend on the child's age and when the abuse happened, and the rules have changed in recent years. Even older cases may still qualify. Because a mistake can forfeit the claim, the safest step is a free, confidential call to confirm your exact deadline.
Who do I call to report daycare abuse in Reading?
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. To report suspected child abuse in Pennsylvania, contact ChildLine, the state's 24/7 hotline, at 1-800-932-0313. When you are ready to understand your legal options, a confidential call with a Pennsylvania attorney explains them at no cost.
Will my family's Reading case be kept private?
Your first conversation is confidential, and protecting a child's privacy is a priority throughout. Many abuse settlements are confidential. Ashley DiLiberto's practice is trauma-informed and survivor-centered — your family shares only what you are comfortable with, at your pace.
Serving sexual abuse survivors across Pennsylvania
Ashley DiLiberto represents survivors statewide. Explore help in your area:
