Your Family Has the Right to Hold a Reading Daycare Accountable
If your child was sexually abused at a daycare or childcare center in Reading or anywhere in Berks County, we understand how overwhelming this moment feels. You deserve honest answers, and in most cases, families can hold both the abuser and the facility responsible in a civil claim. This is 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, home to a fast-growing community where many parents work non-traditional hours, and childcare is not optional. That reality places enormous trust in franchise chains, in-home providers, faith-affiliated centers, and early-learning programs across the city and its boroughs. Pennsylvania’s mandated-reporter law puts an affirmative duty on every one of those childcare workers to report suspected abuse, and a center that stays silent to protect its name breaks that duty. A civil case filed in Berks County is often the only way a family ever learns the full truth about what happened while their child was in a center’s care.Who Can Be Held Responsible and Why It Often Goes Beyond the Abuser
The abuser is responsible for what they did, but in most cases, the daycare company itself is also liable, and it is usually the center and its insurer that have the resources to provide meaningful compensation. A Reading daycare can be held responsible when it was negligent, for example, by:- Negligent hiring: hiring someone to work 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 a complaint or a prior incident.
- Failure to report: staying silent when its staff, as mandated reporters, were legally required to report suspected abuse.
- Cover-up: concealing what happened to protect the center’s name or its franchise relationship.
How a Berks County Case Actually Works
A civil claim against a Reading daycare is generally filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, at the Berks County Courthouse on Court Street in downtown Reading. Understanding how these cases move through the local court, how a Berks County jury weighs an institution’s failure to protect a child, and how to obtain a center’s hiring files and complaint history can make a real difference to the outcome. Ashley B. DiLiberto, Esq. brings that experience to every Berks County case, and support is available in your language.Where to Report, and What Support Is Available in Berks County
A civil claim does not depend on a report, but you can pursue both. Here is where to turn:- Berks County Children and Youth Services is the local child-protective agency, based at the county Services Center on Court Street.
- ChildLine is the statewide 24/7 reporting line, reachable at 1-800-932-0313.
- Criminal reports go to the Reading Police Department and the Berks County District Attorney’s Office.
- The Children’s Alliance Center of Berks County brings together investigators, prosecutors, and child protective services for forensic interviews and examinations.
- Safe Berks runs a 24/7 confidential hotline for survivors of sexual violence.
Don’t Wait to Ask About Your Deadline
Pennsylvania’s filing deadlines have changed in recent years, and 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. Even abuse from years ago may still be within the deadline. Rather than risk misreading a date that could end an otherwise strong case, please call and get a clear answer for your specific situation. Waiting can forfeit the right to file, and a quick conversation costs nothing.Ready to Talk? Here’s How to Reach Ashley
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you call. 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 do not need documents, names, or certainty to make the first call; reaching out is the hardest part. You’ll speak directly with Ashley, a credentialed Pennsylvania attorney, not a call center. Every case is handled from her Philadelphia office at 123 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, with representation across Pennsylvania. Reach her at (267) 502-9090 or ashley@survivorsofabusepa.com. You can be anywhere in the Berks County area and still work with Ashley by phone or video. Survivors of Abuse PA handles these cases on a contingency basis: there is no cost unless we win. The first conversation is free, confidential, and available 24/7; 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 Reading daycare, or only the worker who abused my child?
Often both. The abuser is responsible for the abuse, but the Reading daycare is frequently liable too — for negligent hiring, ignoring supervision rules, keeping a worker on after complaints, or breaking its mandated-reporter duty. The center and its insurer usually have the resources for meaningful compensation.
Where is a Reading daycare abuse lawsuit filed?
Generally in the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, at the Berks County Courthouse on Court Street in Reading. An attorney handles the procedural details so you do not have to navigate the court system yourself.
Who do I call to report daycare abuse in Reading?
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. In Berks County the child-protective agency is Berks County Children and Youth Services; statewide you can call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. The Reading Police Department and the Berks County District Attorney's Office handle criminal reports, and the Children's Alliance Center of Berks County coordinates forensic interviews and exams for child victims.
Are daycare workers required to report suspected abuse in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Childcare staff are mandated reporters under Pennsylvania law and must report suspected child abuse to ChildLine or the county agency. A center that learned of a concern and stayed silent to protect its name or franchise relationship may be liable for that failure, in addition to any liability for hiring or supervision.
Is help available in Spanish or another language?
Yes. Reading is a heavily bilingual community, and interpretation is available so no family is turned away over language. Your first conversation with Ashley DiLiberto is free and confidential, and you can share what happened in the language you are most comfortable with.
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.
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.
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