Childcare Network #210

My child started at this daycare in August last year for Pre-K, but I unfortunately had to withdraw her with only a few months left due to serious allegations made by my child about one of her teachers and alleged improper disciplinary actions. I won’t go too much into details, however I will share my experience. Throughout the year, my child frequently came home with scratches, which she explained were from another child. While I understand that children can sometimes struggle with boundaries, these incidents occurred often. I raised my concerns with one of her teachers, who assured me the children would be separated, but they remained friends and loved to play with each other, which made the situation difficult to resolve. A red flag appeared early in the year when the assistant director handed me an incident report stating my child had hurt her finger and they had given her ice. The assistant director’s response—“I told her to stop touching my stuff, but she kept touching my stuff”—was concerning, as it seemed dismissive of the injury. It also raised questions about the safety of leaving items on the desk in the building’s entrance, which could potentially be a hazard for children. My child also repeated some troubling comments she allegedly heard from staff, throughout the year but I didn’t act on them because I wasn’t sure of their validity. Since they were never directed at me personally, I didn’t feel they deserved my attention. However, this situation only highlights concerns about the daycare’s hiring practices and the quality of staff they employ. As the situation escalated and one issue after another grew more serious, I felt it was necessary to report the allegations to the state. The way the director (Kimberly) and the assistant director handled the situation was deeply disappointing. After the state became involved, I was told by the assistant that I needed to have a conversation with them in order for my child to return to class. This request confused me, as the investigation was still ongoing. I had already shared the allegations with the assistant prior to the state’s involvement, and I was told he would review the cameras. The following day, my child told me her teacher had told her, “not to ever say that again,” regarding an incident where a teacher allegedly pushed her. This was disturbing, and while I remained calm, I felt increasingly unsettled by the handling of the matter. The conversation I had with the director and assistant director was unproductive and failed to address my concerns in a meaningful way. They suggested switching my child’s class, but this did not address the core issue, and they seemed to be more focused on the inconvenience of the state’s involvement than ensuring my child’s safety. I was told that they were done with their investigation, despite the fact that it was still ongoing. Switching my child’s class wasn’t a viable option for me because, when I first heard the allegations, I considered removing her from the school entirely. However, after taking some time to calm down and considering that the school year was almost over, I felt it was important to reflect on whether the allegations were true or, if they were, if there was any harm intended. It also didn’t make sense for my child to have new teachers and classmates but still remain under the same unprofessional staff. The director then asked me to write a notarized note in order for my child to stay in her original class, which was an absurd and unreasonable request, and I refused to do so. It became clear that instead of taking responsibility, they were trying to shift the blame and cover up the situation. In conclusion I spoke with one of my child’s teachers. I was able to gain SOME understanding of what may have happened. There are two teachers in each class, I did not have a conversation with the other one. If you are considering this daycare for your child, I strongly advise caution. The lack of transparency, professionalism, and proper handling of serious concerns is deeply concerning.