Wednesday, December 20, 2000
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Wednesday, December 20, 2000 |
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Local day care center under scrutiny for allegedly hurting 8-year-old child By JOHN
MUNFORD A local day care center is being investigated by a state licensing agency after two employees, including the owner, have been arrested and accused of injuring an 8-year-old girl. Simone Reddick of Riverdale, the owner of Early Stages Academy and Daycare Center on Antioch Road, was arrested Dec. 1, charged with simple battery and obstruction of a police officer. According to warrants issued for her arrest, Reddick pulled the girl down the hallway while the child complained her arm was hurting. An employee of the center, Jeanette Brown of Fayetteville, also was arrested for simple battery. A warrant stated she struck the child on her buttocks. Greg Brown, regional director of the child care licensing section of the Department of Human Resources, said state regulations do not allow corporal punishment at day care centers even with the permission of a parent. "It's pretty clear cut," Brown said. Brown confirmed Monday afternoon that Early Stages was under investigation. The agency could require special training for the employee who violated the rules, impose a civil penalty on the center or revoke the center's license if the case is deemed to be extreme enough, Brown said. "It depends on the circumstances and how pervasive it is," Brown said. The main goal of the agency, however, is to get the centers in compliance with the law, Brown added. Usually, the agency seeks a plan of correction from the center where an offense occurred, Brown said. The agency then works with the center to fine-tune the plan if necessary, he added.
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