A grand jury last week indicted a 23-year-old woman in Knoxville on charges of child abuse in the daycare center where she worked (Cozy Kids). Tina Atchley allegedly slapped a child off a counter, resulting in the child requiring medical care.
Parents Notified
Parents were notified of the arrest and incident via a memo issued by the daycare’s management. Most of them understandably reacted with shock.
The 8-month old child in the center of the abuse scandal sustained numerous injuries after being slapped off a countertop and landing on his head.
Mike Sexton, a pastor at Lakewind church situated across the road from the daycare said that the daycare was known to be protective of the children. The church houses the children and employees of the daycare during emergency situations.
Isolated Incident?
A local news channel spoke to parents – some of which said that this isolated incident wasn’t going to change their opinion of the daycare.
Cozy Kids daycare management released a statement to 6 News channel stating that they self-reported the incident and terminated the employee in question’s contract immediately. At the same time, they claim that they are cooperating with law enforcement and cannot comment further because they did not want to hinder an ongoing investigation.
We Can Help
Child abuse in daycare centers is becoming increasingly common. This could be attributed to increased awareness, more stringent laws, or a combination of the two. With that said, it’s important to pay attention to your child and keep an open line of communication between the two of you. Given the severity of such incidences, it’s prudent to do everything you can to protect your child. If your child or someone you know has been a victim of daycare abuse, please call Rasansky Law Firm today at 1-877-403-9378 for your free consultation. Help us end child abuse, one child at a time.