(LifeSiteNews) — A 54-year-old daycare worker at Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge, Georgia, has been arrested after allegedly beating a toddler.
The employee, Yvette Thurston, was arrested on August 11 and faces three charges of first-degree child abuse and one charge of first-degree aggravated battery. The child, a one-year-old boy named Clay, was beaten badly enough to require treatment at a nearby hospital.
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Photographs show the little boy with a puffy black eye, a swollen face, and significant cuts on his cheek, near his mouth, and under his nose. The story went viral when his father, U.S. Marine Cory Weeks, shared photographs on Facebook, leading to widespread community outrage. Initially, Little Blessings Child Care attempted to pass off the injuries as the result of an altercation with another toddler over a toy.
Surveillance footage, however, allegedly shows Thurston savagely beating the child, and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) stated that Thurston has now been fired from her position at the day care and has initiated an investigation in corroboration with the Decatur County Sheriff. According to the toddler’s father, this was Clay’s first day at the day care. Thurston has since been released from prison on a $44,000 bond, set by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Emmons.
“I would like to inform everyone that knows us what happened on Monday to our family,” Weeks wrote on Facebook on August 14. “I know things have already been passed around and we have not publicly said anything until now because we have been busy with making rounds to necessary entities to help aid us in making sure that accountability and justice will be brought to all responsible for this horrific tragedy. This was a tragic event that occurred to an innocent child.”
Monday was DAY ONE of our two boys Wyatt (3) and Clay (1) attending Little Blessings (A CHURCH CHILDCARE FACILITY). I will not go into details regarding the incident at this time, instead I will allow the picture of our baby boy do the talking. Again, this was his FIRST DAY!!! This is every parents’ worst nightmare and WE had to live it and are still living it. Questioning the incident was an inconvenience for the person in custody for the horrible acts she did, and also the pastor, while watching the video footage. We were told another child in Clay’s class did this type of damage with a plastic toy. This person is in custody due to the evidence through video surveillance that myself, along with members of BPS sat through and watched. Nothing we saw was for the faint hearted, especially happening to such an innocent soul.
Weeks went on to say that both law enforcement and the ER staff at the Memorial Hospital and Manor “were extremely supportive” and “compassionate with the care of our baby boy and made sure to go out of their way to make sure certain steps were completed to not only help provide evidence of damage done, but also make Clay feel safe after such a traumatic day.” Weeks called it “a day of complete torture of our Clay” and stated that “The SEVERITY of the ACTS of VIOLENCE to our son has everyone confident that this was not her first time. We trusted this facility to care and love our kids and on their FIRST DAY that was violated.”
Many parents have responded online to the violence by “voicing fears about safety in childcare centers.” A recent study found that these fears are not unfounded, noting that:
- 1-in-10 child abuse cases are reported at daycare centers,
- Over 60 percent of daycare providers have reported witnessing or suspecting abuse or neglect,
- About 4 out of 10 cases of daycare abuse go unreported,
- Around 1-in-7 children who experience abuse are under the age of 5, many of whom are in daycare,
- In 2020, there were approximately 9.4 victims per 1,000 children in the child abuse reports involving daycare staff,
- Training deficits in daycare staff contribute to 30 percent of reported abuse cases,
- Women constitute approximately 90 percent of perpetrators reported in daycare abuse cases,
- 22 percent of daycare staff reported feeling inadequately trained to identify abuse signs,
- The average age of children abused in daycare settings is 3 years old,
- Approximately 85 percent of reported daycare abuse cases involve physical contact, often hidden from direct supervision,
- Approximately 50 percent of parents have concerns about abuse or neglect in daycare settings, yet only half report these concerns to authorities.
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The study concluded that “despite a decline of 15% in daycare abuse allegations following stricter regulations, with over 70% of claims substantiated and alarming rates of unreported cases, the statistics reveal that vigilance and improved training remain crucial to safeguard our most vulnerable during their most routine moments.” News reports and official data from Canada, Australia, and elsewhere indicate growing parental fears about what happens at daycare, and emphasizes this conclusion.
