Almost three years ago, my son was abused at his daycare. He came home one day with bruises all up and down his arm and finger marks on his wrist. I asked him what happened and he told me that "Ms. (name removed) did it to me because I said the word ass." He has never deviated from that story. When I confronted the director about what had happened she called Ms. (name removed) into the room and asked her what was going on. Ms. (name removed) told me that my son, four years old at the time was racist and only saying she did it because she's black. She also said that he bruises easy because he is so pale, and that she had nothing to do with it. I filed a police report but the police were absolutely no help. As a matter of fact, the detective said he probably pinched his own arm and that there was no proof that she did it, and the case was dismissed. She refused to take a lie detector test and is still working at the daycare. One teacher quit because she said she "could not in good faith work at a daycare that condones that sort of behavior."
It took an entire year of counceling to get my son to the point where he could even be in the same room with a teacher without someone else present. This past school year was the first time he's been able to attend regular school. The psycologist he was seeing once a week said that he was not even strong enough to bruise himself, that his motor skills were not attuned enough to do so, and that with no history of self injury he had no doubt that Ms. (name removed) did in fact hurt my son.
Also, about a week after the case was dismissed I received a bill from the state for 300 dollars for my son's five minute chat with a forensic psycologist. They still send that bill to me, and each time I receive it I tear it up and put it in the garbage. I don't know if there was more I could have done, but it seemed like everyone was against me. They probably think I did it, but I have never, EVER done anything to hurt my son.
Please, please, please...if you are going to place your child in a daycare PLEASE make sure there are cameras set up in every room so that you will not be in the same "no evidence" predicament that I was in should something (God forbid) like this happen to your child. Ask many questions of the care givers. Make them aware that you are very involved. The justice system is set up so that mentally disabled people, children, and the ederly can be abused in an almost consequence free environment as long as the person doing the abuse is savvy enough to do it where nobody can see them. Nobody was going to take the word of a four year old over this teacher.
Be very careful.
