Fay Menard was shocked when she picked up her 6-month-old daughter, Ayva, from the Childcare Network Daycare in Mcdonough, Georgia, and noticed her child had a second-degree burn. A burn, she claims, a daycare employee tried to pass off as a rash.
Police are now investigating the incident to figure out precisely what happened.
Georgia Daycare Center In Question Has Been Fined At Least Twice Since 2018
According to the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Childcare Network Mcdonough has been fined at least twice since 2018, and at least one of those times involved failure to report an incident.
With little information and limited surveillance footage, what happened to Ayva remains a mystery.
Could there be negligence involved? The Shade Room’s Justin Carter investigates…
Menard says she is desperate for answers and accountability after what happened to her then-6-month-old Ayva.
She says Jan. 24 was normal; she dropped Ayva off at the Childcare Network in Mcdonough, Georgia – a suburb of Atlanta.
"Fay Menard says it happened on Jan. 24 at the Childcare Network in McDonough. She remembers picking up her daughter when a female employee asked about a rash."https://t.co/iLdc2rx1N5
— Orietta Rose 🇺🇲 (@0riettaRose) April 7, 2023
Daycare Workers Claim Second-Degree Burns Were Diaper Rash, Mother Says
But when she went to pick her up, she knew something when a female employee asked about a mystery rash near Ayva’s private area.
“She then tells me that Ayva has a diaper rash,” Menard tells TSR Investigates’ Justin Carter. “I said, ‘are you sure it’s a rash? It might be her eczema because she gets dry skin every now and then.'”
She says Ayva was uncomfortable, and her diaper was soaked, so she changed her on the spot.
“You see that she has beautiful dark skin, right? By her private area, is pink, raw flesh. And I started crying. telling staff ‘this isn’t how I brought her in. What happened?'”
Menard immediately knew that this wasn’t a diaper rash. She says she stormed out and told the assistant manager what was happening.
“I pulled her aside and said, ‘hey, what does this look like to you?’ And she goes ‘oh my God, what is that?’ I said ‘ I don’t know, could you tell me?’ She says ‘it looks like a really bad burn.'”
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Surveillance Video Shows Daycare Employee Taking A Wet Cloth And Held It To Infant’s Body
She says the manager agreed to shower her surveillance video with the promise that she would not tell anyone. She was shocked when they rolled the tapes back.
“She (daycare worker) facing the counter and when she turns around, she has a wet nap or something wet in her hands. She lifts Ayva’s leg up, her right leg, places it right there and holds it and as she’s holding it there, Ayva’s arms go from laying by her side to shooting outwards. That’s telling me my baby was in shock. My baby is in pain.”
The worker is identified in a CPS assessment report as S. Smith. Investigators say they did substantiate claims that Smith was guilty of inadequate supervision.
The case was then escalated to detectives at the Henry County Police Department. She said she then took Ayva straight to the emergency room.
“I said ‘my baby has her flesh missing her near private area’ (The doctor) looks a little closer and says ‘no, that’s a second-degree burn.'”
The doctor wrote in Ayva’s medical paperwork “that it appears to be second-degree burns with dry dermis (skin) on the right buttock.”
Menard says she has suffered several anxiety attacks since the incident and has tried to block them out of her mind.
Daycare Center Releases Statement, Criminal Investigation Ongoing
According to the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, we discovered that Childcare Network Mcdonough has had to address violations in the past and has been fined at least twice since 2018. At least one of those times involved failure to report an incident.
In that incident, a 3-year-old received nine bite marks on his stomach, back, arm, and leg.
The Shade Room did obtain a statement from the daycare, who wrote:
“The physical and mental well-being of the children and families we care for is of utmost importance to us. We are grateful to our families for the privilege of caring for their children and take this responsibility, and any concerns, very seriously. An investigation was conducted when this matter was first brought to our attention and we took the appropriate steps to address this matter. Our number one priority is to ensure a safe and high-quality experience for the families we serve.”
We’re told that a Henry County Sheriff’s Department detective is continuing this investigation.
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