DCF pulls license from infant program following numerous violations
By Sarahbeth Ackerman
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BARRE TOWN, Vermont (WPTZ) — A Barre Town program designed to care for and nurture infants is under fire after numerous violations show a staff member screaming and cursing at babies and at one point, causing inappropriate discipline.
NBC5 found out the infant program within the Laugh and Learn Childcare Center had its license pulled, and the staff member involved was terminated.
Janet McLaughlin with the Department of Children and Families says the investigation started after the team received a complaint from a parent.
“The violations are extremely disturbing,” said McLaughlin.
That report then forced members from the DCF to make a surprise visit. From there, DCF members were able to create a site visit report that included multiple violations against the infant program at Laugh and Learn Childcare Center in Barre Town.
Based on the details from the childcare information system, a total of nine infants were enrolled in the infant program.
Below are just some of the complaints going against the standard of care.
On June 19, “Staff X can be heard swearing at and in front of infants.”
On top of that, “Staff X would only let infants sleep between 9-10 a.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m.”
According to the DCF, the staff person involved in the slew of violations has since been terminated.
It’s important to note that the childcare facility outside of the infant program is currently still operating.
NBC5 called the center to see if anyone wanted to speak with us about the investigation, and they declined to comment on the matter.
A deeper dive into the violations report shows more inappropriate discipline.
On June 21, “Staff X picks up Infant B and tries to feed them a bottle. Staff X says to the infant to ‘just drink it’ as they are crying.”
“A few minutes later Staff X lays Infant B in their lap, puts the bottle in their mouth and then pinches the infant’s nose and says ‘Well, you can’t just hold it in your mouth’.”
A few days earlier, on June 19 “Staff X tosses Infant A down on the diaper changing table and their head makes a loud thumping sound as it hits the diaper mat. Staff X then grabs Infant A by the upper arm and swings them down to the floor. Next, Staff X throws Infant A back onto a Boppy where their head then hits the floor.”
Two days after that incident, a person from the community told DCF they attempted to intervene.
“At this point, we have not learned of any serious injuries as a result. We know that young children are fragile and sometimes it can take a bit for an injury to show up,” said McLaughlin.
Once DCF interviewed everyone involved, the license was pulled on Aug. 15. That means they can no longer offer care within the infant program. In the meantime, there is still an ongoing criminal investigation underway.
The provider has exactly 30 days to attempt to get its license back, during an appeal process.
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