https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...612_story.html

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That's so sad. Poor little defenseless baby.

I wonder if the provider was ever a suspect? It would be awful to have that happen at daycare in the first place but it would make it even worse if a provider had to go through an investigation. Once the word is out a provider is being investigated, people don't forget.

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Sadly something similar is happening to a provider I know fairly well in my community. A very experienced long time provider

She had been caring for an infant (5 months) and the baby had been "off" for a few weeks. Mom had been bringing baby back and forth to the clinic where they could find nothing wrong. Two separate hospitals kept baby over night and still found nothing.

Baby gets dropped off on a Monday morning straight from a Dr check up. Baby is there approx 10 minutes when needing to be fed. Provider prepares a bottle and begins to feed baby. Baby begins throwing up profusely. Starts becoming lethargic and unresponsive. Provider calls parent (who is minutes away). Parent arrives to get baby. Brings baby straight to ER. Baby was signed in and out 28 minutes apart.

ER does a cat scan and finds baby has a skull fracture.

State issues a temporary immediate shut down of providers business.

Investigation pursues

Provider has now been shut down since October.

Evidence so far has pointed to NOTHING happening in providers care but since state wants to make sure they covered all their bases, the process has been sloooooow.

I do not believe the provider is guilty of anything relating to baby's injuries (I am unwilling to say 100% as I was not there and do not know all details and know that in this profession ANYTHING is possible) but I am saddened for her because she is automatically guilty unlike other situations where a person is innocent until proven guilty.

This feels like the only profession in the world where the provider is guilty first and then proven innocent.

IF/When this provider is cleared of any wrong doing it wont matter too much. Her reputation is damaged and she is broke (from legal fees) as well as losing all her clients...all of which were forced to find alternate care during the temporary shut down.

No one will remember if she was innocent and cleared, they'll only remember she was once investigated for having a baby in care that had a skull fracture.

I can't imagine many parents "wanting" to enroll with her with that kind talk going around.

Like I said, I don't know the entire story...only what I know from my interaction with her previous families (I have enrolled 2 of them with me) and from what she herself has told me (I've known her for 20 years) but I am frustrated and saddened by how these things happen in our profession.

It's a HUGE reminder about why we always need to remember WHO is liable and why allowing little things to slide can sometimes be a big mistake. There are so many "should've"'s "would've"'s and "could've"'s in hind sight.

The whole thing is just sad. I hope the daycare in the OP's story isn't drug through a mess like the provider I know has been.

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