An employee of a child-care center dropped a toddler, who suffered a skull fracture. A child in a different facility sustained an abrasion from being dragged across carpeting. Ten children wandered away from child-care centers and three were given food to which they were allergic.
These are some of the 20 cases of maltreatment substantiated at child-care centers by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) in 2011.
The state describes maltreatment as failure "to supply a child with necessary food, clothing, shelter, health, medical or other care required for the child's physical or mental health" or failure to keep a child from danger when reasonably able to do so.
There are more than 1,500 licensed centers in the state. I've listed the seven cases substantiated in 2011 that involved physical injury to a child.
To see all 20 substantiated cases, go to startribune.com/whistleblower.
Unless otherwise noted, individual workers were found responsible for the incidents. In cases of injury requiring medical attention, the employee has been disqualified from working directly with people receiving services from facilities licensed by DHS and certain other agencies.
All Aboard Child Daycare, Marshall
In an attempt to talk eye-to-eye to a child who was lying face down on the floor, an employee lifted the child by the upper arms, causing bruising.
