The Forsyth Methodist Church's Caring for Kids daycare is facing a scandal after an employee was arrested for allegedly drugging toddlers with Benadryl to make them sleep. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) ordered the daycare to close for 21 days while investigations into these claims and other issues continue, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
The investigation expanded to involve more staff, including daycare director Cathy Stevick and teacher Shelby Webb. 12 News reports that Stevick has been charged with failure to report suspected child abuse, while Webb faces charges of simple battery and cruelty to children. Another employee, Hughley, is also facing child cruelty charges.
The DECAL investigation revealed that staff raised their voices at children when redirecting them and were physically rough with toddlers, sometimes wrestling them onto their mats. "When they were trying to get them back in the classroom, we saw a couple of instances where they basically wrestled them down to a mat," said Reg Griffin from DECAL, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
DECAL has been providing resources for affected families to find alternative childcare. As Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman shared with 12 News, while the investigation nears its conclusion, additional charges are uncertain. "I don't foresee it, but you never know," Freeman said.
