Investigations into allegations of child abuse at Kiddie Korner of Clinton Nursery and Preschool have led to the uncovering of multiple staff members' failure to report said abuse. According to a WVLT News report, the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) found on July 2 that suspected child abuse or neglect at the daycare was not being reported to the Department of Children Services (DCS), nor to the children's parents or guardians as required. TDHS discovered that the daycare also neglected to document these incidents properly in the children's files.
Following the initial visit, the daycare center took corrective measures on July 6, as per reports from WATE. Among these measures was a review of the relevant rules about abuse and neglect with daycare staff, though the incidents that necessitated this had not been detailed. Additionally, TDHS assisted the center in documenting and filing all staff disciplinary actions and suggested improvements to the identification system for children's belongings.
An earlier incident brought these issues to light when a child was injured at the daycare, prompting a combined investigation by the TDHS, DCS, and the Clinton Police Department. Melissa Agee-Duff, CEO of Kiddie Korner, mentioned in a WBIR interview that a childcare worker had used inappropriate discipline on a child, which involved laying the child down forcefully and placing her legs on the child during naptime.
Parents, including Whitney Taylor, expressed frustrations over the daycare's communication, stating, "They were very horrible about keeping us updated throughout the day, I had to jump through hoops to ask how my child was doing," she told WBIR. Taylor's account corroborates the DHS report that indicated a failure in not only reporting but also documenting incidents that occur within the facility. Both Kiddie Korner locations in Clinton and Athens have now faced scrutiny for failing to report alleged child abuse or neglect.
