Lisbeth Morejon says she was expecting a few peaceful hours of childcare when she signed her 3-year-old up at Whiz Children’s Academy in Houston. Instead, four days after starting at the center, her son ended up in an emergency room with scratches on his face and bruises across his body, and a brand-new fear of being left at daycare.
Morejon told Click2Houston that drop-off quickly turned into a daily struggle, with her son begging her not to leave him. At pickup on the fourth day, she said he ran to her crying, saying, “Oh mom, help me. I don’t want to be here. Help me.” She noticed two scratches on his face right away, and later found bruises on his arms, back and crotch. At the ER, doctors ordered X-rays, told her the bruising was “consistent with harm to a child,” and advised her to file a police report, she said.
Morejon told Click2Houston she asked the daycare to review surveillance footage, but staff told her the cameras could only be viewed live and did not record. She said she was told a worker who was off camera denied anything had happened. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation into the incident.
Where to report and how investigations work
Under Texas law, anyone who suspects child abuse is required to report it. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services directs people to call the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or file a report online at TxAbuseHotline.org. The DFPS reporting page notes that anonymous reports are not accepted and that professional reporters must provide their name and phone number. Allegations involving licensed childcare facilities are routed to DFPS’s Child Care Investigations unit. The agency says response timelines depend on the seriousness of the allegations, and that people who report in good faith are protected from civil or criminal liability.
What parents should ask and watch for
Families considering a new daycare are encouraged to ask whether cameras record or are only monitored live, how children of different ages are separated, what the teacher-to-child ratios are, and how staff document and communicate any incidents to parents. If a center says cameras do not record, parents can ask to see written policies or licensing and inspection records, and may want any incident and notification procedures spelled out in writing. Keeping contact information for local law enforcement and the abuse hotline handy, and seeking prompt medical care for unexplained injuries, can help document concerns if something seems off.
What’s next in this case
Morejon told Click2Houston the daycare director did not provide the answers she was seeking or return a requested phone call. If DFPS’s Child Care Investigations unit or local prosecutors substantiate abuse, Whiz Children’s Academy could face license sanctions, fines or criminal charges. The DFPS guidance for childcare investigations also allows the agency to restrict or suspend operations while an inquiry is underway. For now, investigators with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and DFPS are working to determine what happened and whether any other children may have been affected.
