A 10-month-old boy had been attending a home daycare on North Kenwood Avenue in Indianapolis for less than two weeks when he stopped breathing in March and was rushed to Riley Hospital with brain bleeding so severe that doctors had to remove part of his skull. Now the daycare's owner, 50-year-old Lawanda Hardnett-Rados, is charged with neglect and battery in connection with the infant's injuries.
According to a probable cause affidavit cited by Fox 59, Hardnett-Rados told police she had returned home from a separate daytime job around 5 p.m. to take over child care duties at Safe Haven when she noticed the baby was whiny and shivering, and that he went limp while she was changing his clothes. That account stands in contrast to what investigators say happened based on witness statements and medical findings. A juvenile witness reported that the victim was crying before Hardnett-Rados took him into another room, and per court records, the child stopped breathing while the two were alone there.
An Indianapolis mother told police she found Hardnett-Rados performing CPR on her 10-month-old son, according to Fox 59's reporting. The boy was placed in a coma after arriving at Riley Hospital, where he underwent surgery to remove part of his skull because of the extent of the brain bleeding.
Doctors Point to Abusive Head Trauma
Per Riley doctors, the child's injuries were likely caused by an adult shaking him or by a heavy strike. That medical assessment lines up with broader research from pediatric specialists at the hospital, who note that severe acute subdural hematomas in infants requiring craniectomies are considered classic indicators of Abusive Head Trauma, according to WTHR — injuries typically tied to violent shaking or high-impact force rather than minor accidental falls.
Investigators say Hardnett-Rados told the baby to be quiet and stop crying, according to Fox 59. A second child who spent time at Safe Haven separately reported to investigators that Hardnett-Rados often yelled and cursed at children in her care, sometimes hit them hard, and that the child had seen bruises on other kids at the daycare.
Arrest and Initial Court Appearance
Hardnett-Rados was arrested and charged with abusing the 10-month-old at her Indianapolis business. Court documents reviewed by Law & Crime show she turned herself in on an active arrest warrant and had advised her daycare assistant to hire an attorney after the incident, though the assistant reportedly told police she did not need one because she had done nothing wrong. Hardnett-Rados is being held without bond at the Marion County jail, and she had an initial hearing Friday morning.
Gaps in Oversight for Home Daycares
Safe Haven operated as a home daycare, a category that in Indiana faces less state oversight than licensed facilities. Under Indiana Code § 12-17.2-5, operators can legally care for up to five unrelated children without obtaining a state license, while caring for six or more requires formal licensure through the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. That threshold means many home-based operations, including Safe Haven as described in Fox 59's report, can run for years without the inspections or staff ratios that apply to licensed centers.
Nicholle Probst, who works for Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, urged people who notice signs of child neglect to contact the state's hotline and said bystanders should speak up about warning signs rather than staying silent. She said parents must research daycare providers thoroughly and ensure their children are placed in a safe environment, pointing to resources like inConnect, which provides information about daycare providers across the state.
The case adds to a string of recent Indianapolis-area child care prosecutions. In March, a former Weston School worker faced charges after video showed her pulling a 3-year-old off a bookshelf, and in April, a former Brownsburg daycare owner in Hendricks County reached a plea agreement following a separate abuse investigation.
Statewide Numbers and Reporting Duties
Under Indiana Code § 31-33-5, every adult in the state is a mandatory reporter required to immediately notify law enforcement or the state child abuse hotline if they suspect a child is being abused or neglected. The Indiana Department of Child Services' annual fatality report, released in late 2025, documented 59 child deaths from caregiver abuse or neglect statewide in 2024, with more than 70% of victims age three or younger.
State lawmakers have also moved to increase transparency in severe cases. House Enrolled Act 1257 now requires the Department of Child Services to publicly report within five days of a child's death or near-fatal injury whether the agency had prior or active involvement with the victim or family. It remains unclear whether that disclosure applies in this case, and the exact number of children present at Safe Haven at the time of the incident has not been detailed.
If convicted, Hardnett-Rados faces significant prison exposure. Under Indiana Code § 35-50-2-5, a Level 3 felony conviction carries a state prison sentence of 3 to 16 years, an advisory sentence of 9 years, and fines up to $10,000 per count.
