For most parents, leaving their child at daycare for the first time is nerve-wracking but hopeful — you want them to be safe, happy, and cared for.
But for 1-year-old Clay, his first day at Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge, Washington, turned into a nightmare.
Lied about the injury
When Clay’s father, Cory Weeks, saw his son after the day ended, he was horrified. The toddler had severe injuries, bruises, and cuts on his face. Initially, staff claimed another child had caused Clay’s injuries with a toy. But video evidence told a different story.
The case centers around an incident at Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge, a small city near the Florida state line.
A Georgia woman has now been arrested on multiple child abuse charges after the 1-year-old boy was allegedly attacked at a church day care facility, leaving him with a swollen face and a black eye.
Authorities confirmed that Yvette Thurston, 54, was taken into custody on Monday and now faces three counts of first-degree child abuse and one count of first-degree aggravated battery, according to WDRW.
Following Thurston’s arrest, a judge set her bond at $44,000. According to online records, the daycare worker was released from the Decatur County Jail last week after posting bond.
”Every parent’s worst nightmare”
The boy’s father, Cory Weeks, a U.S. Marine, went public with the ordeal in an emotional Facebook post, sharing graphic photos of his son, Clay, after his first day at the centre. The pictures show the toddler’s face visibly swollen, with cuts and bruising around his right eye and cheek.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare and we had to live it and are still living it,” Weeks wrote. He explained that both Clay and his older brother, Wyatt, 3, had started at the facility that day.
Weeks said he was initially told that another child had injured Clay with a toy. But after demanding answers, he claimed to have obtained video surveillance footage showing Thurston assaulting his son.
“Nothing we saw was for the faint-hearted, especially happening to such an innocent soul,” he wrote. “The severity of the acts of violence to our son has everyone confident that this was not her first time. We trusted this facility to care and love our kids and on their first day that was violated.”
Rushed to hospital
Clay was rushed to Memorial Hospital and Manor, where doctors treated his injuries.
”We want EVERYONE to be aware that this happened. Don’t ever feel like you can’t question how an injury happened to your child because I almost didn’t… Also don’t believe the “happy pictures” sent to you parents because we had that done as well during a day of complete torture of our Clay,” Core Weeks wrote.
The Decatur County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that investigators reviewed footage from the child care centre as part of the case, though specific details of what it contained have not yet been made public.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), which oversees child care facilities in the state, said the worker has since been removed from her role.
“It is our understanding that the employee has been terminated by the child care program,” a DECAL spokesperson told The Post. “As our investigation is still in its early stages, DECAL will continue to work closely with law enforcement and all relevant parties to ensure a comprehensive review of the facts.”
Weeks has vowed to pursue justice for his son, writing: “There will be more coming from this, and we will make sure nothing is ‘swept under the rug.’”
This is absolutely horrifying. Let’s share this important information so no other child has to go through the same thing!
