Indianapolis parents are facing their worst nightmares after allegations of child sexual abuse at a daycare led to a state inspection that cited over twenty violations.
Twenty-year-old Ali Al-Awadi, a caregiver at Children’s Choice Learning Center at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, was charged with felony child molestation after a 4-year-old girl came forward and told other caregivers at the center that Al-Awadi had touched her inappropriately during nap time.
Daycare Providers Waited to Report the Incident
The caregivers did not report the incident to the girl’s parents or authorities until almost 20 hours after it occurred, a violation of the Indiana Department of Child Services’ and Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s regulations on reporting abuse within one hour of learning about the incident.
The report triggered a state inspection that revealed 23 violations related to the daycare’s handling of the suspected abuse occurrence. Some of the violations include the facility’s failure to report the arrest of one of its employees, missing proof of criminal background checks on several employees, and the caregivers’ inappropriate handling of the matter.
Children’s Choice at St. Vincent holds the second highest quality rating in the state’s child-care rating system, and yet the manner in which the daycare handled an incident of suspected child sex abuse is appalling. Had the facility acted swiftly to report the occurrence and handled it in accordance with their own policy on cases of suspected child abuse, it may have been possible for parents to maintain some level of trust in the daycare’s ability to protect their children. As it stands, Children’s Choice has lost the trust and respect of the state and parents alike.
While it can be difficult to acknowledge, daycare abuse can (and does) occur at the hands of terrible individuals who may not represent the individual facility’s standards. It is the facility’s ability to handle the case quickly and effectively that determines whether parents will continue to entrust it with their children.
What would it take for you to maintain trust in your child’s daycare after allegations of child sex abuse, or would it be permanently destroyed? Sound off below, or share your response with us on social media today!
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