Day care worker charged with neglect
Woman left a group of kids unsupervised
A Milwaukee day care worker has been charged with leaving a group of kids unsupervised, which prosecutors say allowed an 11-year-old boy to stomp on a baby.
Catherine Junior, 62, faces one count of neglecting a child causing great bodily harm. Her arrest and charges came after the baby’s mother protested in front of the day care, Harvest Learning Center, on Appleton Avenue.
The baby’s mother told investigators her 9-month-old baby was fine when the day care van picked up him and two of his siblings the morning of July 6.
She got a text message later that day, asking her to take her baby home because it appeared he was bitten by an insect and had an allergic reaction, according to the criminal complaint.
She immediately went to the day care and saw her son’s injuries, later telling police his head appeared “deformed,” the complaint says.
Her son was taken to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin where a doctor found the baby had bruising to his ears, marks on his shoulders, scrapes and bruising on his face, bleeding and swelling under his scalp and a bite mark on his right arm.
The doctor told police the injuries could have come from a group of children or a single, older child, the complaint says.
‘Big kid ... stomped on the baby’
A 6-year-old girl told investigators a “big kid” pulled the baby’s hair and dropped him because he was angry the teacher had told him to put away toys.
The girl said the baby flipped over, started crying and had red bumps on his face. She said the older child, who she described as an 11-year-old boy, “stomped on the baby,” the complaint says.
No adults or teachers were in the room when this happened, she said. The girl told another child to go get the teacher while she stayed to make sure the older boy would not do anything else to the baby.
Police interviewed the van driver, who said everything was “normal” on the way to school and she chatted with Junior until two children came to get her attention, according to the complaint.
In an interview with police, Junior told police the van brought children to the center and she took them inside and returned to speak with the driver, leaving five children unattended, the complaint says.
Mom protested outside center
The baby’s mother, Rahzeena Hamilton, protested outside Harvest Learning Center, 5932 W. Appleton Ave., days after her son was hurt.
“I want the world to know about this situation,” Hamilton told WITI-TV (Channel 6), adding: “I feel like they traumatized him or something happened.”
Junior was charged Friday. She appeared in court Saturday and is free on a signature bond, meaning she signed a form promising to appear for future court dates.
Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday.
In the past three years, state child welfare inspections have found 16 rule violations at Harvest Learning Center, ranging from flaking paint in the 2-yearold room to broken floor tiles and inaccurate attendance records.
During a partial review on July 6 — when the baby’s injuries were reported — state workers did not observe any violations.
To check your child’s day care center’s inspection records, go online to childcarefinder.wisconsin.gov.