Day home operator admits lying about boy’s fall down stairs

A day home operator admitted in court Tuesday that she never told the parents of a young boy under her care that he’d fallen down the stairs and sustained a head injury.

Indira Samuel pleaded guilty to failing to provide the necessities of life to a 13-month-old boy who suffered a skull fracture in Samuel’s home on Feb. 27.

Samuel had no “baby gates” as safety measures around the hardwood stairs in the home where she cared for six children, Crown prosecutor Mark Huyser-Wierenga told court. The toddler, Logan Chalmers, had been in Samuel’s home four times before he was injured.

The fall that injured him was caused by a lack of supervision and “easy access to the stairs,” Huyser-Wierenga said. Instead of blocking access to the stairwell, Samuel simply warned the children to stay away.

When Erin Chalmers arrived to pick up her son, Samuel told her the boy had been “crabby and fussy,” but mentioned nothing about his fall, according to an agreed statement of facts.

“The caregiver was not frank with them,” Huyser-Wierenga said. “Mrs. Samuel chose to protect herself.”

Chalmers soon noticed swelling on the back of her son’s head and subsequent tests at the Stollery Children’s Hospital discovered the fracture. Chalmers, a journalist at Global Edmonton, and her husband couldn’t explain to police what happened to their son because they didn’t know. That interview was painful, Chalmers told court.

“There is nothing worse than someone thinking you could hurt the most important thing in your life,” she said. “All she had to do was tell the truth. She chose to lie.”

Chalmers said she continuously questions her choice to leave her son in Samuel’s care.

The boy’s father, Chris Chalmers, said he was sick with worry that his son might be ill in the absence of any other explanation until a police investigation discovered what happened.

“The day my son was injured because of negligence of someone I trusted was the most heart-wrenching and confusing day of my life,” the emotional father told court.

Court heard that the boy has recovered from the injury, but his parents are still wary of potential difficulties in his future.

Both the prosecution and defence recommended two years of probation in which Samuel would not be allowed to operate a day home, as well as 150 hours of community service. Court heard that Samuel has not operated the day home since she was criminally charged.

Court also heard that another child had previously fallen on the stairs, but was not seriously injured.

A decision in the case has been scheduled for Friday.

Samuel, who has two children and ran her day home for five years, apologized.

“I do understand the gravity and enormity of the situation,” she said. “I do want to apologize to everyone involved.”