Alleged child abuse at Saraland daycare center under investigation; mother speaks out

SARALAND, Alabama (WKRG) – The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office and Saraland Police have confirmed they are investigating a video circulating online that appears to show what some are calling child abuse at a Saraland daycare center.

The video, dated February 23, appears to show an employee at Play ‘N Learn Daycare in Saraland pulling a child over a table and shoving him back to the floor.

The child’s screaming and crying can be heard the whole time.

“I felt sick”

The mother of the four-year-old child contacted WKRG and agreed to an interview. She wants to keep her name and face out of the story.

The mother said she only found the video four months later when her child wanted to show her some pictures he had taken with his tablet.

While looking through her camera roll, the mother saw a still image of her child stretched across a table.

She clicked on it and it was a two minute video.

“I felt sick,” said the mother. “It doesn’t even have to be my child. No child that is treated like that, no reasonable parent will accept that.”

A classmate of the child seen in the video recorded the incident using an iPad that belonged to the child.

“I would never have known that”

“If it hadn’t been for her, I would never have known,” said the mother. “I would never have known, and my daughter would have continued to think that it was normal to be treated like that.”

The sound in the video is just as disturbing as what you see, says the mother.

The first daycare worker, who was dragging the child behind her, was heard saying, “You will not eat anything.”

“Was my child able to eat anything that day?” said the mother.

According to the Alabama Department of Human Resources’ health and safety guidelines, effective September 2021, “withholding food as a punishment” is prohibited.

“I would like to knock them down”

As a second worker entered the room, one of the workers could be heard saying, “I want to give her hell.”

“Popping,” as the employee put it, is also against DHR policy.

According to the guidelines, hitting, slapping, kicking, hitting and beating are among the things that are prohibited.

In the second half of the video, a second worker appears to be filming the confrontation with a cell phone.

Additionally, the staff member could be seen nodding, smiling, and giving a thumbs up while the child continued to cry.

“I wonder what else she has from other children on her private phone,” said the mother.

Although no charges have been filed, the mother said she hopes the next chapter of this story includes prison time for the adults seen in the video.

“I will do my best to ensure that these women are charged, thrown in prison and separated from their children,” the mother said.

District Attorney Keith Blackwood said his team is in the early stages of the investigation.

“What I saw was disturbing,” Blackwood said. “I think a lot of people who saw it found it very disturbing.”

The landlord of the property said the daycare center was closed at the end of March.

WKRG attempted to call Child Care South to find out if Play ‘N Learn daycare participates in the Childcare Subsidy Program, but received no response.

WKRG called the owner of Play ‘N Learn Daycare, but she hung up when told the reason for the call.