The Guntersville daycare is closed following an investigation into child abuse allegations

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – A Guntersville day care center has closed its doors after an investigation was launched into employees who violated the Alabama law when dealing with children.

Marshall County District Attorney Jennifer Bray says her office was made aware of these allegations against the Kids Korner daycare by a former employee.

Parents were notified of the daycare’s closure on Monday and told by officials they would be closing by the end of the week. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said her family, like many others, struggles to find adequate child care.

“My husband is off work so he can stay at his house for a while but that will only be for the next few weeks. Not to mention, there are no daycare centers anywhere that don’t accept children,” the parent said.

Bray says during the investigation, evidence was found that two current employees “violated Alabama law when dealing with children.” The parents of the children directly affected have been informed and informed of how they can obtain arrest warrants against the accused employees. She says one of those employees currently has a warrant out for her arrest for harassment.

Brittany Smith is a former Kid’s Korner employee. She said she was only employed for three days before she was forced to leave because of alleged physical and verbal abuse of children.

“During nap time, a child was slid down on his small cot and the teacher pulled him up by his wrists and held his arms in the air. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘This could cause a dislocated shoulder, you know?'” Smith said.

Smith says she also became ill during her time at Kid’s Korner, and she thinks the lack of hygiene at the center may have been the reason.

“Even after using the toilet, they didn’t wash anyone’s hands. They didn’t wash their hands before snack time, lunch, or anything like that. They didn’t clean any of the toys that I saw,” Smith said.

She also says she felt obligated to inform directors about her colleagues’ behavior and when she did so, she was fired.

When I brought it up and told how I saw it, it was almost as if they said, ‘That’s not true,'” Smith said.

Bray also says the investigation revealed evidence of prior violations of Alabama’s mandate law, but the statute of limitations has expired on those incidents. The parents of these children have also been notified.

The investigation also uncovered “concerns about teacher-to-child rations and the suitability of certain staff.”

Once the investigation was completed, the results were shared with the First Methodist Church of Guntersville Board of Directors.

Bray says if her office has evidence that a child has been abused, she has already contacted his parents. If a parent wasn’t notified, Bray says he has no evidence that their child was directly involved.

“We pray for all the parents and good employees affected by Kids Korner’s decision to close its doors. We know this will undoubtedly have a serious impact on many families in our community, including our own employees whose children attend Kids Korner,” Bray said. “However, we will always take allegations against a daycare center seriously, and even with the disheartening outcome of closing Kids Korner, we would not do it any other way.”

If parents have questions or concerns, contact Bray’s office at (256)582-8113.

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