Just horrifying.
I feel so incredibly sad for this family, for these parents. It is so hard to find affordable, safe child care. I am sure they felt they had a good solution with Barbara Kendrick who is said to be a relative. They probably felt like they finally had a solution---and then, this tragedy. I wish there was something we--as a society--could do to help parents get quality, safe child care.
Before my daughter could speak, we placed her in a woman's home child care that came highly recommended by a friend we trusted. The woman was a former teacher. Her home was tidy. She was well-spoken and seemed kind. But my daughter seemed to not want to go to her place in the mornings, and she seemed especially clingy and stressed when I would pick her up. I decided something wasn't right, and I decided to take her out of this child care. On the day I went to pick her up and tell the lady we wouldn't be coming back, I found the woman gone and her elderly mother rocking a baby in the living room. I found my daughter in a closed bedroom in a playpen. There were about seven other children in the room with her, and two of them came walking out of the closet. I was horrified. My intuition told me something was not right, and here was evidence that lady did not truly offer quality, safe care. After that experience, I found a child care center that was more expensive but that offered trained, kind staff who were always in the room with the children.
I do not use this example to place any blame on these parents. Rather, my point is that I completely understand how hard it is to find child care that you can trust. I wish that individuals who give child care were required to take classes and be evaluated before being employed. I understand that is probably unrealistic. It is just that cases like this one are so horrible and heartbreaking and absolutely avoidable. Individuals with quick tempers should NEVER be child care providers or teachers.
All in my opinion. . .& respectfully submitted with true condolences for the loved ones of this little boy. . .
