'Shocking and traumatizing:' Milwaukee day care closes indefinitely after allegations a toddler was left alone, unsupervised
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- After working a full shift, all Kendra Jordan wanted to do was pick up her one-year-old son, Kay'vontae, from day care.
Jordan, who had been a client of Amazing Mays Childcare for nearly a year, had dropped him off Thursday afternoon before she headed to work.
But when she arrived around 11:30 later that night, she found the doors locked with most of the lights off and could hear her child screaming through a cracked window.
“It’s shocking, it’s traumatizing, it’s stressful, and it’s emotional," Jordan told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White.
Jordan said she tried to get a hold of anyone inside, but no one answered.
That's when she ended up calling 911, and police officers on scene were finally able to get a hold of the owner.
“We didn’t reach her til about 35, 45 minutes after the whole situation had even started," Jordan said.
Jordan said it then took additional time for the owner to arrive to the day care and bring her son out safely.
“So many thoughts were running through my mind because so many kids every day coming up missing, so many kids every day coming up deceased," Jordan recalled. “I just hugged him and I cried.”
While Kay'vontae is physically okay, Jordan said since the incident, he's become clingier and is having trouble sleeping.
Now she's having a hard time finding a solution for when she goes back to work.
“Everyone is referring me to their day care and it’s like if I can’t call him 24/7 to see if he’s okay, I don’t even want to put him in there like I can’t trust day cares no more," Jordan said. “That was a very scary experience, like I honestly thought I lost my baby.”
After Jordan filed a police report, the day care center closed indefinitely while police continue their investigation.
Jordan said she wants the day care's owner and whoever was working that night to take full responsibility for what happened, so that other parents don't have to go through the same situation.
She is also seeking legal representation.
The owner of the center posted this statement on Facebook on Friday:
"I would like to address a situation that occurred last night at Amazing Mays Childcare. During the closing shift, a child was left in the daycare unattended by night shift staff. I was alerted by the child’s aunt an hour later and within about 40 minutes of travel time arrived on scene to unite the child with their parent. This was an isolated incident and the child was not harmed. As the owner and operator of Amazing Mays Childcare, I take accountability for this terrible incident. At Amazing Mays, we take pride in providing the best care and attention to our children and ensuring a safe and fun environment. As unfortunate as this situation is we are forced to do an immediate closure during the investigation process. We do not have a time limit or direction to where this situation may lead AMCC but we are truly thankful for the families we served in the past 7 years. We are all devastated at this situation and praying that our families find a nice secure daycare for the children in the mean time. I would like to extend my sincere apologies to the family and assure all other parents of Amazing Mays Child care Amazing Mays Childcare."Signed