Former day care worker in Woodbury accused of breaking baby girl's leg
WOODBURY, Minn. — A former worker at a Woodbury day care is facing charges after a baby girl was injured in April.
According to the charges filed in Washington County, police in April received a report of maltreatment at the Stepping Stone Early Learning Center. The 35-year-old woman, who lives in Wisconsin, was assigned to care for the 9-month-old girl, but gave police "inconsistent and inaccurate information" about how the girl was injured, documents say.
The woman told police that she changed the baby's diaper. She said the baby was "squirming a lot" and might have applied "a little too much pressure" as she pushed the girl's leg back, documents say.
She then said she put the baby girl down on the floor, and went into another room to tell a staffer that the baby had fallen. An incident report at the early learning center said the baby fell while trying to pull herself up to stand, charges say.
Documents then go on to say that the baby's grandparents picked the girl up from daycare, as her parents were on vacation. They were told the baby had fallen, and noticed that her leg was swollen and she had red marks near her groin. They took the girl to the hospital, where staff said the baby had a fractured femur.
During a conversation with staff at the day care, the victim's mother was informed that the care worker had provided a different version of events. She said she had not been "fully truthful," and she heard a popping noise from the Victim's leg while she was changing the baby's diaper, charges state.
The medical team at the hospital said the baby could not have suffered a broken leg from a routine diaper change or a fall, and also found three small bruises on two different locations, documents say.
According to the charges, a Minnesota Department of Human Services Investigator said the femoral fracture was "unusual" and would take "excessive force."
The woman was charged with malicious punishment of a child, which carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Stepping Stone Early Learning Center told WCCO that the woman has not been employed with the company since April.