Kentucky day care investigated for "smack for a snack" game

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Officials in Kentucky are monitoring a day care center after an investigation found that employees required children to be hit before they could get a snack.

Citing an Office of Inspector General report, media outlets say two male workers at New Creation Child Care in Lexington made children line up and get hit on the legs or hands with a ruler to get some yogurt. At least two children had noticeable bruising as a result of playing “smack for a snack.”

Lexington police cited one staff member with second-degree assault, CBS affiliate WKYT-TV reports.

Officials also found the day care’s storefront window shattered. Staff said one child had knocked another into the glass.

A state inspector also found that one woman was looking after 27 school-age children, 12 more than permitted under state staff-to-child ratios.

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services spokeswoman Beth Fisher said that during the investigation, New Creation was placed under intermediate sanctions that called for increased monitoring.

A division of the Office of Inspector General “is currently monitoring the facility to assure compliance with the intermediate sanctions agreement,” Fisher said in an email.