Officials: Daycare often spanked kids for potty accidents
Miss Endy’s Playhouse and Christian Day School in Fort Worth, Tex., is not exactly one of those outfits that believe in sparing the rod. If tykes wet themselves there, they get spanked with rulers, spatulas, spoons or a caregiver’s hand, according to a state investigation.
Hitting children is illegal in Texas day cares. The center operators deny the allegations but contend spanking is a discipline option because they are a Christian school, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The school, which has 38 chiildren as young as 18 months, is now fighting in court to avoid shutting down.
The investigation began when a parent complained in October that a 5-year-old girl was left in urine-soaked clothes for more than three hours, the newspaper said. An inspection revealed that the girl had to repeat out loud she “would not potty on herself.” Investigators reportedly cited about 20 deficiencies, including reports of corporal punishment and yelling and humiliating children.
