Central Vermont day care worker accused of child abuse

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A Central Vermont day care worker is under investigation, accused of child abuse. That former staff member of the Laugh and Learn Childcare Center is facing criminal charges.

The Laugh and Learn Childcare Center’s infant program has received seven violations for verbal and physical harm to kids tied to the alleged actions of a former employee.

The violations and criminal investigation stem from an incident dating back to June 16. The parent of a child at Laugh and Learn told state authorities that staff member Brandy Lee Vincent used explicit language in front of children.

“It was definitely shocking. I never expected anything like this to come from this individual,” said Lorisa Campbell, who owns Laugh and Learn.

The Vermont Department for Children and Families investigated and reviewed surveillance video, ultimately identifying several violations, including improper adult-to-child staff ratios and Vincent restricting when infants could take naps and waiting up to half an hour before attending to a crying infant. The report also describes Vincent tossing an infant onto a changing table, thumping the child’s head, shaking another child, and in one instance, putting a bottle in an infant’s mouth and then pinching the baby’s nose to force it to drink.

Vincent was the director of the infant program at Laugh and Learn and worked in child care for two decades. We reached out to her for comment but did not hear back before this story was published.

“It was an isolated incident. Nobody in our main center was involved. We are open for communication if parents want or need to talk to us about anything,” Campbell said.

Officials say Vincent is facing criminal charges and will be arraigned on Sept. 7.

“We have fairly strong child care licensing regulations and as a result, these instances are rare,” said Janet McLaughlin, of the Vt. Department for Children and Families.

Campbell has two child care licenses. The state has suspended one of them and is monitoring the other.

In recent years, Vermont’s child care industry has been strained. Low wages for providers have created staffing shortages, and a shortage of slots has led to long wait times for families.

McLaughlin says the demand is leading to unqualified staff being hired. And working conditions are leading to stress and burnout.

“We know the most important element of safety and quality within the quality in the system is those adult-child interactions within the program. We need those adults to have the high-quality training and support to be able to provide that support for children,” McLaughlin said.

And she says that includes more training and better pay.

Both Campbell at Laugh and Learn and McLaughlin at the state say that the sweeping child care bill passed this last legislative session will help.

Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved.