Negligent Practices Lead to Injuries of Nonverbal Autistic Child and Sister
In March, Diona Harrold-Paige picked up her two children from A Brighter Future Childcare and Development Center in St. Louis. She noticed her 4-year-old nonverbal autistic son had scratches on his face and a bump on his head. Video footage from the daycare confirmed her suspicions. She took her children to the hospital and reported the injuries to authorities.
Daycare Negligence and Childcare Law Violations
Harrold-Paige is now suing A Brighter Future Childcare and Development Center. The lawsuit claims that her son and 3-year-old daughter were hurt by daycare workers. Allegations include hitting the children with paint-stirring sticks and dragging them on the ground. The boy also hit his head on a cot that was aggressively pulled out from under him by a caregiver.
Evidence of Daycare Negligence
The lawsuit includes video evidence and an independent state investigation. Footage shows caregivers using unapproved discipline techniques. They hit Harrold-Paige’s son’s face and head with their hands multiple times. They forced her daughter to stand facing a wall for 47 minutes. These actions violate Missouri childcare laws.
A Mother’s Plea for Justice
“What happened at A Brighter Future Childcare and Development Center has shaken our family to the core,” says Harrold-Paige. “I hope by speaking out and filing this lawsuit, we can protect other children in our community from being harmed. As a trusting mother, I never imagined a daycare center would traumatize my young children, especially my son who requires additional support and is unable to communicate.”
Unsupervised and Unsafe Environment
The lawsuit states that A Brighter Future Childcare and Development Center broke more childcare laws by not watching the children properly. Surveillance cameras showed caregivers leaving children alone in classrooms up to 10 times in one day. This allowed children to get into physical fights without an adult present. The daycare’s director admitted to knowing about the lack of supervision but claimed ignorance of the state childcare laws.
Understaffed and Unsafe
The daycare was also understaffed. The director spent her days caring for other children instead of supervising employees, according to the complaint.
Attorney’s Statement
“This lawsuit aims to give a voice to a little boy who does not have one and his little sister who also suffered but couldn’t speak out,” says attorney Chris Finney of Finney Injury Law. “This case highlights a serious breach of trust, as the daycare center did not deliver on its promise and duty to protect the children at the facility.”
History of Violations
A Brighter Future Childcare and Development Center received 21 citations for safety failures from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Childhood between March 2022 and April 2024. Five violations were issued just a month after the investigation involving Harrold-Paige’s children while the daycare was under increased state supervision.
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