A 19-year-old woman working at a church daycare in North Augusta has been arrested after a 2-year-old girl was injured, authorities said.
Haevin Stoddard, 19, of Evans, Ga., was charged Saturday with unlawful conduct toward a child, a felony. She’s been released on bond.
Stoddard was working at Fairview Presbyterian Church’s Early Childhood Center in May when Director Tremayne McTillman got a report from the mother and social workers about injuries to a child and possible abuse. The girl’s mother took the child to the Children’s Hospital of Augusta for a dislocated elbow.
“McTillman reviewed the classroom surveillance footage from the day before and saw Haevin Stoddard, the suspect, playing with the child by lifting her by the hands, causing the child to cry in apparent pain,” a North Augusta police report says. “While McTillman believed this incident might have been accidental, she found other footage concerning.
“The footage showed Stoddard kicking a table into the child’s stomach, removing a chair from under her, placing her in ‘time out’ for excessive periods, and forcefully holding her head down against a table. The child’s face appeared red when Stoddard finally released her.”
An investigation led to Stoddard’s arrest on Saturday. The church had previously terminated the teen after the incident, according to the North Augusta Public Saftey report.
The toddler’s mother expressed frustration with the slow response from DSS, which delayed the process of addressing the issue until they were advised to involve the North Augusta Police Department. In an interview Wednesday, she commended their daycare director, McTillman, for her exemplary support and adherence to protocols.
“She did everything she is supposed to do,” the mother said.
A church website says that the center, on 308 West Martintown Road, provides needed child care for the community within a Christian environment.
“We train and educate children about Christian life and values,” the website says. “We also prepare children, both academically and socially, for entry into school. We offer experienced, caring personnel, a loving atmosphere, and Christian nurturing. Most importantly, we care about your child.”
