LITTLE ROCK — An Ascent Children’s Health Services daycare is once again at the center of an investigation after a child was reportedly discovered unattended on the playground in Little Rock.
According to sources, two employees were fired Monday after a mother dropping off her daughter spotted the boy under a slide in tears. She posted to Facebook saying the child had bruises to his body, a bloody lip and his clothes were torn, reported Arkansas Matters.
Both she and the daycare facility reported the incident to the Department of Human Services, who confirmed to the Arkansas Times a licensing investigation is underway. They wouldn’t comment on a possible child maltreatment investigation.
This is reportedly the second incident in five weeks at this particular daycare, but the third investigation into an Arkansas Ascent facility in only a month.
On June 12, 5-year-old Christopher Gardner, Jr. died after he was left in a hot daycare van for eight hours at the West Memphis facility. Four employees were charged with manslaughter and DHS placed the childcare center on probation for a year.
Several days later, two staff members were reportedly fired from the Little Rock facility following an incident similar to the one reported this week, The Associated Press reported.
The daycare provider has 10 facilities in the state of Arkansas.
