Author's Note: Staff at this YMCA allegedly gave a minimum of 4 children (ranging in age from 3 to 6) alum, a salt used in food processing, which, when ingested, can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, nausea, vomiting, and burning – symptoms which may easily be mistaken for a “stomach flu.” Staff also may have physically restrained at least one of these young children.
The abuse allegedly occurred in an area of the day care where cameras were not present and could not capture the alleged abuse, and, also allegedly, where other staff could not witness the abuse.
Fortunately Rebecca DeWitt, an employee at the YMCA who became aware of the abuse through another employee, told parents about the *alleged* abuse.
The YMCA promptly fired HER as thanks for her due diligence in protecting those young children. [We'll say it since they won't "THANK YOU REBECCA!!!" We hope you get a hefty sum if/when you sue them for retaliation!]
The state Dept of Public Welfare indicates it has confirmed staff used alum for discipline purposes, yet they CONTINUE TO ALLOW THIS FACILITY TO OPERATE. This bears repeating: The Department of Public Welfare has confirmed personnel in this facility DELIBERATELY POISONED YOUNG CHILDREN, yet it allows the facility to remain fully operational as they attempt to determine how many times alum was given to children and why the substance was in the building in the first place.
They also estimate this investigation could take 2 WEEKS to resolve. And even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll take ANY action, which may or may not include revoking their license.
The good news is the YMCA indicates that 5 employees and the director have been "removed from the facility," as their policy is to suspend employees accused of misconduct while the investigation is ongoing. That doesn’t mean, however, that those staff and the director wouldn’t be reinstated pending the outcome of DPW’s “investigation.”
What we can’t understand is WHY the Department of Public Welfare hasn’t SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN while they “investigate further.” Why this facility hasn’t been made to present to the Department of Public Welfare a corrective action plan to ensure young children’s safety while in that facility, at a bare minimum - and to have that plan approved by the Department of Public Welfare - before they can even think of resuming operations.
And this is why abuse – even if only “alleged” - is allowed to continue…
By Patty Yauger, Herald-Standard
01/24/2009
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20248120&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6
SOUTH CONNELLSVILLE - A former YMCA Child Development Center worker and several parents of students that attended the center have retained a Pittsburgh law firm in connection with alleged abuse of the children.
Swensen, Perer and Kontos attorney Brian DelVecchio confirmed that he had been hired by parents with children enrolled at the school, including Brian and Janean Ansell, Shannon and Lloyd Partridge and Jessica Harr, along with former center employee Rebecca DeWitt, who notified the parents of the alleged dispensing of a pickling salt by other center workers.
According to DelVecchio, a minimum of four children, ranging in age from 3 to 6 were allegedly given alum by workers at the center since August.
Alum is a salt that is used in food processing and is an ingredient in commercially produced baking powder and can cause gastrointestinal bleeding, nausea, vomiting and burning when ingested, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although it appears the alleged abuse has been going on for several months, DelVecchio said that the parents only learned of the use of alum as a punishment last week.
"You are dealing with toddlers and they are not going to understand, be afraid or unable to communicate it to the parents," he said. "That's what makes this so sinister."
Since parents have learned of the incidents, they have begun to "put two and two together," he added.
"Some of the kids were having gastrointestinal problems or vomiting or sick," said DelVecchio. "Parents thought it was a flu bug going around and never imagined that their kids were being poisoned."
Since meeting with the former worker, parents and children, DelVecchio said that the stories are "harrowing."
"Kids were being held down," he said. "One little boy came home every day and said, 'poor Nick, poor Nick,' indicating that Nick was being punished."
"One child that was having trouble communicating was subjected to this treatment."
DelVecchio said DeWitt worked at the center since 2000 and was unaware of any wrongdoing until being told by another employee that the children were being given the substance.
"My understanding is that it was given by two individuals in an area where there was no camera or where it could be seen by others," he said. "It was hidden, just like any abuse."
DeWitt was fired after center officials learned that she had notified authorities and parents, said DelVecchio.
It was unclear how long the children had been enrolled at the center.
"It appears these things started to happen when the kids entered the toddler or preschool program," he said. "It seems they were given (the alum) as a punishment for back-talking or other things a toddler might do."
State Department of Public Welfare spokeswoman Stacey Witalec said that the regulatory authority continues to investigate the alleged incidents.
"We are closely monitoring the facility as they do continue to operate," she said. "But our investigation is ongoing."
Through the investigation, Witalec said that it has been confirmed that alum was used as a means of discipline, but questions remain as to why the substance was in the facility and how many times was it given to the children.
The monitoring includes onsite visits and communication with the facility and the Regional Family YMCA of Laurel Highlands administrations.
"We always reserve the right to do unannounced onsite inspections of licensed facilities and (the development center) falls into that category," said Witalec, adding that it has been in operation since December 1998.
The center has been cited in the past for other reasons, she said.
"But not for anything as serious as this," said Witalec.
Five employees, including the center director, have been removed from the facility, according to Witalec.
The state agency has authority to take action against the facility, but not the individuals.
"We could take licensing action up to and through revoking their ability to operate," said Witalec. "Worst-case scenario, they could lose their license to operate."
Witalec speculated that it would take "several weeks" to conclude the department's investigation into the matter.
Regional Family YMCA of Laurel Highlands executive director Steve Simon said the organization was shocked to learn of the alleged incidents.
"Staff and volunteers of the Regional Family YMCA of Laurel Highlands were shocked by recent allegations that members of our staff might have acted with poor judgment by giving five children enrolled in our child care program alum pickling salt as punishment for misbehaving," he said in a press release. "We are cooperating fully with authorities to investigate this situation."
Simon stated that the YMCA policy requires that those staff members tied to the incident have been suspended pending a full review of the charges.
He did not identify the staff members, but said that prior to their hiring all had been "thoroughly investigated."
"The safety and welfare of children in our care always has been and always will be a top priority," said Simon. "The YMCA has been an important part of the Connellsville community for more than 20 years and we look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our community well into the future.
"At the same time, we recognize that the facts in this case are not fully known and we await the results of an official investigation."
When contacted, Simon declined to further discuss the matter.
DelVecchio, meanwhile, said he has yet to file any action on behalf of his clients, but anticipates legal action will be taken in the near future.
"I am in the process of investigating. There is also an investigation being conducted by the state, and I'd like to see how that develops," he said. "My main mission right now is to see the kids get any help they need."
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