HOUSTON — For months, a mother has fought for an investigation into a local day care facility because she believed her son was abused while he was unsupervised.
That investigation, led by the Department of Family and Protective Services, is complete.
"It's just hard," the toddler's mother, A'shunte Burroughs, said. "It's unbearable."
The excruciating pain comes after Burroughs said her son CJ was touched inappropriately.
"Our whole world is upside down now," Burroughs said.
She said she called the Prince and Princess Daycare in February immediately after she found out what happened to her son. KHOU 11's Xavier Walton interviewed her just a few days after the alleged incident.
"I'm hysterically screaming, like, What happened to my baby?'" she said. "'Why does he have marks all over him?'"
Burroughs reported the alleged abuse to the Department of Family and Protective Services. More than two months later, its investigation was complete.
In the findings letter obtained by KHOU 11 News, Texas Health and Human Services Commission said the basis of the investigation stems from an accusation that a child in care received marker ink on his buttocks and rectum due to the actions of another child in care.
HHSC listed specifics from the investigation. It said there was sufficient information available to support the allegation. It said a caregiver left a group of children unsupervised resulting in one child being inappropriately touched by another child. It also states the operation failed to report a situation that placed a child at risk.
The Prince and Princess Daycare has been licensed since 2014. In the last five years, HHSC found 59 deficiencies at the daycare, four of which included supervision issues. During one inspection, a child was seen in a room without any supervision. In another, a caregiver was seen falling asleep while in charge of 18 children between the ages of 19 months and 11 years old.
Burroughs said her son was not supervised like he should've been.
"She turned her back on my baby," Burroughs said of the caretaker. "He didn't die, but his innocence and his confidence was taken away."
The mother filed a lawsuit against the Prince and Princess Daycare. Walton reached out to the daycare Thursday morning and spoke to the owner. The owner told Walton to call his attorney, which he did and is still waiting to hear back.
According to the HHSC findings letter, the daycare has 15 days to file an appeal and must notify parents/guardians of the violations by May 9.