Mom says 7-year-old tied up at day care

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) - A Lawrence day care is under investigation after a mother claims her daughter was tied up with yarn.

Heather Sturgis, 26, told police her 7-year-old daughter was crying when she picked her up from Little Miracles Daycare Ministries on Monday.

The day care East 46th Street advertises it provides loving care when you're not there.

Sturgis said one of her daughters has several psychological issues and didn't receive the right care while at the day care center.

Sturgis said Little Miracles Ministry Daycare was her two daughters’ second home.

"They've been going there for about seven months now," she said.

Sturgis pulled her 7- and 11-year-old girls out of the day care center after Monday’s incident.

"(Monday) night was their last time there," she said.

Later that same evening, the young girl told her mother a teacher at the day care used yarn to tie her wrists and ankles together.

24-Hour News 8 spoke with the director of the day care Tuesday afternoon.

The director said, "The child was not tied down or handled improperly. We would not treat a child like that."

But the girl's 11-year-old sister backed up her story.

When the 7-year-old cried after being picked up Monday night, her mother asked what was wrong. The 7-year-old explained.

"And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ and she told me again and I was like, ‘Lizzy, don't lie to me,’ and she said, ‘I'm not lying mommy, that's the truth,’" Sturgis said.

Lizzy's sister, Maria, was there.

"It was green and blue," Maria said.

She saw what happened to her sister.

"Well, my little sister, she actually wasn't listening very much, so they grabbed her arm and laid her down on the cot and she didn't want to get on the cot and so they said, ‘Go get some yarn,’ and they took her shoes off and her socks and they tied her feet up and her arms," Maria said.

Sturgis filed a police report; Lawrence Police are now investigating the claim.

"We're suppose to trust in these places. That’s why we send our kids there while we go work and make a living for ourselves and our kids," Sturgis said.

Sturgis said she trusts her children, despite the daycare’s denial of the incident.

"I think every parent should know what's going on at the day care that their children are going to," she said.

So far, police haven't arrested anyone, but Child Protective Services is looking into the complaint. The two girls are planning to talk to investigators sometime Wednesday.