OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — What happened at Rosewood Academy, a chain of three daycares in the Omaha metro area, approximately two years ago is having an influence on Nebraska state law.
Last year, a bill that came from the experience of parents became law. Now, two more related bills will be considered by the legislature.
2022 bill: Parents of former Rosewood Academy students make case for childcare bill at hearing
Legislative Bill 64 would require Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to notify parents of children in childcare facilities of incidents that result in an employee being placed on the child abuse and neglect registry. Guardians of children enrolled at the time of the incident would receive notice in the mail within 10 days of the placement on the registry.
LB 65 would require DHHS to notify parents of children in childcare facilities of disciplinary actions against the facility. It would also make sure violations self-reported by daycares are marked as such.
Amanda Sway said she didn't learn about child abuse at her one-year-old's daycare until 104 days after her daughter was hurt. It took another two days to learn her child was involved.
An employee "became frustrated with my daughter, took her legs out from underneath her, and she fell back and hit her head and cried for an hour straight," Sway said.
Her first clue didn't come from the daycare. It didn't come from the police or the state. Instead, she said she received a late-night call from a fellow parent of the daycare.
Sway testified in support of the bills on Thursday.
State Sen. Jen Day introduced the bills. She said only parents of an abused or neglected child must be notified now. Sway said her case wasn't initially considered child abuse, simply inappropriate discipline.
"Even if your child was not involved in the case of an incident of child abuse, if you're sending your child there, you still want to know what's going on," Day said. "I think the parents have a right to know that type of thing."
Sway said if the bill was in effect at the time, she might have learned of issues at the daycare before her daughter was hurt. Though she noticed a change in her daughter's behavior after the incident, she believed it was because of a new sibling. She says she gave birth to her second daughter the same day as the abuse.
She advised parents of children in childcare to keep an eye out for violations by the facility on the DHHS and signing up for alerts.
In early April 2021, Rosewood Academy "temporarily and voluntarily" closed each of its three locations amid a state investigation.
A letter to parents by co-owner Kelli Hansen at the time blamed a “devastating social media assault,” and said it shut down in order to defend “our business and our reputations through the pendency of this investigation.” It said: "The day will come when those individuals will be compelled to actually speak their claims aloud, after being sworn and under penalty of perjury."
April 2, 2021: Rosewood Academy faces state investigation
The daycares never reopened. Co-owner Carl Hansen was charged with child abuse and pleaded down to disorderly conduct. The same happened to other employees.
DHHS did not respond to a request for comment on this story and did not weigh in on the bills at Thursday's hearing.
July 6, 2021: Rosewood daycare co-owner pleads to disorderly conduct charge
Other related links
- April 8, 2021: DHHS declares emergency situation at Rosewood Academy facilities
- April 10, 2021: OPD releases reports on Rosewood Academy incidents
- April 27, 2021: Rosewood Academy parent rattled by daycare investigation, closing; wonders if she could've done more
- May 21, 2021: Closed Rosewood Academy daycare locations available for rent
- July 1, 2021: 'Why are you sitting on it?' Former Rosewood employee says DHHS took too long to report child abuse
- Sept. 15, 2021: Daycare owner accused of hurting child gets 12 months probation; victim's mother speaks out
- Oct. 11, 2021: Prosecution discusses plea deal for local daycare owner
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