Investigation into Bellevue daycare continues

BELLEVUE — Police and a county agency continue to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect against a city daycare. Bellevue police Chief Marc Linder said he was first made aware of the allegations against St. Paul Christian Daycare Center, located at 428 Kilbourne St., after people expressed concerns regarding the daycare's conduct to Erie County Children Services, which is a part of the county's Department of Job and Family Services. AJ Lill, executive director of the county's job and family services department, said the daycare investigation is ongoing. Linder said that children services was in the process of coordinating interviews as a part of the investigation. Job and Family Services is working closely with law enforcement on their investigation into this matter, along with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is primarily responsible for "conducting childcare licensing investigations." "Erie County Children Services is the one who notified us because they are mandated to do that when there is an allegation within our jurisdiction," Linder previously told the Register. A Bellevue police report dated July 31 included information from an Erie County Children Services report about what allegedly occurred. "The report alleges instances of the complainant's child having marks on his face from having a ball thrown at him, allegedly for biting," the police report states. "(It also mentions) a rash from being in a soiled diaper that had not been changed, (an employee) forcefully pulling the child and holding the child on the ground." Police also spoke to a former employee who claimed the daycare was "condoning child abuse," was not properly documenting incidents involving children and that staff would allegedly physically abuse and withhold food from children. The person accused one employee of pushing children "down by the forehead, which would cause their heads to bounce off the floor."