MCPHERSON, Kan. (KSNW) — For one McPherson mother who wishes to remain anonymous, a seemingly random phone call from her day care provider quickly turned into a nightmare on Wednesday.
“I had a panic attack and an anxiety attack because my child is in police custody … it makes me mad, it makes me irritated, it makes me so sad,” she said.
At 10:48 a.m. on Wednesday, the McPherson Police Department responded to the 100 block of S. Park St. There, they say four children between the ages of 2-5 were found unsupervised.
Witnesses say the youngest of the bunch was feet away from falling in a moat in the area when a 10-year-old girl grabbed him, taking him to safety.
Police say the children had wandered off from Golden Explorers, a residential day care in the 700 block of E. Kansas, a Department of Children and Families (DCF) certified provider.
“We’re expecting a level of care and a level of love that our children are going to be taken care of,” the mother said.
She says she’s put her child through other day care centers but was not impressed with their care — adding she feels there is a shortage of quality day care providers in McPherson.
“From now on, I’m probably just going to have to depend on my family because I do not trust my kids in the care of another right now,” the mother said.
All four kids involved were found safe. The McPherson Police Department has referred this incident to the McPherson County Attorney’s Office and the DCF. Meanwhile, the day care provider in question is out of jail on bond.