Girl Comes Home From Daycare Without Socks, Mom Has Officer Follow Worker

No Daycare

She’d never known her daughter to be afraid before. The eight-year-old wasn’t even scared of the dark. But lately, she had been crying when alone, insisting she didn’t want to be alone.

It got worse when Melinda tried to take her to daycare that morning.

“No, Mommy!” her daughter screamed with tearing eyes. “Please don’t take me back there.”

Her Child’s Tear

A worried Melinda lowered down to one knee, wiping the child’s tears. She couldn’t remember the last time Christy shed tears like this.

“Why don’t you want to go, honey?” she asked. She thought this was a fit meant to stall them that morning.

She had no idea that her daughter’s very life was in danger.

Melinda Jakes Hayes

But this was the third time this had happened.

Single mom Melinda Jakes Hayes was only trying her best to juggle motherhood and a career.

After a difficult three years with her ex-husband, she’d opted for a divorce, moving to a new city where she hoped life would be kinder. She’d never meant for any of this to happen.

A Great Mom

Melinda was a great mom by all standards. She spent whatever time she could with her daughter, Christy, taking her out to the park, food courts, and movies whenever she had the time.

Now living in Grand Forks, North Dakota, she’d promised herself Christy would never suffer again.

For the first time in three years, she was finally seeing her smile again. Well, that was until disaster struck.

A Brave Girl

Christy had always been a brave girl. It always struck Melinda as odd that whenever life got to the mom, Christy was the one to help her pick up the pieces.

In her marriage days, her partner had been difficult and manipulative.

He’d always gaslighted her, among other kinds of abuse, making her feel like she was less of a person.

Harsh Words

He constantly barraged her with harsh words, making her feel like she wasn’t a good mom or wife.

But although Melinda usually cried alone in her room, hurt by the man who was supposed to love and care for her, she had never cried before Christy.

She didn’t want to drag her sweet daughter into this messy existence she called her life. Yet, Christy always found a way to wiggle through.

It’s Gonna Be Okay

“It’s gonna be okay, Mommy,” she usually said while caressing Melinda’s cheek. “It’s already okay,” Melinda would lie, trying to convince her daughter everything was fine.

But Christy was brilliant and could tell when her mom was lying.

“It will be better,” she’d correct her mom with a sweet smile, although Melinda could see her hold back her own tears.

Her Anchor

In those troubling times, Christy had been her best friend and anchor. She’d been Melinda’s only reason to live in a world where everything wanted to eat her to give up.

So, after the divorce, Melinda promised herself that she’d give her eight-year-old daughter the best life ever.

She applied to several jobs nationwide, hoping to get one good enough to see all these promises through.

Getting The Job

She and Christy stayed at her mom’s when she got the call. A newsroom in Grand Forks was in need of a managing editor for their local magazine, and they wanted to interview her.

Melinda organized the trip from Chicago, where she was staying, to Grand Forks.

Of course, she aced the interview. The company loved her so much that they wanted her to start immediately. But there was one problem.

Her Reason For Living

Melinda’s very reason for living was still in Chicago with her mom. She told the company that she was willing to move and needed a week to find a home and local school for her daughter.

The company was okay with her decision and even stepped in to help with the move.

It wasn’t long before Melinda and Christy stepped into their new home in Grand Forks, eager to start their new lives.

A Few Challenges

Moving into a new city usually comes with its challenges. For Melinda and Christy, this meant adjusting to a new neighborhood where they didn’t know anyone.

As a single mom, Melinda had to find a way to balance her career and her family.

She’d considered hiring a babysitter to watch over Christy since it was summer. But she couldn’t because of one reason.

No Cash Left

After moving to Grand Forks, Melinda barely had any cash left. She still had several things that needed her attention financially, so she couldn’t hire a babysitter.

She was also new to the area and didn’t know anyone she fully trusted.

The only way out of this problem would be to find a daycare for little Christy.

Searching For The One

With that thought in mind, Melinda started looking at the daycares in close proximity, hoping she’d find something good enough for her daughter.

She wanted a place where her daughter would be loved and well taken care of.

She couldn’t handle the thought of Christy suffering because Melinda wasn’t vigilant enough. If only she knew the grueling hell she was about to put Christy through.

The Perfect Spot

It was only a matter of time before Melinda found what she thought she was looking for.

The beautiful daycare was conveniently placed between their home and her workplace.

She grinned to herself, knowing she’d be leaving Christy with good folks while heading to work and picking her right up on her way home. But this venture would bring nothing but pain.

Be Vigilant

Melinda should have known that something was wrong the moment she and Christy first stepped into the daycare.

There was a child crying in the corner, rubbing her arm.

The daycare director only tended to her when she saw Melinda’s gaze linger in the girl’s direction for a minute or two. “Is she okay?” the concerned mom asked.

Something’s Wrong

“She is,” the director smiled as she tried rocking the child. But although Melinda didn’t notice it then, the girl was trying to fight off the woman’s grasp, crying even more.

She seemed to notice that the only way out of the woman’s arms was to quiet down and reluctantly did so.

But of course, Melinda didn’t see any of it. To her, this was the perfect place for her daughter.

A Quick Tour

The mom and daughter duo took a quick tour of the daycare, loving what they saw. Several kids of different ages were in different rooms, each engaging in numerous activities.

Some were sleeping while others ate. Others were engrossed in story time while others finger-painted.

Melinda pictured her sweet Christy in this space, and her heart melted with anticipation. But it wouldn’t be long before the truth of this place came out.

We’re In!

Melinda enrolled Christy in the daycare. Afterward, the two went to the park, enjoying a great day before hurrying home to prepare for the next day.

Morning rolled over, and Melinda woke up early, eager to experience her first day as a managing editor.

She dressed her daughter and packed a few snacks for her day at the daycare. She wasn’t aware of what would happen that day.

Morning

Melinda and Christy got into the car at 8 am, driving through the busy streets of Grand Forks. Their first stop was the daycare, where Melinda walked Christy in and handed her to the director.

After a teary goodbye, the mom and daughter parted ways. Melinda needed to focus on her work now.

During her interview, she talked about how good a managing editor she was. It was time she lived up to her words.

Walk The Talk

Melinda had always been someone who walked the talk. She always did what she said and never went back on her word.

Although her first day at work wasn’t a walk in the park, she knocked everything out of the park.

Her superiors and juniors were left speechless by her work ethic and prowess. But although Melinda was having a good day at work, Christy was experiencing the exact opposite.

Evening

Evening came, and a happy Melinda said goodbye to her colleagues and hurried to her car.

She drove to the local supermarket first, taking some ingredients for a celebratory dinner she wanted to make her daughter.

Afterward, she went to the daycare, eager to pick Christy up. But what she found left her with a broken heart. Why did she do this to her daughter?

She’s Been Crying

Melinda walked into the daycare, finding a gloomy Christy waiting for her.

“You took too long to come, Mommy,” the girl lamented. Her eyes were puffy, and her lips wouldn’t stop trembling.

“I am so sorry, honey,” Melinda said. Heartbroken, she fell to her knees and wiped her daughter’s face before hugging her. “I’ll never be late again. I promise.”

Please Listen, Mom

Christy calmed somewhat, and although she tried to tell Melinda about the real reason she was drenched in tears, her mom wouldn’t listen. She was too lost in her world, smiling after the good day she’d had.

But could you blame her? Her ex-husband had made her believe she couldn’t be anything in life for the longest while.

He’d convinced her she was useless and couldn’t do anything to provide for her daughter. But here she was, making a name for herself.

The Following Day

As the next day rolled around, Melinda dressed her daughter, eager for another good day.

But she realized Christy seemed reluctant to leave. Thinking it was because of how late she was the previous day, Melinda promised her she’d pick her up on time.

True to her words, she picked Christy at precisely the right time. But to her surprise, she found the girl drenched in tears again, shaking as she waited at the daycare’s door. What was happening?

Another Good Day

Well, Melinda didn’t ask. She’d crushed it at work again and was lost in her own head.

Things were finally looking up for her, and she knew she would be able to give Christy the life she deserved.

She even took her to get ice cream that evening, and the two had a wonderful meal and watched a movie afterward. But chaos would ensue as the next day came.

Don’t Take Me Back

“Please, Mommy,” the little girl cried. “Please don’t take me back there!” For the first time this week, Melinda listened. She realized that Christy had been crying each evening as she went to pick her up.

She couldn’t even remember the last time she saw her cry before this week.

How could Melinda have missed it? “Why don’t you want to go, honey?” she asked. But Christy didn’t talk. With quivering lips, she pulled up her sleeve.

A Red Haze

Melinda’s eyes widened, and a red haze covered her sight. Her daughter’s left arm was purple and sick-looking.

“Who did this to you?” the mom growled. The fog that had covered her eyes since she got here was starting to dissipate. “Who did this?”

“The women at the daycare,” her daughter reported. “The caregivers?” Melinda asked, and Christy nodded. But why would they do such a horrible thing to someone as sweet as Christy?

Bad Treatment

“They mistreat us because… because we are different,” Christy choked, tears racing down her cheeks.

She explained how the caregivers were starving and barring them from numerous class activities because of their ethnic backgrounds.

Melinda couldn’t even wait for her daughter to finish talking. She hugged her tightly, her own tears threatening to fall. How could she have been this blind? “I’ll fix it,” she promised, guilt lacing her words. “No one will ever hurt you again.”

Overdrive

Melinda’s brain went into overdrive. She knew she couldn’t just barge into the daycare and accuse them of treating the kids this poorly.

Although her daughter never lied, the authorities wouldn’t go on her word alone. She needed to catch them in the act.

Slipping a baby monitor and recording device into Christy’s backpack, she assured her she was listening. “I want to ensure they’ll never harm anyone again, okay honey?” An intelligent girl, Christy nodded.

A Mother’s Fury

Melinda and Christy drove to the daycare, and Melinda asked Christy to act like she wasn’t carrying listening devices in her backpack.

An hour didn’t pass before the caregivers started treating the kids harshly, screaming at them and calling them racial slurs. Melinda, who had parked a block away with an officer, was listening in.

They drove to the daycare, and Melinda stomped in with a mother’s fury pumping through her veins. The daycare director saw her approaching and recoiled. She knew she and her team had been caught red-handed.

 

Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.