Day care worker left 4-year-old in freezing alley as punishment, Illinois cops say
A day care provider is accused of making a child stand in an alley in freezing temperatures as punishment, Illinois police said.
Police received a report Jan. 13 about an incident involving a 4-year-old child who was put in the alley of a day care facility for about 20 seconds in temperatures of 19 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a Jan. 23 news release from the Homewood Police Department.
The child was brought back into the building and placed inside an empty garbage bin “as a form of punishment,” authorities said.
The boy told his parents he was punished because he didn’t want to take a nap, WLS reported.
A 58-year-old day care employee was charged Jan. 23 with one misdemeanor count of endangering the life of a child, according to police. She was released and will return to court at a later day, authorities said.
The day care at the address provided by police is The Learning Lab Preschool, according to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
McClatchy News reached out to The Learning Lab for comment Jan. 24 but did not immediately hear back.
Homewood is about a 25-mile drive south from Chicago.
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Day care worker left 4-year-old in freezing alley as punishment, Illinois cops say."
