New York State is moving to revoke the license of a daycare in Highland after one of its workers was accused of mistreating a young child, News 12 reported. The case has raised questions about how a facility with a long record of violations was still operating as a publicly funded pre-K provider.
The child at the center of the case was a universal pre-K student at the daycare, Stepping Stones. According to the report, Child Protective Services came to his mother's door to tell her that he might have been victimized by a worker at the facility.
The alleged conduct was disturbing. The mother said a worker was seen pushing soap into her son's mouth to the point that he began to vomit, after which he licked the floor in an attempt to get the taste out of his mouth.
For the family, the account helped explain earlier warning signs. The mother, identified as Norris, said her son started the program last September but that his excitement about school quickly faded, and that he would come home saying the teachers called him a bad boy. He has not attended since December.
The timeline of notifications also troubled her. Norris said Child Protective Services learned of the incident in April but only notified her last week, leaving her, in her words, appalled and wondering whether it explained the many days her son came home crying.
State authorities are now taking action against the facility. The Office of Children and Family Services confirmed the state is moving to take away Stepping Stones' license, and state records show the daycare was cited in April for violations involving supervision and child-to-staff ratios, as well as a failure to report abuse and a failure to notify parents following a serious incident.
The wider record is striking. According to state records, the facility has been cited 27 times for violations since 2024, yet it remains on the Highland Central School District's universal pre-K provider list. The district notes that school districts choose their own pre-K partners and can cut ties if needed, and says it is now looking at the daycare.
The daycare's owner has pushed back on how the case has been portrayed. When the station first visited the facility no one would comment on camera, but the owner has since told News 12 that she is working with authorities and that there has been misinformation on social media surrounding the investigation.