06 May Pittsburg Police Launch Investigation Into Alleged Child Abuse at Daycare

Pittsburg Mayor Jelani Killings at Monday’s City Council meeting thanked members of the public for “sounding the alarm about things going on in the community,” referring to abuse allegations at a local daycare. At left is Vice Mayor Dionne Adams. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The Pittsburg Police Department is investigating allegations that an employee at a local daycare physically abused children in their care, officials said. 

City Manager Garret Evans said at the Pittsburg City Council meeting on Monday that the department was made aware of the allegations last week before launching the investigation into Pittsburg KinderCare. 

“In response, officers have initiated an active investigation,” he said. “This includes conducting interviews and reviewing related evidence to ensure a thorough examination of the situation.”

The investigation comes after a family said an employee yanked their daughter by the arm and threw her on the floor. Their son was also yanked by the arm and called names, they said. 

The family’s allegations come several months after other parents filed complaints with the Community Care Licensing Division against KinderCare’s Pittsburg location for, they said, handling children in a rough manner, using “unusual forms of punishment,” and touching a child inappropriately. The claims were unsubstantiated, according to reports by the agency. 

Of the allegations in the last year, CCLD substantiated three complaints at the Pittsburg site — including where a staff member was yelling at children in “an inappropriate manner,” according to CCLD’s investigation report. 

Other allegations were also unsubstantiated, the reports said, meaning that the allegation “may have happened or is valid, but there is not a preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violation did or did not occur.” 

Evans said CCLD and KinderCare have both been notified of the ongoing police investigation. 

Community members at Monday’s meeting called for a thorough investigation of the allegations and support for the families involved. 

“KinderCare claims to have a strong code of ethics, but they clearly don’t follow it,” said Raychelle Jeffries, the mother of the two children involved in the recent claims. “My daughter can barely sleep at night; she has to sleep with us. She’s having nightmares.” 

Jeffries said the accused staff member received similar complaints during her time at the KinderCare location in Antioch before being transferred to Pittsburg. “That’s not protecting children; that’s protecting liability,” she said. 

Other parents shared similar experiences of their children being physically or verbally abused at either the Antioch or Pittsburg location in posts online. 

“I talked to my son and he told me (the accused staff member) squeezes him really hard, and it hurts him,” one parent said online. 

Jeffries said she was told the staff member accused of abusing her children was placed on administrative leave. 

Since October, two allegations involving an unidentified staff member pulling a child’s hair and handling infants in a rough manner were substantiated at one of the Antioch locations. CCLD classifies these citations as “Type A,” which means they pose an “immediate” impact to the health, safety and personal rights of children. 

KinderCare did not speak at the meeting but said in an April 28 response to Jeffries on social media that they appreciated the concerns being brought forward. 

“Every family that has chosen KinderCare should have confidence that their child is learning and growing in a safe, warm, and welcoming environment, and we want to assure you that we hold our teams to a much higher standard than what you have described here,” the company said in that post. 

Despite being unable to discuss concerns with community members because they were made during public comment, Mayor Jelani Killings assured them that the concerns did not fall on deaf ears. 

“I do want the community to know that we do hear you,” he said. “We have heard you and thank you for coming out to this public forum to share your concerns, especially sounding the alarm about things going on in the community. Staff is here and … there will be a response.” 

Community members said they plan to protest outside the Pittsburg facility this Friday. 

Council updates city logo

After being divided on a new city logo at the last meeting due to concerns that it didn’t accurately represent residents, the Pittsburg City Council unanimously approved replacing the current logo with the modernized version. But some of the most prominent elements of the logo — such as colors — could still change.

“A lot of these things can be subjective,” said Killings, who has maintained his support for the new logo but did not think it was much different. “It’s not just about the legacy … but also the logo and the nature of it.” 

With the approval of the new logo, City Manager Garret Evans said staff will work with the Community Economic Development Subcommittee to come up with branding and marketing. Evans said that includes the colors and fonts used in the logo, which could change based on community feedback. 

“We’ll revise that as appropriate to make sure that council, the community and everyone is happy,” he said. 

The new logo is part of a $200,000 contract that includes a branding strategy to help boost economic development in the city and build trust with residents and outside audiences. 

The council previously approved the branding and marketing strategy that guides colors and fonts used in the logo and the city’s “brand story” to create a consistent brand to distinguish itself from other cities. 

Council members Arlene Kobata and Angelica Lopez, who were not in favor of the logo at the last meeting and suggested other ways to incorporate both the new and old logos into branding, both voted in favor of the logo.