Louisiana mom wants answers after baby is attacked in daycare

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A New Orleans mother is demanding answers after her daughter was assaulted in preschool.

The incident happened a week ago at Angel’s Haven Daycare on South Claiborne Avenue in Hollygrove.

“Relive it is just a horror,” said Cymande Ford.

Ford spoke about the moment she was reunited with her daughter, 19-month-old Harley, at around 11:15 a.m. on February 9 at Angel’s Haven Daycare.

Minutes earlier, she received a call from the school principal asking her to come to school.

“I understand [Harley’s] face, and it looks like it’s been mauled by a cat, so I start screaming, I’m crying, I dropped my purse and I’m asking what happened,” Ford explained. “I took Harley, and i’m just asking [the school’s director] What happened.”

Ford said she was told Harley was involved in a “fight” with a one-year-old at school.

The principal of the school and the daughter who works there reportedly took Ford to the emergency room to get Harley checked out.

“Seven bites on one arm, she’s got a few bites on the other arm, she’s wearing pants, but [the 1-year-old] bit her pants through both legs,” said Ford. “You can see the teeth marks; they are clear and visible.”

At the hospital, Ford says, the nurse began asking questions to find out what happened.

“So, [the nurse] says, “When did this happen?” I say ’11 o’clock’ because that’s when they called me,” Ford said. “The daughter says, ‘Oh no, it happened just before 8 [a.m.]'”

Ford said she was not given an explanation as to why it took them so long to call.

WGNO called Angel’s Haven Daycare to see if they would like to share their side of the story. The director said “no” and hung up.

“It was hard enough for me to send my kid to daycare because I’m a business owner and it’s just crazy that this is happening on her third day after something I’ve already struggled with so much,” Ford said .

A report was filed with the New Orleans Police Department and the Department of Children and Family Services is investigating the incident.