For most parents, leaving a child at daycare is nerve-wracking \u2014 but for 1-year-old Clay, his very first day became a nightmare. When his father, U.S. Marine Cory Weeks, picked him up from Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge, Washington, the toddler\u2019s face was swollen, bruised, and cut. Staff initially claimed another child had caused the injuries with a toy.<\/p>\n
But that story quickly unraveled. Weeks obtained surveillance footage that allegedly showed daycare worker Yvette Thurston, 54, assaulting his son. Authorities later arrested Thurston on multiple child abuse charges, including three counts of first-degree child abuse and one count of aggravated battery. A judge set her bond at $44,000, which she posted before being released.<\/p>\n
The disturbing images of Clay\u2019s injuries were shared by Weeks on Facebook, sparking outrage. He wrote: \u201cThis is every parent\u2019s worst nightmare\u2026 The severity of the acts of violence to our son has everyone confident this was not her first time.\u201d Clay was rushed to the hospital for treatment, and while he is recovering, the case has left the community shaken.<\/p>\n
Georgia\u2019s Department of Early Care and Learning confirmed Thurston has been removed from her role, and investigations are ongoing. Weeks has vowed to pursue justice, warning other parents: \u201cDon\u2019t ever feel like you can\u2019t question how an injury happened to your child.\u201d The horrifying ordeal serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance \u2014 and why no child should ever suffer such abuse in a place meant to protect them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For most parents, leaving a child at daycare is nerve-wracking \u2014 but for 1-year-old Clay, his very first day became a nightmare. When his father, U.S. Marine… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n