Parent complaints have led to the arrest of a 22-year-old woman who reportedly force-fed children while working at a north Forsyth day care.
Anita Elizabeth Szaller of 8540 Opal Court was charged May 6 with cruelty to children and two counts of simple battery, said Forsyth County Sheriff’s Capt. Paul Taylor.
Szaller was released Friday from the Forsyth County Detention Center after posting $23,320 bond, a jail spokeswoman said.
Taylor said investigators received complaints from the parents of two unrelated children that an employee at Kid Central Child Care on Keith Bridge Road had been “aggressively forcing children to eat their meals.”
“We conducted an investigation and did numerous interviews and the result of our investigation was that we have charged this one individual,” Taylor said.
He said the parents turned to authorities after their children cried about what happened.
“Our investigation is still continuing,” he said.
Kid Central director Wendy Glass said Szaller was fired from the day care April 10 and did not know she had been arrested.
“We were made aware of the allegations made and of course we knew that it was being looked into to see if there was any evidence of that kind of thing,” Glass said. “Of course, we’re following through on our end to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
She said the day care has not received additional complaints.
But according to Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, the facility was cited in February for a disciplinary matter.
According to a complaint investigation, Kid Central reportedly disciplined a child by “holding a bathroom door on a child and restricting the child from exiting the bathroom.”
The investigation does not name a specific employee.
Bright from the Start is part of the state Department of Human Resources and performs several functions including licensing child care centers and home-based child care.
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.
Anita Elizabeth Szaller of 8540 Opal Court was charged May 6 with cruelty to children and two counts of simple battery, said Forsyth County Sheriff’s Capt. Paul Taylor.
Szaller was released Friday from the Forsyth County Detention Center after posting $23,320 bond, a jail spokeswoman said.
Taylor said investigators received complaints from the parents of two unrelated children that an employee at Kid Central Child Care on Keith Bridge Road had been “aggressively forcing children to eat their meals.”
“We conducted an investigation and did numerous interviews and the result of our investigation was that we have charged this one individual,” Taylor said.
He said the parents turned to authorities after their children cried about what happened.
“Our investigation is still continuing,” he said.
Kid Central director Wendy Glass said Szaller was fired from the day care April 10 and did not know she had been arrested.
“We were made aware of the allegations made and of course we knew that it was being looked into to see if there was any evidence of that kind of thing,” Glass said. “Of course, we’re following through on our end to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
She said the day care has not received additional complaints.
But according to Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, the facility was cited in February for a disciplinary matter.
According to a complaint investigation, Kid Central reportedly disciplined a child by “holding a bathroom door on a child and restricting the child from exiting the bathroom.”
The investigation does not name a specific employee.
Bright from the Start is part of the state Department of Human Resources and performs several functions including licensing child care centers and home-based child care.
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.