Here's a little tip for anyone who runs or works at a daycare center: Unless you want to get your license revoked, you probably should not bite the kids in your care. 
Erin LaBarge of Norwood, N.Y. totally missed that memo. A few weeks ago, as reported by News 10 Now, LaBarge admitted to biting a two-year-old boy that she cares for during the day. She openly told the boy's mother, Miranda Vari, that she sunk her teeth into the child, but Vari didn't fully grasp the information. She assumed LaBarge meant she had given him a tiny, playful bite.
After returning home, Vari's son Kole began complaining about a boo boo on his back. While changing his diaper, Vari found the sizeable bruise, where teeth marks were still visible. Giving LaBarge the benefit of the doubt, Vari called to ask the woman exactly where she had bitten Kole. She confirmed that it was on his back. Kole's parents then reported the incident to the police and Social Services.
The News 10 story says LaBarge's daycare license was revoked and she was charged with one count of endangering a minor, but it also says she is still allowed to care for two unrelated children at a time. My guess is most parents pulled their kids out of that daycare so quickly it didn't matter, but that still strikes me as strange. If her license has been revoked and she has a charge like that on her record, it seems like she shouldn't be caring for any kids, at least until she seeks some sort of help.
The story also doesn't explain what motivated LaBarge to bite, which is what I find most puzzling. Was Kole misbehaving? Had he bitten her and she wanted to teach him a lesson? Neither scenario justifies the behavior, of course. But I am just baffled by what could motivate an adult, a person who had been a licensed daycare provider for the past six years, to do such a thing.
Aside from being just plain bizarre, this story is a reminder of how important it is to thoroughly vet any daycare center or nanny. Get references. Check on their licensing and, if possible, find out if any formal complaints have been filed against them. Visit the center or the provider and, most importantly, go with you gut instincts about whether the care offered will be what's best for your child.
Even after doing all of that, sometimes the unexpected can still happen. Vari claims that LaBarge was a family friend, so she probably felt she
could trust her. But apparently sometimes basic trust isn't enough to save your kid from getting a nasty bite in the back.
Image: News10Now.com
