SALEM TWP. - The Wayne County district attorney's office will not press criminal charges against a day care whose license was revoked by a state agency after allegations of child abuse were made.
Just 4 Kids Daycare and Learning, 442 Cemetery Road, Hamlin, had its operating license suspended and then revoked last month after an investigation by the state Department of Public Welfare from March 18 to 22.
Department spokeswoman Anne Bale said the license revocation still stands because their jurisdiction is separate from police.
"They focus on the criminal aspect and we oversee licensing only and make a decision based on whether or not a facility is following state regulations," Ms. Bale said in an email.
Among the instances of abuse, staff members would hold a child upside down to prevent him from biting and force a child to walk around in soiled underwear as punishment for having an accident, the department claimed.
State police said the abuse was reported to have happened from June through November.
Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards said state police learned the report of the abuse did not come from a parent of the child restrained. They investigated the allegations by interviewing the person who made the report, day care staff, children at the day care and the victim of the reported abuse, among others.
Ms. Edwards declined to comment on who reported the abuse, saying the information is confidential.
"The Pennsylvania State Police responded to the report of child abuse in a quick and appropriate manner. Their investigation was thorough and is concluded at this time," Ms. Edwards said in a release. "Criminal charges in this matter would not be substantiated by the facts and information gathered and provided to me. Therefore, no criminal charges are being filed at this time regarding this incident."
Day care owner Doreen Tomasetti could not be reached for comment, but she has previously denied all allegations of child abuse.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT