ANDERSON COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – A former daycare employee was charged with nine counts of child abuse in Anderson County.
53-year-old Janice Ruinard was an employee at First Presbyterian Church Day School located at 302 West Whitner Street.
The Anderson Police Department received a referral in early March from the Anderson County Department of Social Services in regard to an incident that occurred at the daycare.
Arrest warrants state that from February 17 to February 27, Ruinard yanked and pressed on at least nine victims or used undo force on them while working as a daycare teacher.
All of the alleged victims are one-year-old, according to investigators.
The Anderson Police Department charged Ruinard with nine counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk of, or causing harm or willfully abandoning a child.
She was booked into the Anderson County Detention Center and has been released on bond.
First Presbyterian Church Pastor Dennis Tedder provided the following statement following Ruinard’s arrest:
First Presbyterian Church Day School makes the safety and well-being of our children and their families of paramount importance. We will always act to protect our children and notify authorities of any indications of improper treatment or conduct where our children and program are concerned.
Pastor Dennis Tedder
