DSS documents detail alleged abuse at Anderson daycare

ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) — Documents released by the Department of Social Services (DSS) detail how First Presbyterian Church Day School learned of alleged abuse within their own facility.

Former daycare employee Janice Ruinard was charged with nine counts of unlawfully placing a child at risk of, or causing harm or willfully abandoning a child.

A timeline of events provided by the daycare’s director states daycare staff reviewed surveillance footage on February 27 and were “shocked at how roughly [Ruinard] handled the children as she put them down for their nap.”

They said the video shows Ruinard “force the child to lay down and pressed their heads down to face a certain way. She pulled their legs and arms down by their side. She would aggressively pat them on the back. Some children she would jerk up and in a rough manner place on the mat. She would roughly handle a toddler as she put them in time out.”

According to the Anderson Police Department, all victims are one-year-old.

The documents state another caregiver was in the room during the alleged abuse but did “nothing.”

The daycare director showed Ruinard the surveillance video on February 27. They said she “kept saying she was sorry and she had been rough trying to get them to go lay down and go to sleep. We asked her not to return until further notice. She was terminated.”

The daycare reported the situation to DSS on February 28. Parents were also notified and brought in to watch the video.

Document state DSS recommends the daycare be cited for violating a regulation. They also suggest daycare staff be trained on how to properly handle children during nap time. 

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