A daycare is a place of trust for parents. You trust that your baby is safe inside it. You trust the workers there to care for your precious little ones as you would. But last week, that trust was broken for many parents in a horrific daycare attack in New York.
A daycare worker carried out a frenzied stabbing attack on the tiny wards of Mei Xin Care Center — three newborns — before trying to kill herself in the basement of the centre.
Right: The scene of the attack. Left: Mr Wang’s newborn child, after the attack. Images: NYP screengrab, Chen Wang/Brigitte Steltzer/G.N. Miller.
Daycare Attack In New York: What Happened?
On Friday September 20, a pre-dawn attack took place at a suspected illegal New York childcare centre. Reports say that the centre offered zuo yue zi (“sitting the month” or confinement) care for new Chinese mothers and babies.
According to news reports, Mei Xin Care Center is just one of many such centers in New York. Most of them reportedly cater to pregnant Chinese women on tourist visas who hope to get “coveted US citizenship for their babies,” says The New York Post.
The 52-year-old female worker of Mei Xin Care Center had attacked two baby girls and a baby boy ranging in age from just three days to one month old.
She had also stabbed two adults. One of the adults worked at the daycare, while the other is a father of one of the babies.
Thankfully, none of the little ones died.
But now, the father of a tiny newborn victim, has spoken up and shared his story.
Dad Of Tiny Victim In Daycare Attack In New York Speaks Of His Horror
Atiana Wang was just 13 days old when her tiny body was pierced by a knife-wielding nanny. The baby’s father — Chen Wang — has spoken to The New York Post of the ordeal.
“The knife went through the [baby’s] body, from the front to the back”, Wang told The New York Post on Saturday 22 September. Both his wife and baby (their first child) were at the Cohen Children’s Medical Center.
He told The New York Post, “We try our best to help the mommy and the baby [by having them stay at Mei Xin]. We didn’t know we gotta suffer this much. We didn’t know that there is crazy people in there.”
Speaking of his wife, he said, “she can’t even sleep because when she closes her eyes she saw the blood on the baby and on the floor.”
Even though the centre was used mostly by people on tourist visas, this was not the case for the Wangs. Apparently, Mr Wang is a US citizen, but with no family help available, he wanted to use Mei Xin’s confinement services to help his wife recover from birth.
Meanwhile, the attacker — Yu Fen Wang — remains in custody, and is reportedly undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
What Are The Risks Of A Daycare Worker Doing This In Singapore?
Mums and dads, you can rest assured that all providers of care for children in Singapore — whether this is daycare/ childcare, pre-school/ kindergarten, or primary school and above — have to undergo strict training.
Foreign applicants for early childhood care in Singapore undergo a rigorous assessment by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).
Still, it makes sense to be aware of red flags both in your child’s behaviour as well as at the location that provides care to your child.
In your child, look out for:
- Fear or anxiety of going to school, especially if it’s already been a few months since they’ve started there.
- Very obvious changes in behaviour. For example, an outgoing child suddenly becomes very shy or withdrawn.
- Unexplained bruises, welts or cuts.
- Regression. For example, an older child who’s already kicked his thumb-sucking (or other comforting) habit, reverts to it.
- Night terrors or recurring nightmares
In your daycare, look out for:
- Inability or reluctance to share safety and hygiene policies.
- There is no daily routine.
- No emotional support for upset children. This is something you can pick up on when you tour the centre before admitting your child there.
- Too many children.
- Dirty toilets — again, you can make this observation during your tour of the centre.
Here at theAsianparent, we hope all the tiny victims and adult of the daycare attack in New York make a speedy and full recovery.
Also read: How to choose the right daycare centre
Source: New York Post