Mom Gets a Photo of Her 2-Year-Old Son from Day Care, Sees Him Restrained in Blankets

Michigan parents Jason and Rebecca Vannest thought their child was safe at the daycare until they received a photo of their two-year-old son from one of the employees. Read on to discover what happened next.

For parents, nothing can be more precious or important than their children. Most parents can go to any lengths to ensure their children are safe at all times and wouldn't hesitate to jeopardize their lives to keep their little ones out of harm's way.

However, sometimes, a seemingly safe and secure place for kids can turn out to be traumatizing. Parents go through immense pain when this happens, thinking about what their child had to survive.

The Couple's First Child

Jason and Rebecca Vannest welcomed their first child in 2013. After Rebecca became pregnant, the couple spent their time planning everything they needed to do as first-time parents.

However, things took a different turn a year later.

Like most couples embracing parenthood for the first time, the Vannests wanted their son to have the best things in life, so they spent much time researching whenever they chose anything for him. They even started hunting for the best daycare for their boy even before he was born.

Daycare Hunt

Before her first pregnancy, Rebecca had made a list of daycares for her future child. After knowing she was pregnant, she visited multiple daycare centers with her husband.

After weighing the pros and cons of every daycare in town, Jason and Rebecca decided to enroll their son at the Rainbow Child Care Center in Michigan. Little did they know that they would soon regret their decision.

What Upset the Couple's Baby

Once the couple's son, William Vannest, turned one, they sent him to the daycare, assuming he would be safe there. Since they had done their research, they were sure their son wouldn't feel uncomfortable. However, things took a different turn a year later.

Rebecca started noticing that William was upset when he reached home from daycare. She even called the childcare center and asked them if something was bothering him. Every time she would call, the management told her that nothing was wrong, and she would feel relieved. She recalled:

"It felt like we had a trust."

Receiving the Photo from an Anonymous Source

In June 2015, a little after their son turned two, the Vannests said their trust was broken. "We had a contact from a worker at Rainbow who had a great concern about the care that [William] was being provided," revealed Jason. "She was just, kind of sick to her stomach about it so she had to tell us," expressed Rebecca.

It wasn't long before a worker at the daycare, who wished to remain anonymous, sent Rebecca a photo of William wrapped in a blanket against his will while he was asleep. According to Jason, the insider explained to him and his wife that their son was physically bound during naps, and it had happened quite often over the past couple of months.

The information from the insider broke the Michigan parents' trust and deeply upset them. Nonetheless, they felt relieved to learn everything their son was going through and knew they would do everything possible to ensure he wouldn't experience it again.

The Parents Wanted Justice

After seeing the picture, the Vannests felt it was "a clear case of abuse" because the employees had restrained their son against his will, so they didn't have to look after him. The distraught mom shared her feelings about the situation:

"It was really upsetting."

Without wasting more time, Jason and Rebecca immediately withdrew William from the daycare and informed the police about the incident. They wanted to get justice for their son.

Taking Action

The police and state investigated the case and concluded that the daycare was at fault for "restricting William's movement during nap time." However, the daycare did not reveal whether it punished the employee for mistreating William. Rebecca said:

"It's just scary as a parent because I don't know how another parent would find this out."

The Michigan parents also expressed their belief that the action taken was insufficient. Jason mentioned that they assumed justice would be served, action taken, and consequences imposed on someone who had abused or harmed their child, and in this case, it just hadn't happened so far. In light of their story, CPS advised parents to ask about the daycare's approach to handling behavioral issues for their child and to foster open communication.

What would you do if your trust was broken like this? Would you file a police complaint as Rebecca and Jason did? Click here to read another story about a mom who found out the daycare employees had locked her son as punishment.