Finding a good day care center for your child is hard. In most places, there aren't a lot of options, and the best places are either expensive or have long waiting lists. Parents are forced to take whatever options they can get, which can lead to questionable caregivers and unknowingly putting their kids in dangerous situations.
One day care owner in Arkansas is being charged after two separate children in her care allegedly ingested gummies that contained marijuana. Both children are OK, but there is no report of what will happen to the day care or its owner.
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The day care owner is facing two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.
Tamantha McPherson, the 58-year-old owner of the day care in Yellville, Arkansas, has been charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and two counts of introduction of a controlled substance into the body of another, after two different sets of parents reported to the police that their children ingested marijuana while in McPherson's care.
The first incident happened in early April.
According to court documents obtained by the Ozark Radio News, on April 3, 2024, the parents of a 2-year-old girl noticed the girl seemed "off" after picking her up from McPherson's day care. At the hospital, doctors performed tests on the child and found that she had traces of marijuana in her system. The parents told police that they don't keep marijuana in their home, and said that McPherson wasn't allowed to give their child medication.
Another incident happened soon after.
Two days later, on April 5, 2024, authorities received another call about a child in McPherson's care. This time, it was the parents of a 15-month-old boy who claimed that he was acting off after they picked him up from the day care. A blood test showed that the toddler had marijuana in his system. Again, the parents claimed to not have marijuana in the house.
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The day care owner admitted to having the gummies in her possession.
Local news outlet KYTV, reported that according to the court documents, the authorities interviewed McPherson. She admitted to taking THC gummies, and said that she usually leaves them in the kitchen.
McPherson told the authorities that she has about eight kids in her day care, and they all have access to the kitchen. She also admitted that she gets the gummies in Missouri and brings them to Arkansas. Medical marijuana is legal in Arkansas, but recreational marijuana is not.
None of the reports on the story state if McPherson's day care had been suspended or shut down.
