For parents, the decision to hire outside child care for an infant is a difficult one. Often, they don’t have a choice in the decision; most adults have to work full-time jobs. And a lot of parents don’t have family who live nearby to pitch in with child care. Hiring a relative stranger is often the only option.
A couple in the Bay Area are trying to shed light on what it means to hire a stranger and the negative effects it could have. Weeks after they employed a nighttime nanny, they reportedly discovered she was abusing their newborn. Now, they’re speaking out.
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The parents had just brought their baby girl home from the hospital in late September when they hired a night nanny.
Sitting down to speak with local ABC7 News Bay Area, the parents, who go by “D” and “T” to protect themselves, said they hired the nanny through a social media reference.
“From the phone call we had with her, it sounded very legit, and she seemed like a good nanny,” T, the baby’s father, said. “Of course, we interviewed the nanny as well.”
Most of the video footage is too disturbing to share publicly, the parents claim.
A few weeks after hiring the nanny, whose identity hasn’t been disclosed, the parents discovered something horrible was happening in their home. They found baby monitor footage of their nanny allegedly abusing their daughter, “H.” Over multiple nights, they reportedly saw the nanny striking the baby, shaking her aggressively, and, most horrifically, throwing the baby across the room.
“It’s definitely horrifying for any parent and family to go through,” the father said. “Just a few days of this kind of abuse could have lifelong consequences for a baby.”
Naturally, they ended their relationship with her.
After noticing the aggressive actions on the nanny’s part, the parents decided to fire her. It was then that they saw the extent of her abuse on the video.
“We all thought we could trust her. Never imagined something like this could happen,” he admitted. “Of course we feel guilty as parents.”
Once they found the video footage, they shared it on social media and got a lot of support. An online petition was circulated and got 33,000 signatures demanding accountability, ABC7 Bay Area reported.
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The family has involved the authorities.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe also spoke with ABC7 Bay Area. He told them his office is working closely with Hillsborough police on the case.
“What struck me overwhelmingly as soon as I read the case was the age of the victim. That’s what’s so unusual for us,” Wagstaffe said. “If we can convict them, for me, prison is the only answer for someone who would do something such as this repeatedly – not one time in anger or loss of self-control, but repeated,” he shared.
“If the evidence supports it, this person would be going to prison for double-digit years, easily.”
They're sharing their story to save others.
Baby H has undergone an MRI and had a full body X-ray done, and her parents will continue to monitor her for any long-term damage. Although it has been difficult for them to speak out about their experience, they know they have to.
“My goal is to warn parents about this nanny. I don’t want any family baby or mom to experience this again,” the mom said.
So far, the nanny has not been charged, but the DA says his office plans to file charges in the coming weeks.
