MILWAUKEE — The former owner of the daycare Two Helping Hands was charged with four counts of physical abuse of a child, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday. The allegations include slapping children, holding them by their limbs and threatening children with violence, the DA's office says.
According to a statement from the DA's office, Danielle R. Jones was the owner of the daycare facility Two Helping Hands located at 6414 W. Silver Spring Drive in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee police investigated the daycare and obtained surveillance video from inside the building that "captured multiple instances of child maltreatment to children who have yet to be identified."
The DA's office and the police department are still investigating and "are seeking records that would identify the additional child victims as well as the parents and/or guardians of those children," according to the statement. [Information to contact law enforcement is listed at the bottom of this report.]
According to the criminal complaint against Danielle R. Jones, on Sept. 1, 2022 police were called to a home of a woman claiming the daycare owner had slapped her 4-year-old in the face.
Another person told police that on Aug. 31, 2022 they saw Jones slap a child, “then held him like a baby after hitting him and told him she would give him a snack but did not.”
The defendant told police that "children frequently fight" at the daycare. Police said they seized a DVR with surveillance video.
On just one day, the surveillance video, "depicted numerous instances of the defendant threatening children with violence, times where children were left without adult supervision, and times where the defendant picked children up by an arm or their arms," the complaint states.
Online court records show an arrest warrant was issued for Danielle R. Jones.
State records indicate Two Helping Hands' license was suspended in September 2022, with a notice of intent to revoke Jones' license.
A spokesperson for the Department of Children and Families said Jones waived her right to a hearing and voluntarily closed the daycare last year.
DCF records also show Two Helping Hands has had dozens of violations since it opened including incomplete staff background checks, inaccurate counts of children, and several instances of staff members with missing or outdated training on child abuse and neglect.
DCF said they're currently in the process of revoking Jones' license.
See the DA's office's statement below:
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office has charged Danielle R. Jones 6/17/1985
DOB, with four counts of physical abuse of a child. Danielle R. Jones was the owner and
operator of Two Helping Hands, a daycare facility previously located at 6414 W. Silver Spring
Drive, in the City of Milwaukee, County of Milwaukee.
The investigation of the Milwaukee Police Department led to the recovery of surveillance
video from inside the facility that captured multiple instances of child maltreatment to
children who have yet to be identified. The Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee
County District Attorney’s Office are continuing the investigation into this matter and are
seeking records that would identify the additional child victims as well as the parents and/or
guardians of those children.
If you are a parent or guardian of a child that attended Two Helping Hands between July 1,
2022, and September 1, 2022, please call the Milwaukee Police Department, Sensitive Crimes
Division, at 414-935-7401.
If you would rather discuss the matter with a victim advocate from the Milwaukee County
District Attorney’s Office, please call 414-278-4617.
Danielle R. Jones is presumed innocent, unless and until proven guilty in court of law.
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