A 34-year-old Rye YMCA childcare worker was charged with child endangerment Friday for allegedly handling a toddler “in an especially rough manner on multiple occasions,” according to the Westchester County District Attorney’s office.
While working at the Rye YMCA, Molly Swain allegedly lifted a 19-month-old child and dropped the toddler to the floor on one occasion, and grabbed the same toddler by the back shirt collar to lift the child off the floor on two other occasions.
“Westchester parents who drop their kids off at day care expect they will be nurtured by the professionals entrusted with their care,” District Attorney Susan Cacace said Friday. “Instead, this defendant is alleged to have betrayed her duty as a care worker, subjecting the child victim in this case to unnecessary roughness.”
Swain was charged with misdemeanor Endangering the Welfare of a Child during the arraignment in Rye City Court on Friday. She was then released, as her charge didn’t elicit bail.
Cacace said the charges came about after “diligent investigation and prosecutorial scrutiny” by both the Rye Police Department and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
“We were recently made aware of the arrest of a now-former staff member following allegations of physical abuse at the Rye YMCA Early Learning Center,” the Rye YMCA said Friday in a statement. “When we first learned of the allegations, we placed two teachers in the classroom on administrative leave, pending investigation. Since then, both employees have been terminated.
“All the checks that the Rye YMCA and third-party organizations conducted on these former staff members came back clean – they had no previous record or any other cause for concern in their background, nor have they had any disciplinary issues while working at the Rye YMCA.
“We take our responsibility to children and their families very seriously, and we take pride in providing safe places for children to grow in skills and self-confidence. We are committed to providing a safe environment to every person in our programs, most importantly children who are entrusted to our care. That any child should be harmed in our care is unacceptable and we continue to keep those affected in our thoughts.”
Swain is due back in court on May 5.
