Pause And Rewind
She sat back as the video from the camera started playing. With how bad the daycare's reviews had been in the past month, she hated being forced to employ such drastic measures.
The video started playing, and she increased the speed to cover more ground quicker. But something flashed by the screen that made her lunge for the pause and rewind buttons.
A Teacher With A Heart Of Gold
Cammy Ashwin was your everyday middle school teacher from Granville, Ohio. She loved everything about her job. To her, teaching was more than simply imparting knowledge. It was taking care of kids as a parent would.
Cammy had spent the last thirty years as a teacher and was soon retiring. With all the years she'd spent with kids, she'd seen everything that came with such environments. But nothing would ever match what the camera revealed to her that evening.
A New Gig
Cammy was fifty-two when the incident took place. She'd just retired, and her and her husband Mark had opened their own daycare, which had gained popularity almost immediately.
For Cammy, managing a daycare had been something she dreamed about throughout her years as a teacher. She had no clue what her wishes would do to everything she loved in her life.
Setting Things In Motion
Cammy and Mark's daycare was like no other in their tiny town. To begin, although small, the daycare was bigger than most others. It also boasted several amenities that set it apart from the other daycares.
Cammy had gone to lengths to create an all-rounded curriculum for the kids at the daycare. She also sought out the best caregivers and nannies she could find. She didn't know that one of them would threaten to destroy what she'd worked so hard to build.
The New Hire
It was a late summer afternoon when Cammy hired Gladys, a certified caregiver who was supposed to oversee all the nannies under Cammy and Mark's employ.
The daycare had been doing good throughout the last month, and Cammy thought it a good idea to bring in extra help that would bump their numbers even higher. Her decision would kickstart the events that would put her daycare on the national map, not in a good way.
A Caregiver Like No Other
Gladys was unlike any caregiver Cammy had ever met. She was composed but very formal, wearing a tie with her outfit. She brought in a slew of modifications to the systems Cammy and Mark set in place.
She assured the couple that the changes had helped her create some of the most successful daycares across the Eastern seaboard, and Cammy and Mark were more than in. If only they knew what was truly happening.
The Result
Cammy and Mark greenlit every suggestion Gladys brought to the table. But instead of their numbers going up, parents began pulling their kids from the daycare.
Some of the nannies who had been happy to work with Cammy and Mark seemed miserable, with some of them even quitting without notice. But what was so bad that resulted in such a negative outcome?
Investigation
One of the nannies Cammy spoke to shared that Gladys was too strict on the kids and the nannies themselves.
She'd implemented new timetables that didn't give the caregivers enough time to bond with the kids and always insisted on taking care of the children as a group instead of individually. Cammy sat back as she listened and knew she needed to look into the matter before she and Mark made any decisions.
A Mother And Caregiver
Cammy and Mark met up with one of the parents who'd pulled their kid out of the daycare. Cammy approached her as a mother and caregiver and not a manager at a daycare.
She wanted to know why the parent wouldn't entrust their kid to them anymore. What the parent would reveal would prompt Cammy to install cameras all over the daycare immediately.
They Depend On Her
"You were here when Johnny was born, weren't you?" the parent asked. "You've seen him grow into the boy he is. Have you ever seen him flinch at loud voices or fear going up the stairs?
I think your new nanny is doing something that is upsetting these kids, Cam," she said. "Please look into it. These kids depend on you."
They’re Speechless
Cammy and Mark were dumbfounded as they left the parent's house. Indeed Cammy had been there throughout Johnny's young life. She didn't know him as someone afraid of anything.
But what was Gladys doing that was ticking off the kids? Eager to get to the root of the problem, Cammy told Mark they needed to install hidden cameras all over daycare. Although she hated the idea, she needed to get to the root of this issue.
Big Brain Move
When Cammy and Mark installed the cameras, they didn't know what they'd find. Half of the nannies had quit, and a quarter of the parents stopped bringing their kids to the daycare.
The cameras rolled throughout the day, with Cammy leaving the daycare, so whatever was happening on the premises would happen in full force. She returned that evening and, after checking in with everybody, Gladys included, hurried to her office to see what was happening.
Bingo!
Cammy clicked on the camera feed and started watching. She speeded up the video, looking for anything suspicious. And sure enough, she saw it.
Cammy jumped on the pause and rewind buttons. She slowed down the video and saw Gladys yelling at the kids. At times she'd yell at the remaining nannies as well. Cammy's lip parted, but it only got worse.
Horrific Displays
Gladys carelessly picked up one of the kids by his leg and tossed him onto a sleeping court nearby. Cammy's insides shriveled as she saw the child fly, and she turned off the video immediately.
Cammy told Mark what she'd seen, and they called the police. They presented the videos, which had even more awful things. Gladys had to be stopped.
Being Careful
Gladys was taken to court, and her certificate as a caregiver was nullified. She was also charged with mistreating the kids she was supposed to love and nurture.
For Cammy, the harrowing event was an eye-opener. She learned that no matter how good a person looks on paper, it's always a good idea to know who they are in and out before entrusting them with a dear part of your life.