Alexander County daycare worker fired after child assault arrest

ALEXANDER COUNTY, N.C. — A childcare worker has been arrested and fired after a 2-year-old’s parents alerted authorities to allegations of abuse at a church daycare.

Holly Payne has been charged with assault of a child under the age of 12. According to the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, she worked at the Mt. Bethel Methodist Church Child Development Center in Bethlehem. The daycare serves around 30 kids.

Court documents say she willfully assaulted a young boy by grabbing his arm and “flipping him over aggressively onto a cot during nap time.” A parent went to the sheriff’s office after noticing a bruise on the 2-year-old’s arm.

Jennifer Roberts, director of the Mt Bethel Methodist Church Child Development Center, issued an apology following the arrest of the staff member. Roberts pledged to closely monitor classroom surveillance cameras to prevent future incidents.

“Honestly shocked and hurt by it. And I apologize to the parents and to the child who was hurt, and it does not stand for that at all. Those kids are my number one priority,” Roberts said.

Roberts noted that she felt divinely guided to a career in child care and emphasized her daily oversight at the facility.

“I like to be involved with the kids throughout the day. I assure that the kids are safe here,” Roberts said.

Ashley Morrow, a mother who withdrew her 2-year-old child from the center during the summer, expressed dismay over the allegations.

“We entrust our children with people that are expected to provide care for them, give a safe place to stay while we go to work. And just to see this, it’s very disheartening. And I’m going to be flat honest with you ... disgusting,” Morrow said.

The criminal charges follow previous safety issues documented at the Bethlehem facility. State records from the previous month revealed multiple infractions, including uncovered electrical outlets, cleaning agents stored in unsecured areas, and employees who lacked mandatory CPR certification.

The church pastor stated that facility officials are currently notifying parents regarding the employee’s arrest.

Deputies say Payne has bonded out of jail. She is expected to make her first appearance in court on Nov. 23.

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