Three women are facing charges of child endangerment and battery after they were accused of force-feeding children at a suburban daycare center.
According to prosecutors, 38-year-old Maura Healy, 24-year-old Stephanie Radke, and 19-year-old Mariah Flemister each face charges of battery and endangering the life of a child after they say surveillance footage shows the three women force-feeding two infants on separate occasions at the Little People Learning Center in suburban Downers Grove.
The owner of the daycare center told NBC 5 on Wednesday that all three women were fired after the allegations came to light earlier this year.
All three of the women accused in the case have been released on bond, and are scheduled to appear in DuPage County court on May 15.
According to authorities, a report was made to the Department of Child and Family Services hotline in mid-January, alleging abuse against an eight-month old child at the facility. Surveillance footage at the facility allegedly shows the three women force-feeding two children, including the eight-month old, in Dec. 2018 and Jan. 2019, according to a press release from the Downers Grove Police Department.
DCFS officials say that there is an ongoing investigation into the incident, as well as a licensing investigation into the facility.
