State officials have closed Forsyth Methodist Church’s Caring for Kids daycare after disturbing allegations surfaced about child mistreatment. The emergency shutdown follows an employee’s arrest for giving toddlers Benadryl without parental consent.
🧩 What’s Happening: Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) issued an emergency closure order Monday, citing “imminent danger” to children’s welfare.
- The center employee, Kendasja Hughley, was arrested last week for allegedly giving Benadryl to toddlers — a medication not recommended for children under six.
- DECAL’s order reveals new accusations of staff “wrestling” with two-year-olds and forcefully throwing them onto mats.
⚠️ Between the Lines: Daycare leadership allegedly knew about the Benadryl incident for days before taking action.
- According to DECAL, center directors viewed surveillance footage of the incident on March 5 but took no disciplinary action until law enforcement became involved on March 10.
- The order states parents reported their children were “sluggish” and “not normal” when picked up, but were never informed about medication being administered.
🔎 The Big Picture: The 21-day emergency closure allows investigators to determine if this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern of abuse. DECAL officials say they don’t know “how often and for what period of time” children were given Benadryl while in the center’s care.
📞 Next Steps: Parents needing immediate childcare alternatives can visit DECAL’s website or call 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS for assistance. The daycare has the right to appeal the closure order before an administrative judge.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
