Two Saskatoon mothers are sharing the warning signs of what they describe as neglect at an unlicensed in-home daycare in the city.

CTV News has agreed to grant anonymity to the women to protect the identities of their children. Their real names were not used in this article.

Jacqueline had two children at the daycare; Amanda had three.

They say their kids had been going there for years and last summer they started to see what they call red flags.

“There were lots of warning signs that I kind of brushed off,” Jacqueline said.

Jacqueline said one day she dropped by the daycare earlier than usual and watched her five-year-old son slip down two stairs. It confused her then, but it would later make sense.

“He was complaining that he couldn’t feel his toes and his legs were numb. So I knew right there and then that something was wrong,” she said.

The women say they came to this realization by piecing together comments from their kids, such as questions on why certain kids had to go upstairs, but others didn’t.

They say their suspicions of mistreatment were solidified when one of the mothers came across her son’s LeapPad tablet after daycare.

Jacqueline said the tablet had pictures taken by her son inside a crib upstairs. The women say the room had modified cribs – too high for children to get themselves out of.

According to Jacqueline, the tablet usually didn’t contain pictures - she believes they were deleted by the daycare supervisor by the time she arrived for pick up. However on this day she came to pick her son up earlier than usual.

“He’s being confined to a crib, well-above crib age,” Jacqueline said.

Amanda agreed. “That’s where the four modified cribs are. They’re high enough that a toddler can’t get out. There’s a TV in the corner. The babies and the toddlers are being treated like animals in a kennel - confined either in a high-chair or a crib, not being able to use the bathroom,” she said.

Both mothers said they missed multiple red flags, including rashes on their children’s buttocks, stiff muscles, and unusual moods.

CTV News spoke with the daycare provider. She declined speaking on-camera but provided comment over the phone.

She denied all of the claims made by the parents and called them defamatory.

The mothers say they filed a complaint with the Ministry of Social Services in June 2018.

The daycare provider said she had been investigated by the province last summer and was asked to get a baby monitor, but claims there were no other issues. The province has yet to confirm these details.

The provider continues to operate her business.

Unlicensed daycare providers may care for up to eight children at a time and they are not regulated, according to education ministry spokesman Chris Hodges.

“Early Learning and Child Care consultants will follow-up on reports of over-enrolment and quality-of-care concerns and, where appropriate, information will be provided as a support to the provider and/or family,” Hodges said in an e-mail to CTV News.

Depending on the complaint, RCMP, city police, or social services may get involved to further investigate, he said.

An early childhood education expert provided a list of tips for parents choosing a childcare provider:

  • Drop in unannounced throughout the day and weeks.
  • Show up late. What do you see inside?
  • Ask children what they did that day.
  • Ask for the provider’s credentials, such as fire plan, criminal record check
  • What is the policy when it comes to visits?
  • Are there any physical signs such as rashes?
  • What is the child’s energy level like?
  • Do they want to go in the morning?

The women say they have found a new daycare for their kids and still feel guilty for not detecting the signs earlier.