Montgomery County childcare center employee charged with assaulting two infants.

A 37-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault against two infants at a childcare facility where she was employed. The incident, which has raised significant safety concerns, was confirmed by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.

Catalina Baldwin, a resident of Phoenixville, is currently being held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on a bail set at 10% of 0,000. A bail hearing is scheduled for Friday.

The investigation began on July 9 when local police and firefighters responded to an emergency call regarding an unresponsive seven-month-old girl at Oaks Early Learning Center. Upon arrival, authorities noted that the infant appeared to be experiencing seizures. She was swiftly transported to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in King of Prussia, where medical professionals diagnosed her with multiple injuries indicative of nonaccidental trauma.

The infant, referred to as S.F., underwent emergency surgery to remove a portion of her skull and remains hospitalized. Attempts to obtain comments from representatives of Oaks Early Learning Center were unsuccessful.

On the day of the incident, Baldwin, who served as an infant room teacher, contacted the center’s director to alert her to the situation. The director first observed that the infant was listless and unable to hold up her head before calling for emergency assistance.

Further inquiries revealed troubling details from Baldwin’s behavior prior to the emergency call. Detectives discovered that Baldwin had sent another employee a text message stating that S.F. was a “nightmare” just eight minutes before alerting the director for help. This message was reportedly deleted shortly before Baldwin spoke with investigators. Additionally, on July 11, Baldwin conducted a Google search for “Shaken Syndrome,” raising further suspicions.

Investigators previously examined an incident involving another infant, a five-month-old girl known as ECW, who sustained injuries while in Baldwin’s care in late May. Baldwin allegedly informed the child’s mother that ECW had bleeding from the mouth, leading to an evaluation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where the ongoing ramifications of the injuries became evident.

According to the police affidavit related to Baldwin’s arrest, she even sought advice from the AI chatbot ChatGPT regarding concerns from a mother whose child had experienced multiple safety incidents in Baldwin’s classroom. Despite these concerns, Baldwin and the center’s director reportedly assured the mother that the infant’s injuries were self-inflicted due to a broken item in the classroom.

Authorities have classified ECW’s injury as highly suggestive of nonaccidental trauma and child physical abuse, particularly since Baldwin was the sole caregiver during the incident.

In total, Baldwin faces two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, as well as charges related to endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 12.

This troubling case has raised serious concerns about the safety protocols within childcare facilities and how such allegations are addressed by management. The ongoing legal proceedings will undoubtedly attract further scrutiny as both the facility and Baldwin face significant repercussions.

This incident underscores the vital importance of safeguarding children in daycare settings and ensuring accountability among those entrusted with their care, raising pressing questions about the effectiveness and rigor of regulatory oversight in childcare environments.

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