DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) – The operator of an in-home daycare in Delaware County facing felony charges related to the abuse of children may face even more charges.
Rhonda Coomes, 52, of Randor was arrested on Jan. 26 and initially charged with one count of kidnapping. At that time, the county sheriff’s office said that the charge was a “placeholder” and that Coomes will likely “be charged with felonies related to her physical abuse of more than a half-dozen different kids.”
“The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming. All of these are captured on video so, there’s really no question about what’s going on,” said Mark Sleeper, the Delaware County assistant prosecutor.
On Tuesday, a Delaware Court of Common Pleas judge issued a bond of $500,000 on charges of kidnapping and three counts of endangering children. Prosecuting attorneys stated that due to the possibility of additional victims being named in the future, more charges could still be filed.
According to Delaware County court documents, in September, Coomes allegedly injured a 10-month-old girl by hitting the girl multiple times in the face with the palm of her hand and six times with a “hard plastic diaper wipe container.” The child suffered a black eye, court records state.
Coomes also allegedly threw the child onto her back into a playpen and then hit her, according to court records.
“The defendant had her restrained to the highchair or restrained to a chair, struck the child on a number of occasions with an open hand to the face, then used a hard plastic diaper wipe container to strike the infant again repeatedly in the face,” Sleeper said.
That same day, Coomes allegedly abused a three-year-old for not eating fast enough.
“The defendant got angry that he wasn’t swallowing his food fast enough,” Sleeper said. “She’s seen on video yanking his head back, smacking on the cheek, holding his nose shut, spooning the food out of his cheek and shoving it down his throat.”
On Sept. 18, Coomes is accused of doing something similar to another child in her care.
“The defendant yells at her, strikes her multiple times in the back of the head, then pulls her off the bench and throws her into the corner of the room,” Sleeper said.
The sheriff’s office said the abuse was caught on in-home audio recordings, and that it is reviewing nearly two months of audio recordings in Coomes’ home.
In an incident report obtained by NBC4, multiple parents reported that kids at the daycare were subject to abuse after listening to recordings in which verbal abuse was allegedly taking place. One parent reported that their child had a bloody nose from being pushed against a wall and bruised ears, from what they said were due to them being pinched by Coomes.
Coomes is scheduled to next appear in court for a pretrial on April 4 before a trial date of May 14.
Katherine Glenn-Applegate, the director of childcare and education initiatives at Action For Children says it’s essential that every child has a caregiver that is warm and caring.
“A child needs a safe space where they can grow and thrive and take safe risks. That’s what every child needs,” she says, “So, it’s essential that all kids have that regardless of their zip code, their income level or their circumstances.”
She says that the most important part of a relationship between a parent and their childcare provider is trust. If something feels off with your child, it’s good to ask questions.
“Tell me what you did today, what was for lunch, what did you do outside? Where did that mark come from? It’s okay to ask those questions. It’s also okay to ask a childcare provider that too,” said Glenn-Applegate.
Action for Children has a 5C Checklist. They are count, content, caregiver, contract and communication. Those are all the things you should think about and take into account when selecting a childcare provider. Glenn-Applegate says it’s about finding a provider that fits into their own family’s life and one that has personal values that align with theirs.
If you believe a childcare program in Ohio is not following the licensing rule, you can file a complaint. You will need to be able to provide information like the name of the program, location of the program, publicly funded child care case number, and the issue observed at the program.
If you believe child abuse and neglect is happening, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has launched 855-O-H-Child (855-642-4453), an automated telephone directory that will link callers to a child welfare of law enforcement office in their county. Glenn-Applegate says reports can be made anonymous.