Child care center being investigated after parents claim infant son was abused

HOUSTON – A child care facility in northwest Harris County is being investigated for allegations of abuse after an infant boy's parents accused employees of bruising their son's arm, an official from the Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed Friday.

"My son's arm was squeezed until there was a mark and he can't speak to us because he's only 8 months old," said DeAnthony Valien, as he described the bruising on his son, Jeremiah.

Valien accused Bibs and Cribs Advanced Learning Center, which is located on the 10800 block of Jones Road, of bruising his son while he was under their care.

Valien said Jeremiah's mother realized something wasn't right after picking him up from Bibs and Cribs on Tuesday.

"His mother was telling me he was crying a lot in the car. So, she routinely took his clothes off to bathe him and she noticed there were bruises on his arm," Valien said.

They snapped pictures of Jeremiah's injuries Tuesday evening. Wednesday, they took Jeremiah to his pediatrician.

"The doctor said that she observed there were bruises on his arm and that they appeared to be fingerprints," Valien said.

From there they contacted the Department of Family and Protective Services, which confirmed to KPRC2 that an investigation was underway.

KPRC2 looked into prior DFPS investigations at Bibs and Cribs, including one similar to Jeremiah's case from October 2015.

It alleged someone "grabbed a child by the arm."

DFPS did not find a violation in that case, or in most of the other complaints filed against Bibs and Cribs.

An investigator from the agency was present at the child care facility Friday, according to a representative from Bibs and Cribs, which denied all allegations but declined to comment, due to the ongoing investigation.