VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) confirmed it is investigating two additional concerns at Love Thy Kids Academy in Valdosta.

Sept. 9, 2025, DECAL confirmed it was asked to investigate three separate incidents at Love Thy Kids Academy:

• In Feb. 2025, an incident was reported involving a 2-year-old child who sustained an injury to their right leg, with staff reportedly unaware of the incident at the time.
• In July 2025, there was a report concerning a 3-year-old child who experienced a head injury after falling from a chair and staff was unaware.
• In Aug. 2025, an incident was reported in which a 5-year-old child was allegedly left unsupervised on a school vehicle for approximately five to ten minutes.

Thursday, Sept. 11, DECAL confirmed two additional investigations into the child care center:

• Concerns about an alleged employee who was reportedly on-site without a completed background check and interacted with children, staff and parents.
• Allegations around staffing ratios, specifically regarding reports of only one staff member present in an infant room with ten or more babies.

DECAL Chief Communications Officer Reg Griffin said, “We remain committed to maintaining safe and appropriate staff-to-child ratios and are reviewing internal policies and procedures as part of the investigation.”

Amber Hager raised concerns about staffing after her two-month-old daughter was allegedly placed on her stomach in a crib unattended. She said this was the first of two incidents that led them to remove their baby from Love Thy Kids Academy.

“No one was around her. There was one girl there and she was on the opposite side of the room, and she was on her phone at that time... She wasn’t paying attention to the kids,” Hager said. “I was like ‘Why is she on her stomach?’ I remember getting emotional, and I remember crying. They were like ‘Oh, what’s wrong?... Oh, she must have rolled over in her sleep. She did that earlier.’ No, she didn’t. She had never rolled.”

WALB confirmed with a parent whose children attended the day care recently that children were questioned about an employee that was allegedly not supposed to be on staff.

Former staff member Tiffany Monk said in her interview with DECAL she said that she was told to say she did not know who the employee was.

“I wasn’t back there for more than maybe more than two or three minutes. And after I came back from there, I just had dirty looks. Everybody was giving me dirty looks,” she said.

Monk said she believes it is her honesty that led to her termination from Love Thy Kids Academy.

She said, “But coming forward and speaking your truth is the only way to advocate for you children and these children that can’t speak for themselves.”

Love Thy Kids Academy owner Sharmel Williams previously said children’s safety and well-being are her top priority, and the center will continue striving for excellence. WALB reached out for additional comment on the latest allegations but have not heard back.

Previous coverage:

• ‘What can happen next?’: South Georgia daycare under investigation; parents, staff raise safety concerns
• Department of Early Care and Learning investigating three allegations against a South Georgia child care center

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