Daycare abuse, neglect cases surge in Minnesota
State oversight records compiled by FOX 9 show abuse and neglect reports at Minnesota day cares nearly doubled from 57 in 2022 to 100 in 2023 and reached 105 in 2024, with several severe metro incidents resulting in child injuries requiring surgery. Cited cases include a Rochester pizza‑slicer attack on a 14‑month‑old, a Brooklyn Park Goddard School employee punching a 3‑year‑old, a St. Paul KinderCare staffer striking a child with an iPad, and arrests tied to alleged infant abuse at Blaine’s Small World Learning Center; DCYF Inspector General Randy Keys said the system is generally safe but could not explain the recent uptick.
📌 Key Facts
- Abuse/neglect reports: 57 (2022) → 100 (2023) → 105 (2024), per state records
- Metro incidents: Brooklyn Park (Goddard School), St. Paul (KinderCare), Blaine (Small World Learning Center)
- Legal outcomes: Two Blaine employees arrested in 2024; one defendant sentenced to 90 days on felony counts in May
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota's child care industry is in a crisis, with 86 percent of child care business owners and managers agreeing there is a crisis as of 2025.
Minnesota child care industry remains in “crisis” — Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
The number of in-home child care providers in Minnesota plummeted to 5,781 by the end of 2024, representing a 40 percent decrease over the past decade.
Minnesota losing more child care providers — MPR News
The annual turnover rate for early childhood educators in Minnesota is 30 percent, with the highest rate of 38 percent among aides.
Minnesota Early Care and Education Workforce: An Overview — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Approximately 25 percent of early childhood educators in Minnesota earn less than $26,000 annually, and 16 percent live below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Minnesota Early Care and Education Workforce: An Overview — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Survey data indicates that 92 percent of early childhood educators in Minnesota identify as white and 98 percent as women, though U.S. Census data suggests greater diversity.
Minnesota Early Care and Education Workforce: An Overview — Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
In 2023, American Indian/Alaska Native children in Minnesota were 5.3 times more likely to be involved in child maltreatment assessments or investigations than white children.
Minnesota's Child Maltreatment Report 2023 — Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families
In 2023, African American/Black children in Minnesota were 2.2 times more likely to be involved in child maltreatment assessments or investigations than white children.
Minnesota's Child Maltreatment Report 2023 — Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Racial disparities in child maltreatment reports in Minnesota may be correlated with poverty rates, as American Indian/Alaska Native populations have a 31.3 percent poverty rate and Black or African American populations have a 28.6 percent poverty rate, compared to lower rates for white populations.
People in Poverty in Minnesota: MNData Access — Minnesota Department of Health
In 2023, there were 935 alleged victims of maltreatment in licensed facilities including child care in Minnesota, with 28 percent determined as maltreated.
Minnesota's Child Maltreatment Report 2023 — Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families