BREMERTON, Wash. - A Bremerton daycare director has resigned after she allegedly gave a baby the wrong breast milk, then tried to hide the mistake.
The state's Department of Early Learning is investigating the Sylvan Way Christian Daycare center, after a baby was given the wrong breast milk on February 16.
"This little baby is my life," says Ashley Love, the baby's mother. "He's everything to me and for someone not to tell me what's going on with him, it makes me very upset."
Ashley and Jesse Love dropped their baby boy Julien off at daycare, along with containers filled with breast milk so he could get the best nutrition, even while he was away from mom.
"We were doing all the right steps, our bottles were labeled," says Jesse Love.
Pastor Eric Glomstad says the director was in the infants' room when she made the mistake.
"She reached into the refrigerator and pulled out the wrong bottle. It was labeled but she didn't understand the label and gave the breast milk to the infant," he said.
Ashley Love says she picked her child up from daycare and no one said a word. Then she got a strange phone call from a teacher the next day.
"She said, 'Ashley, I have something to tell you that happened yesterday at the daycare, and I'm not supposed to tell you this,'" says Ashley. "She said we fed Julien another woman's breast milk yesterday."
While breast milk has its benefits, doctors say it can pose certain dangers. Diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C can be passed through it.
"I was frustrated and angry and disgusted. It's not her breast milk," says Jesse Love.
The Loves feel like their trust has been violated, and will no longer be bringing their baby there. The daycare's director has since resigned.
Pastor Glomstad says he understands their anger, and that trust is also important to Sylvan as well.
"When you say you're a Christian daycare and you have a cover-up, that speaks of dishonesty and a lack of integrity," he said.
"The Department of Early Learning says the daycare has a good record, but wants to make sure the series of mistakes doesn't happen again. It may mean more frequent monitoring of the facility.
