SCOTT COUNTY, Ind. — A southern Indiana woman is facing felony charges for battery and neglect involving an 8-month-old child.
Indiana State Police (ISP) said officers arrested 26-year-old Lauren Salyers, a childcare provider, Friday night after an ISP investigation involving an injured infant.
ISP Detective Travis Baker started the investigation on May 30 when he met with the child’s mother and father at Norton’s Children’s Hospital, according to a news release.
Police said the mother rushed the child to the Scott Memorial Hospital after finding a wound on the back of the baby's head when she picked them up from Salyers.
"By law, once a doctor sees something that looks just like this, it may not be just a normal fall," Sergeant Carey Huls, a spokesperson for ISP, said. "Something caused this injury, another person may have caused this injury."
Baker confirmed that Salyers was running an unlicensed, private daycare from her home in Austin.
After arriving at the hospital, a medical helicopter transported the child to Norton’s Children’s Hospital where medical professionals treated the infant for a skull fracture as well as a fractured left arm.
After interviewing Salyers, and others who had contact with the child, ISP said Baker gave all of the information to the Scott County Prosecutor.
The Scott County Circuit Court then issued an arrest warrant for Salyers for one count of battery and one count of neglect of a dependent. Each charge is a felony.
On Monday, Salyers appeared digitally in court via Zoom dressed in a green and white jumpsuit. The judge appointed her a plea of not guilty and went on to explain that a public defender will be on her case.
Salyers is currently booked at the Scott County Jail. She is currently being held on a $65,000 bond.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 1 at 1 p.m.
This is the second arrest within a week that included private unlicensed childcare providers.
Brittany Baylor was arrested last Tuesday and appeared in the Clark County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon. She's facing felony charges that relate to the death of a 6-month-old infant in 2022.
"I don't think it's saying anything that we have two back to back like that," Huls said. "I think it's very uncommon but it happens every day in America and people have to pay attention. And know who they are leaving their children with."
WHAS11 reached out to Chris Owens, the Scott County Prosecuting Attorney, about this case as well.
In a statement he said: "Thank you for reaching out and showing your interest in the recent case filed in Scott County regarding injury to a child inflicted by the child care provider. I cannot stress enough the importance in knowing the person or people who provide care to your child. You should know more than their criminal background and you should take the time know them personally including any interests of habits they may have. When it comes to keeping your kid(s) safe, you can never do too much."
ISP is also stressing how important it is to look into who you leave your children with.
"There's unlicensed daycares, so parents just really need to do their research," Sgt. Carey Hulls said." It's a hard situation where people are wanting to work and having to pay for childcare, which is very expensive, but you have to do your due diligence as a parent."
WHAS11 reached out to the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration for comment on these cases and regulations surrounding childcare in the state. The department said they can not speak on any ongoing criminal investigations or pending charges.
They also provided their website that helps parents find reliable childcare in their area.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.