Abuse, neglect and dozens of deficiencies found at Beaumont childcare center

This edition of PUBLIC INFORMATION: EMPOWERING THE PUBLIC focuses on childcare centers, which are regulated, inspected and licensed by Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) through its Child Care Regulation division (CCR).

CCR conducts routine health and safety inspections for licensed and registered facilities, performs background clearances for facility owners, operators and staff, and ensures facilities comply with state minimum standards. Public records maintained through CCR include information about childcare providers, inspections, and deficiencies.

The Examiner reviewed publicly available CCR records for childcare facilities in Beaumont and is including the method to replicate the data set for communities throughout Southeast Texas.

Citations pile up at childcare facility, corrective actions do not follow

More than 40 childcare facilities were found within the state’s CCR database for the city of Beaumont alone. The publicly available data provides information about whether each center is registered, listed, or fully permitted. Records also include director information, inspections, and deficiencies for each location.

The number of deficiencies among Beaumont facilities reviewed ranged from 0 to 66. Records also show instances in which facilities received repeated citations involving the same types of deficiencies. And, despite noted deficiencies, all programs continue to be allowed to operate.

One daycare had the highest number of deficiencies among the Beaumont facilities reviewed – Redeemer Lutheran Children’s Center (Redeemer), located at 4330 Crow Road.

Redeemer is a licensed and fully permitted childcare center serving infants to school-age children. The center has a listed capacity of 250, and the administrator/director is Amy Barajas.

Among the public record findings noted at the Redeemer childcare center are repeated noncompliance deficiencies regarding abuse, neglect, and safety. Dozens of problems, just during the current calendar year, include verbal abuse, the ability for a toddler to leave the facility unnoticed, physical manhandling, and operation “not following with minimum standards in the day-to-day operation.”

According to the 2026 Texas Health and Human Services Inspection and Compliance History for Redeemer Lutheran Children’s Center:

Feb. 4

Citation – Child was sprayed with a spray bottle with water intentionally – evidence supports caregiver lacked good judgement (caregiver terminated).

No corrective or adverse actions listed.

May 27

Citation – Based on the information obtained during the investigation, there is sufficient evidence to support staff humiliate children with name calling. There is sufficient evidence to support that children were yelled at in the classroom.

Citation – Based on the information obtained during the investigation, there is sufficient evidence to support that profane language was used towards children in care.

Citation – Based on the evidence obtained, children are placed into a bouncy chair as a form of discipline.

Citation – Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, caregivers are grabbing children by their arm.

Citation – A. Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, a child exited the daycare without supervision and was found by a parent. B. Children were left unsupervised when two students exited the classroom via the bathroom and the caregiver left to retrieve the children. C. A child was left unsupervised on the playground.

Citation – Based on information obtained during the investigation, there is sufficient evidence to support the operation did not report children being left unsupervised.

Citation – Based on the evidence obtained during the investigation, parents were not informed of a child being left unsupervised on the playground.

Citation – Based on the evidence obtained, the director is not operating the center in compliance by not following discipline requirements, allowing incidents to remain unreported, and by not following with minimum standards in the day-to-day operation of the center.

Citation – A. A 13-month-old was placed into a bouncy chair for 20 minutes. B. Infants are placed into car seats while in care.

Citation – Safety straps were not used causing a 10-month-old infant to fall out of a highchair.

Citation – Caregivers did not report suspected abuse observed.

Citation – Toddler and preschool classrooms out of student/caregiver ratio.

Citation – Infant cloth toys sprayed with sanitizer and not washed weekly.

Citation – Diapers are not changed promptly in infant, toddler and preschool classrooms.

Citation – Children were not provided water while in care.

May 29

Citation – Three infants in lunch table without required straps in use.

Citation – Walkway not provided during nap time.

Citation – Infant observed drinking out of sippy cup while laying in a crib (unsafe feeding).

Citation – Caregiver using personal device during nap time.

Citation – Caregiver did not know ages of students responsible for (re-cited 6/9, 6/25 and 7/15).

Citation – Outlet uncovered in two classrooms (re-cited 6/9).

Citation – Infant in crib with loose fitting sheets.

June 9

Citation – School-age caregiver observed with access to children prior to receiving background check results.

Citation – Cleaning supplies including bleach in unlocked cabinet in classroom (re-cited 6/25).

Citation – Parent handbook did not contain required safe sleep for infants section.

Citation – Caregiver did not know ages of students responsible for (re-cited 6/25 and 7/15).

Citation – Unmounted fan in two classrooms.

Citation – Fire extinguisher unmounted in infant classroom.

Citation – School age space did not have required interest centers.

Citation – Four toddlers in lunch table without required straps in use. (re-cited for one toddler 6/25)

Citation – Outlet uncovered in two classrooms.

June 25

Citation – Cleaning supplies such as Lysol wipes and spray disinfectant in unlocked cabinet in classroom (re-cited 7/29).

Citation – Toddler in lunch table without required straps in use.

Citation - Infant caregiver did not know all names and ages of four infants in her care (previously cited three times in 2026 and re-cited 7/15)

Citation – Electrical outlet plate broken.

Citation – Operations annual sanitation inspection expired 12/31/25.

July 15

Citation - 5-Month-old infant observed sleeping with choking hazard (re-cited 7/29).

Citation – A. Cleaning supplies such as degreaser and disinfectant in unlocked cabinet in classroom; B. Cleaning supplies such as bleach in unlocked cabinet in another classroom (previously cited individually in 2026 and re-cited 7/29).

Citation – Infant caregiver did not know all names and ages of two infants in her care (previously cited four times in 2026).

Citation – Out of ratio: Eight infants observed with one caregiver.

July 29

Citation – 5-month-old infant observed sleeping with choking hazard (previously cited in 2026).

Citation – Bleach observed in unlocked cabinet in classroom (previously cited in 2026).

Citation – Toddlers not strapped in multi-seat lunch table (previously cited in 2026).

Aug. 18

Citation – Exceeding child/caregiver ratio with 5 infants to 1 caregiver.

Despite 38 citations in 2026 alone, Texas Health and Human Services reports zero corrective actions or adverse actions taken against the facility.

Who’s watching

According to Texas Department of Health and Human Services, administration penalties can be assessed via a fine for a deficiency of a minimum standard, rule, or law with a high weight. Redeemer, with nearly 40 noted deficiencies, has received 0 penalties. Adverse actions can also include closing an operation or adding permanent restrictions or conditions to a permit.

Texas Health and Human Services reported that corrective or adverse actions are not on record until the childcare operation has had due process or waived its rights, which could explain why the childcare facility has no public record of penalty, but a representative did not confirm or deny the possibility as fact.

Child Care Regulation (CCR) can impose corrective or adverse actions when an operation has a pattern of deficiencies that endangers the health and safety of children – however, Redeemer has had no corrective action and no adverse action taken against it, according to public record.

CCR reported that unannounced inspections at licensed operations are conducted at least once per year and might be more frequent based on an operation’s ability to comply with statutes, administrative rules and minimum standards.

The Examiner reached out to the Child Care Licensing hotline (409-730-2424), left a message, and received a return call promptly from a representative named Ashley.

“If there are concerns about the daycare and they’re cited for it, that means there’s ongoing inspections and, if it continues, the school is placed on a plan of action,” Ashley said.

The Examiner then asked if Redeemer Lutheran Children’s Center was on a plan of action, to which Ashley advised that it is not.

Ashley expressed that it was discretionary, based on the improvement, as to what point a childcare center would be placed on a plan of action; she advised that The Examiner could contact the Childcare Regulation Daycare intake line at (713) 287-3238. The newspaper called the number given and  left a detailed message on the answering machine concerning CCR’s response to its findings. No response was received as of press time.

How to access the records

The public records search requires internet access and the use of a computer, instead of a phone, so that all data can be viewed properly.

Public Child Care Search: https://childcare.hhs.texas.gov/Public/ChildCareSearch?utm_source=ccsearch-domain&utm_medium=vanity-url&utm_campaign=website

Select Child Day Care and then search By Location or By Provider.

For a search of Beaumont, scroll through the list and select up to four providers at a time to compare licensing, operating hours, whether it accepts subsidies, the number of facility deficiencies, and its distance from your home or place of employment.

After locating the childcare center(s) on the list, click More Details/Compliance History. From there, scroll down to click View Full Compliance History on the bottom right of the page.

Just below the pie chart and bar graph showing historical activity are Activities and Deficiencies tabs. Staying on Activities, click View Detail on every Inspection or Report. Each citation will have an arrow at the top right to expand the text and review the notes supporting the citation, its’ risk level, and, when, or if, the correction was made.

The records provide parents and members of the public with an opportunity to review a childcare facility's inspection history and deficiencies before making decisions.