(Valley News Live) – A Dickinson daycare operator has been sentenced to two years of probation and barred from working with children after an infant suffered severe injuries in her care earlier this year, according to court records and statements from the child’s family.
Jennifer Eilts was sentenced Monday, Nov. 2, in Stark County after pleading guilty to child neglect, a Class C felony, and operating a family child care home without a license when required, a Class B misdemeanor.
Judge-ordered confinement on both counts were suspended. Instead, Eilts will serve two years of supervised probation on the felony count and two years of unsupervised probation on the misdemeanor count, running concurrently.
Under the terms of the criminal judgment, Eilts is strictly prohibited from working or being employed in any position involving the supervision of children throughout her probationary period.
The case stems from a Jan. 8 incident at Tiny Toes Daycare in Dickinson. According to the victim’s parents, their 7-month-old daughter sustained severe bite wounds from another child while under Eilts’ care that required emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, and several days of inpatient care.
Photos showing the extent of the infant’s injuries were shared publicly with the permission of her family.
During Monday’s sentencing hearing, the child’s father, William Craig, addressed the court about the lasting emotional, personal, and financial toll on their family.
“Nothing was the same after that day,” Craig said in court. “What happened at the daycare under Jen’s watch and supervision changed everything on how I look at people around my family. I no longer trust anyone.”
Craig told the court the trauma forced him and his partner to alter their careers to care for their daughter full-time.
“We refuse to take (my child) to any daycare and that has tied our hands with our careers,” Craig said. “We have had to make many sacrifices in order to keep our daughter home where we know she’s safe. I can only hope that (my child) forgets the trauma she suffered under your care.”
The child’s mother, Brittney Theurer, said the family chose to speak publicly to advocate for stronger systemic safeguards for other children.
“I cannot change what happened to my daughter, but I can be her voice and advocate for other children who cannot speak for themselves,” Theurer said.
While expressing gratitude to the Stark County State’s Attorney’s Office and the court for pursuing the case to resolution, the family raised concerns that the facility was permitted to remain open while the criminal case played out.
The parents urged state and local officials to address gaps in child safety systems to ensure children are protected while allegations against providers are under investigation.
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
