Cape Coral day care cleared of abuse allegations

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has closed its investigation of a Cape Coral day care, saying there is no credible evidence to support allegations of child abuse.

WINK News was first to report a mother’s claims that her daughter was physically mistreated at Kiddie Island Academy on Pine Island Road in March.

In an incident report completed by Cape Coral police, the mother says her daughter told her that her day care teacher “hit her in the mouth.”

The child then said she began crying and when she couldn’t stop, another day care employee grabbed her “by her left ankle and dragged her to another room for time-out,” according to the report.

The child did have a small mark on the bottom lip and small pink and dark marks on her left ankle, the report said.

DCF tells WINK News the investigation has been closed with findings of “no indicators.”

“No indicators” is used when there is no credible evidence to support that the specific harm was the result of abuse, abandonment or neglect.

Kiddie Island Academy, which opened in June 2015, had not had any prior licensing violations or institutional investigations.