PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A Palm Beach County mother is seeking answers after she says her 11-month-old son, Oliver, was injured while in the day care at an L.A. Fitness gym in Wellington.
WATCH BELOW: 'We don’t know if a toy was thrown at him, or if he was mishandled,' Hannah Shaffer tells WPTV
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported the incident occurred on July 14 and is now involved, along with the Florida Department of Children and Families.
First-time mother Hannah Shaffer said her top priority is keeping her baby healthy and safe. She joined L.A. Fitness on Forest Hill Boulevard, enticed by the gym's child care center, which the staff claimed had cameras and a separate infant area.
However, during Oliver’s second visit to the day care, Shaffer received an alarming call shortly after beginning her workout.
“Before I even get to half a mile on the treadmill, I get a phone call,” she said.
Upon rushing to her son, she found him in distress, not in the infant area but being held by a child around 8 or 9 years old.
“He is just screaming his head off,” Shaffer recalled.
When she returned home, her worries intensified when she noticed bruising on Oliver’s head and marks on his back.
Following the incident, Shaffer filed a report with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and shared her experience on social media, inviting others to share their concerns about the daycare at the Wellington L.A. Fitness. She alleged that gym staff informed her husband that the day care does not have cameras and that the caregiver is not certified.
According to Palm Beach County Childcare Licensing, babysitters at health studios offering short-term care are not required to be licensed.
Shaffer was told by gym staff that the caregiver has plenty of experience, claiming she has “lots of kids and lots of grandkids.”
After the incident, the Shaffers were given a corporate number for L.A. Fitness, but Shaffer described it as just a general customer service line. Attempts to reach out to L.A. Fitness and its legal team for comment have yet to yield a response.
Shaffer expressed her anxiety over the injury.
“We don’t know if a toy was thrown at him, or if he was mishandled,” she said, believing that changes need to be made regarding the day care's operation. “The childcare needs to shut down, because clearly something isn't working.”
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the case has been referred to the Department of Children and Families.
Shaffer stated that both DCF and Child Protective Services have contacted her to confirm they are investigating the incident.
