Claims of Child Mistreatment Prompt Investigation At Northport Daycare

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office has confirmed an investigation into alleged child maltreatment is underway at a daycare run by a church just north of Northport. The situation was brought to light by a parent's Facebook posts.

Due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, the sheriff's department provided no further details about the situation at The Word Academy (TWA), which is operated by The Word Community Church, located on Highway 69 north.

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A Facebook post by India Rae Keller with Aston Thomas Keller stated it was on her heart to let other parents know what was happening at the daycare for newborns to pre-k. She says there is a video of the maltreatment.

In the post, Keller noted she got a call from the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) last Friday about allegations of "mistreatment" or "abuse" involving her child at the daycare. The DHR caller informed Keller that they had visited the daycare to see her son firsthand.

Keller further wrote that she never received communications from the school about the allegation. She was also never told about the DHR visit by the daycare.

Further information revealed that a teacher at the daycare had reportedly physically abused children enrolled at The Word Academy. Parents have named Ali Watkins as the teacher involved, and accuse her of physically abusing children in the daycare.

Subsequently, parents of other children at TWA reported suspicious bruises and pinch marks.

In her Facebook posts, Keller pointed out that the daycare has not been communicating with parents and instead has deleted contact channels with parents who have removed their children.

The church staff says it is cooperating with the investigation.

This is a developing story that Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa will continue to cover.