ONLY ON 13: Mom upset after son's feet burned on hot pavement at daycare

MONTGOMERY, TX -- A mother is upset after her child's feet got second-degree burns outside of his daycare, but a state investigation found no evidence of abuse or neglect.

Jami De Roulac said her 22-month-old son Brody was burned at the Little Scholars Christian Academy in August.

"There were huge blisters from the tips of his toes to about the middle of his foot on both feet," she said.

De Roulac said he was unable to walk for weeks.

"The doctor suggested that we go to the burn specialist who then had to peel the skin off my child's feet as I was holding him down kicking and screaming," she said.

De Roulac worked at the daycare at the time but said she did not see her son playing barefoot or witness the moment he cried out from the injuries.

The daycare's director said in a statement that the boy removed his flip flops and the caregiver did not notice in time.

De Roulac said the sandals had straps that made them difficult to remove.

"I watched him try to take them off and he couldn't take them off at all," she said.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services investigated and found no evidence of abuse or neglect. It did find two more minor violations involving supervision and child/caregiver ratio.

"I do not want money at all. That's not what it's for. I'm bringing awareness," De Roulac said.

She said although she anticipated the daycare would help with medical costs, she's not after that. Instead, she said she wants parents to check thoroughly into any place if they plan to leave their children.

Full statement from Gina Sarvers, director of Little Scholars Christian Academy:

"We are sadden by the events that have brought us to this point. Ms. deRoulac was a valued employee here at LSCA and was also the primary teacher in her son's room.

On the date in question, Ms. deRoulac was on a job interview and when she returned to the center, she was asked to give a lunch break. During this time the child was under the care of one of our lead teachers. Two teachers along with 13 children went outside to the playground and within a short amount of time and before the teachers had a chance to realized it, the child had removed his flip flops and was standing barefoot on the hot playground surface. A cry from the child alerted the teachers that the child was in distress and she picked him up, comforted him and headed inside.

On further inspection the burns on the bottom of the feet were noticed and Ms. deRoulac was immediately pulled into the classroom. Ms. deRoulac and one of the teachers went to clean and apply burn cream to his little feet.

Within an hour of the incident Ms. deRoulac left the center to take her son to the pediatrician.

The incident was immediately self reported by myself to childcare licensing. The next day an investigator came to do her investigation.
Yesterday we received notification by childcare licensing that we were not at fault and that there was no abuse or neglect.

Again we are deeply sorry that this has happened and our heart breaks for both mother and child."