WINTHROP — The Minnesota Commissioner of Human Services last week affirmed an order for the temporary immediate suspension of Tammy Petzel and Tracy Kehr’s license to provide family child care in Winthrop.

The license suspension of Kids Korner, 609 N. Carver St. in Winthrop, began Sept. 7 after a report of alleged abuse by Tammy Petzel, who was accused of striking a five-month old child in her care, causing bruises on the child’s abdomen, according to Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) documents.

An Arlington mother with the five-month-old child and a three-year-old attending Kids Korner, said she picked up her children at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 5. Her three-year-old told his mother that Pelzel had hit the infant on the stomach and pointed to his abdomen.

The mother took the children home, examined the infant and said she saw nail marks and bruising on the infant’s abdomen and marks on both sides of his body. In addition, she said the marks appeared to be made by a hand or fingers.

The woman called her sister-in-law, a registered nurse, about the incident. Her sister-in-law called Winthrop Police and an officer met with the family to examine the infant. Police observe red marks and bruising on the stomach and left and right side between the back and stomach. Police said the the injuries appeared to have been causes by a firm grip and were possibly finger marks.

Police photographed the injuries and suggested the infant be taken to an Arlington hospital to be evaluated. The infant was referred to the Children’s Resource Center for evaluation of possible physical abuse.

Dr. Mark L. Hudson, a board certified child abuse pediatrician, observed “impressive abdominal bruising, bruising in more than one location.” He said “abdominal bruising is very rare as it is an atypical location for accident injury.”

Hudson contacted Sibley County Child Protective Services Investigator and Social Worker Dawn Kratzke because he was concerned for the infant’s safety.

On Sept. 7, the Sibley County Public Health and Human Services Dept. recommended the Commissioner of Human Services issue an order for temporary immediate suspension of Petzel and Kehr’s license to provide family day care at Kids Korner.

Petzel and Kehr appealed the order. They challenged the reliability of the three-year-old’s story, that three-year-olds are not always reliable reporters, according to a memo by Administrative Law Judge James E. LaFave. He wrote that in this case however, the three-year-old told the same story three times and the injuries suffered by the infant were consistent with the three-year-old’s report.

Petzel and Kehr adamantly denied the allegations, according to the memo.

Pelzel is facing third degree assault charges in connection with the incident.

A phone call to the daycare was not returned Friday.

fbusch@nujournal.com