Quarryville Daycare Worker Accused Of Breaking Baby’s Leg, Changing Story: Affidavit

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

A Lancaster County daycare worker is accused of breaking an infant girl’s leg and giving conflicting explanations about what happened, Quarryville Borough Police announced in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Friday, Nov. 14.

Kathryn "Katie" Michelle Taska, 27, of New Providence, is charged with felony endangering the welfare of children and felony aggravated assault of a victim less than 6 and a defendant 18 or older, according to the criminal complaint and docket records.

Lancaster County Children and Youth Services contacted police around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, after receiving a report of child abuse at Shining Stars Childcare on South Hess Street in Quarryville. The victim had been dropped off uninjured that morning by her mother, the affidavit states.

The mother returned later that day to find her infant daughter “inconsolable and not acting herself," police wrote in the affidavit. Believing she had a fever, the mother took the child to the emergency room, where doctors discovered a non-displaced fracture in the child’s lower left leg. The girl was then taken to Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, where medical staff determined the injury could not have happened by accident, investigators said.

Taska “knew about the victim’s injury before being asked a question” and immediately told investigators, “I know I was on break; she was napping when I was on break, after nap she seemed fine but just a little fussy,” despite police not yet identifying which child they were asking about, according to the affidavit. When pressed on how she knew which infant they were referring to, Taska allegedly said she had not been told in advance but knew the girl “seemed to have a leg injury.”

Taska changed her version of events multiple times throughout the interview, police said. She also claimed she notified the assistant director and the child’s mother about the injury, but both denied she ever mentioned it, the affidavit states.

A staff member told investigators the girl was fine until they saw Taska trying to place her into a child safety chair. After that, the girl became distraught and “cried constantly,” continuing to cry until her mother arrived, according to the documents. Staff and parents told police the victim appeared normal at drop-off, and investigators concluded the injury occurred “at some point during her interaction with Ms. Taska,” the affidavit says.

Shining Stars Early Learning of Lancaster LLC, represented by the law firm Nikolaus & Hohenadel, issued a statement following the charges, writing:

“Shining Stars Early Learning of Lancaster LLC is aware of the recent allegations involving a former employee. The former employee in question was immediately removed from the facility and is no longer employed at Shining Stars. We take these allegations seriously and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities as they conduct their investigation. The safety, trust, and well-being of the children and families we serve have always been and continue to be our top priority.”

Taska’s preliminary arraignment was held before Magisterial District Judge William R. Mankin II on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 12:36 p.m. She was released on $25,000 unsecured bail. Her preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 10:45 a.m., according to the docket.