Indiana Daycare Worker Charged After Admitting To Slapping 2-Year-Old

Indiana Daycare Worker Charged After Admitting To Slapping 2-Year-Old

Joyce Perkins, 31, was charged with battery on a person under 14 after allegedly slapping a child at Kiddie Academy in Greenwood, Indiana. Police say surveillance footage captured Perkins hitting a 2-year-old in November 2024.

“I had to smack him because he spit all in my face,” Perkins reportedly told investigators, adding that she “wasn’t trying to hurt the child” and noted the child “didn’t cry or nothing.”

The daycare center fired Perkins and confirmed they responded appropriately, according to director Aaron Pankratz. It remains unclear if Perkins has entered a plea or retained legal representation.