Daycare director faces ban from childcare service
MOSES LAKE - Kelly Lewis, director of the Children of Grace Daycare and Preschool, could face a five-year ban on providing child care if convicted on assault charges.
According to state law, an individual anyone with a background containing a non-permanent conviction on the director's list, will be "disqualified from providing license child care, caring for children or having unsupervised access to children in child care for five years after the conviction date.
Kelly Lewis, 46, director of the Children of Grace Daycare and Preschool, and her husband, Kurt Lewis, 46, were each charged with fourth-degree assault in Grant County District Court. Fourth-degree assault is included in the state director's list of convictions.
According to a report filed by the Moses Lake Police Department, Child Protective Services initially put a hold or stopped Kelly Lewis' daycare license. As of Thursday, the state Department of Early Learning listed her daycare as being open for business.
According to the report, the incident started just before 9 p.m. May 27, after four of the Lewis' children started a fire.
Kelly Lewis had contacted officers to report one of her sons had ran away. When police arrived, Kurt Lewis had found the child.
In the report, the responding officer noted the incident was a parenting issue, not a law enforcement issue, and asked Kelly if she still needed him.
"(An officer) pulled Kelly aside. Kelly told (the officer) she wanted him to put the 'fear of God' in the children," the report stated.
The officer explained he would not do this as he wanted the children to understand police are good, according to the report.
About 15 minutes after the first call, police were called to the 500 block of Interlake Road for an abuse. An adult at the home not involved in the incident said Kelly Lewis had allegedly hit her sons, grabbed them by the neck, causing one of them to bleed, according to the report.
Officers contacted Kelly and Kurt, advising them why they were there. Kelly allegedly became extremely defensive and denied any abuse, according to the report.
A female witness living at the home stated Kelly became upset when she learned her children had set a fire. She said Kelly then called for her two daughters to come outside and allegedly watch her hit the boys, the report stated. The witness told officers Kelly hit two children 15 to 25 times. When the children tried to leave, Kelly allegedly grabbed them by the arm and made them stay.
The four children involved with setting the fire, from ages 9-12, told officers Kelly hit them.
One child reported being slapped several times, receiving a cut on his face and red marks near his eye and ear. Another child said Kelly grabbed him by the neck while yelling at him.
According to the report, Kelly Lewis had been drinking wine before the incident, blowing a .094 when officers tested her blood alcohol content.
In an interview with the officer, Kelly initially denied any abuse, telling the officer the children received "a good yelling from me." The officer noted Kelly showed "no emotion" in the interview process.
Kelly told officers two of her sons had gotten into a fight earlier in the day to explain the marks on their neck and face, according to the report.
In a second interview, Kelly admitted to grabbing one of her child's chin and slapping him once with an open hand, the report stated. Kurt Lewis told officers he open hand hit one of the children in cheek twice. Kurt also stated he threw a brick at the child after catching him when he ran off.
In a phone call to Kelly Lewis, she said she did not want to further discuss the incident, as the family is in the process of hiring a lawyer. Lewis said she wanted to make it clear the incident had nothing to do with the daycare.
Kelly Lewis is set to appear in district court on July 10.