A childcare provider in Vadnais Heights faces criminal charges after a two-year-old was badly burned under her care, authorities say.
The toddler needed medical attention to treat a two-centimeter blister that developed on her hand from the burn, as well as blisters on three of her fingers.
The severity of her condition took her mother by surprise when she picked her up from Mary Mork’s in-home daycare last July 18 because Mork, 73, had told her the girl seemed fine and that her injury was minor and didn’t require the woman leaving work early, according to court records.
Also troubling was that Mork couldn’t explain how the burn happened other than to guess the child might have touched a hot bowl of green beans she carried into the basement for lunch, according to court records.
An emergency room physician who treated the girl as well as a doctor with Midwest Children’s Resource Center determined the burn couldn’t have been caused by that scenario and was more likely the result of a “flow burn” from hot liquid, court documents say.
They also said the girl likely would have cried from the injury.
Since the two-year-old didn’t have the language skills to describe what happened, child protection workers interviewed other children at the daycare to piece together what happened.
While none of them could recall seeing the toddler get burned, one of them recalled watching Mork bandage and spray something on the little girl as the child cried in pain, according to the criminal charges.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services indefinitely suspended Mork’s daycare licensing about a week later.
She was charged Friday by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office with two counts of child neglect.
Mork could not be reached for comment and no attorney was listed for her in court records.
She’s expected to make her first court appearance on the allegations Aug. 6.
Mork has no prior criminal record in Minnesota.