RCMP probe abuse allegations at Peguis First Nation child-care centre

Manitoba RCMP are investigating allegations of child abuse at a daycare in Peguis First Nation.

Officials at Peguis Free Spirits Child Care, Peguis Child and Family Services and the chief of the community, 180 kilometres north of Winnipeg, have not responded to requests for comment.

One parent of a child at the daycare, who CBC is not naming because it is not known which children may have been abused, said he received word of the allegations on Monday.

A meeting was then held on Tuesday night by the daycare's board of directors to make other parents aware, he said.

"It's unsettling," the parent said. "All in all, it's just a very disturbing situation."

At the meeting, the father said parents were told Peguis Child and Family Services had conducted an investigation at the facility. Following that investigation, RCMP were notified and continue to investigate, he said.

RCMP would not confirm the nature of the alleged abuse. The father said parents were not given details of the allegations either.

"We don't know. The daycare won't tell us. The RCMP won't tell us," he said.

"As of right now we're left in the dark.… That itself is cause for losing sleep at night because you think of the worst-case scenario."

​The father said he has removed his child from the daycare as of Monday.

The centre started advertising three job openings on the First Nation's Facebook page this week. 

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