Horrified Parents Demand Justice After Toddler Exposed to Cocaine at Daycare

The parents of a one-year-old Wisconsin boy are in shock and disbelief after doctors discovered cocaine in his system. Investigators believe the child was exposed to the drug at a local daycare, prompting outrage and a demand for increased safety measures.

Kimberly Hopson and James Staples, the parents of a toddler allegedly exposed to cocaine at a Wisconsin daycare, joined "Fox & Friends First" on Thursday to share their heartbreaking experience. Their nightmare began when Hopson noticed scrapes and bruises on her son.

"He's not the same," Hopson told Fox News. "He's restless now. He used to be a very good sleeper, but now I just catch him in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, or he'll just be sitting there. He doesn't eat as much as he used to. He throws tantrums. Now, there's moments where he would just put his head on the floor, and I can't console him. I don't know what's wrong, and I'm his mom."

Hopson took her son to a local children's hospital in Milwaukee earlier this month, where a urine sample tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a primary metabolite of cocaine. Investigators ruled out the presence of the drug at Hopson's home and turned their attention to the KinderCare daycare, where a drug detection dog sniffed out a backpack containing a bag of white powder that reportedly belonged to one of the center's employees.

"Everything goes through my mind. Literally everything, every emotion you can think of," Hopson recounted of the discovery, her voice breaking. "It's still not real to me. Cocaine – that's just absurd."

The employee now faces criminal charges, and KinderCare itself faces legal action on the premise of negligence. B'Ivory LaMarr, an attorney representing the family, told "Fox & Friends First" that the daycare has had a history of issues, including allegations of improper supervision and physical abuse.

"This is a facility that has had over 23 violations over the last couple of years, many of which include supervision of children specifically," LaMarr said. "There are allegations of kids being tossed by employees, that are substantiated by violations with the state already. I think [this] clearly premises liability [with] the exposure to cocaine. You also have assault and battery, so there's a host of different claims that we intend to make. Intentional infliction of emotional distress. The list goes on."

KinderCare responded to the allegations with a statement to Fox News, emphasizing their commitment to safety and adherence to hiring procedures. However, the statement did not address the issue of drug testing.

Staples questioned the lack of drug testing protocols at the daycare, noting that the center failed to mention random drug screenings or a drug test prior to employment.

"We are the ones who are held accountable for what happens to our children," Staples said. "It's up to us to hold these facilities accountable for what happens."

The parents are now pushing for increased safety measures and transparency in daycares nationwide, including the installation of cameras and mandatory drug testing.

"I know that I'm not the only parent who has gone through this," Hopson said. "I know that there are thousands of other parents who have gone through this. And I just want to make sure that this doesn't happen to another child. We need to do something about it."