Air Force officials are investigating staff at day-care centers at Hill Air Force Base in Utah after allegations of child abuse surfaced.
Salt Lake City's Fox 13 was the first to report that 37 kids may have been abused and that 12 child development center staff members were being investigated, according to a briefing the base's commander, Col. Jeffrey G. Holland, gave families on Tuesday.
Kendahl Johnson, a spokesperson for the 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, told Military.com in an emailed statement that the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations is examining the allegations.
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"This is an open and ongoing investigation," Johnson told Military.com in an email. "The 75th Air Base Wing is fully aware of these serious allegations, is fully supporting this ongoing investigation and reviewing the processes that safeguard our children. When we became aware of these allegations, we immediately removed the involved caregivers from the classroom and notified the parents of affected children."
A spouse stationed at Hill Air Force Base told Military.com that parents are struggling with the news, as well as finding child care as the facilities have reduced their hours.
"It's causing a lot of issues with families finding child care," the Hill Air Force Base spouse, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Military.com. "Many people are upset for a number of reasons."
Johnson told Military.com that the Childhood Development Centers have limited hours due to a decreased number of staff members.
Linda Card, a spokeswoman for the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations said "no investigative details or allegation specifics including the numbers of people involved can be confirmed by OSI at this time," citing the ongoing investigation.
There are two Child Development Centers located at Hill Air Force Base -- called East and West. These facilities care for children as young as six weeks and as old as five years, according to the 75th Support Squadron's website.
The Hill Air Force Base Child Development Centers received the 2012 Air Force Program of the Year Award, according to the 75th Support Squadron's website.
Card told Military.com that Hill Air Force Base officials are cooperating with investigators.
"The 75th Air Base Wing commander is fully aware of these serious allegations and is fully supporting this ongoing investigation," Card said.
The investigation surrounding child care at Hill Air Force Base comes six months after the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced a 30-count indictment, charging two former employees and the former director of a day care facility on Robins Air Force Base "with charges related to the alleged abuse of children in their care," according to a Justice Department press release.
-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.
