Karen Rezendes, Owner of Oh Nana’s Daycare in Kingston, Arrested Following Accusations She Abused Small Children in Her Care
KINGSTON, MASSACHUSETTS (September 1, 2026) – A 51-year-old woman identified as Karen Rezendes was arrested on allegations that she was abusing children in her care.
Plymouth County officials are saying that the victims ranged in ages from 1 to 4 years old. Karen Rezendes is facing numerous charges, including assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon involving children.
There are numerous allegations related to her conduct. These include slamming a child against the counter and locking another child in the attic. She is also accused of striking children with kitchen accessories.
The defendant is the owner of “Oh Nana’s Daycare,” which she has been operating out of her home. After various witnesses came forward with allegations, the police said that they were able to corroborate some of the accounts with surveillance footage they obtained.
According to court records, it was the defendant’s husband who sent videos to multiple parents and the Department of Early Education and Care.
One neighbor told reporters that they had become aware of the defendant’s alleged behavior for decades. They also said that they reported those allegations to the authorities.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Massachusetts Daycare Abuse
All Massachusetts licensed childcare programs are subjected to strict safety requirements established by the Department of Early Education and Care. Certain behaviors are prohibited by caretakers under 606 CMR 7.05(8). These behaviors include spanking or other forms of corporal punishment of children. It is also illegal to subject children to humiliation, neglect, or physical abuse. Courts will take into consideration numerous factors when evaluating liability for any instance of abuse in a daycare setting.
- Discipline Practices: It is worth considering all of the witness accounts and surveillance footage that may corroborate disciplinary practices at the daycare.
- Supervision: Investigators may also want to examine whether or not any daycare had enough qualified caregivers to properly supervise all of the children.
- Prior Reports: Massachusetts law requires childcare workers to report reasonably suspected instances of abuse. It should be determined if the facility in question has any history of complaints.
- Incident Reports: It should be determined if there were any prior incident reports at the facility in question, including injury reports.
When a daycare fails to protect children from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm, this could serve as evidence of negligence. Consider, for example, Adele Lindsay v. Department of Social Services, 439 Mass. 789 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 2003). A toddler was left alone in a daycare vehicle on multiple occasions. In that case, the Supreme Judicial Court held that it was not necessary for a child to sustain an actual physical or emotional injury to support a neglect finding.
Steps to Take After Any Suspected Instance of Daycare Abuse
Children are particularly susceptible to abuse and other forms of mistreatment in care settings. Unfortunately, the mistreatment of children in daycare and school settings is much more common than many people realize. The federal Healthy People 2030 program found that there were an estimated 7.2 victims of non-fatal child abuse and neglect for every 1000 children in 2024. It is important that multiple steps are taken after any suspected instance of child abuse in a daycare setting.
- Abuse should be reported to the police as early as possible so that they can begin investigating.
- All of the electronic evidence and medical records related to the abuse should be preserved.
- All of the childcare records related to the facility in question should be scrutinized. This includes any history of injury reports.
- The parents of any child abused in a daycare setting should seek the guidance of an experienced Boston personal injury attorney.
Abuse is one of the most harmful and traumatic experiences that most children will ever go through. It can have long-lasting implications for a child’s physical and psychological development. Among other things, children who are abused are more likely to engage in substance abuse or have suicidal ideations. Parents are able to seek some measure of justice and accountability through a civil action.
Getting Legal Help After Massachusetts Daycare Center Abuse
We at DiBella Law were deeply concerned to hear about the allegations involving Karen Rezendes. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the scope and scale of the alleged misconduct. What is perhaps most disturbing is that there are reports that the police and other agencies were aware of what was going on for some time and seemingly failed to meaningfully intervene.
Has your child stayed at Oh Nana’s Daycare in Kingston? Are you concerned that they were abused or mistreated in some way? You may have legal recourse through a civil action. Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys is here to support you. We are committed to getting victims of abuse the most compensation possible. Whether you just have legal questions or need any other type of assistance, we are here to serve your needs. You are always welcome to reach out to us anytime at (617) 870-0907.