GREENFIELD — A Greenfield woman is facing a felony charge after prosecutors say a toddler suffered a severe leg injury while in her care at an unlicensed daycare that state officials have repeatedly ordered to shut down.
Court records show Rebecca Reuter is accused of having seven children who were 6 years old or younger at her home in late April when a 17-month-old boy broke his femur.
Wisconsin state law only allows unlicensed daycare providers to care for a maximum of three children at a time who are not their own.
State records show the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families has been investigating Reuter's unlicensed in-home daycare for the past three years, but police didn't get involved until this spring when the toddler was rushed to Children's Hospital with a serious injury.
Watch: Unlicensed Greenfield daycare provider charged after toddler suffers broken femur
According to the criminal complaint, Reuter told the child's mother that the toddler "had been jumping in his pack-and-play" before he became "super lethargic."
A doctor who examined the child told police the fractured femur "would require a substantial amount of force."
When questioned by investigators, court records show Reuter initially claimed she only watches "three kids or less" at a time; however, a search warrant executed to review her phone records revealed this wasn't true.
"[The detective] followed up with [Reuter], who at the time admitted she lied," according to court documents.
TMJ4’s Ben Jordan knocked on Reuter’s door on Thursday, but no one answered. Jordan proceeded to call her, but Reuter declined to comment.
DCF documents show Reuter was ordered in 2023 "to stop operating a child care without a license" after the state received four complaints. The latest order from June warned Reuter of fines up to $1,000 a day after determining she didn't comply with previous orders.
Reuter is charged with a felony for allegedly neglecting a child and a misdemeanor for what’s called ‘day care provider fail/licensed.’
If found guilty, Reuter faces up to 6 years in prison.
This story was reported by reporter Ben Jordan and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
