Seven families who entrusted their children to Amanda Hickey’s care all had the same message for the former day care owner: We were deceived.
The families, speaking before a judge during a sentencing hearing Friday, all said Hickey presented herself as a competent and loving caregiver until Feb. 3, 2021, when she disregarded known risks, state-issued guidance and her own training and laid 4-month-old Charles “Charlie” Cronmiller down for a nap on his stomach. He never woke up.
The investigation that followed uncovered multiple instances of abuse at Hickey’s Little Lovey home day care in Dunwoody that were captured on surveillance footage. DeKalb County Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson described the footage as traumatic and disturbing before sentencing Hickey to spend the next three decades behind bars.
“I know that there is nothing I can say in words to take away their pain, except take responsibility and express extreme sorrow for what I’ve done,” Hickey, a 48-year-old mother of three, told the courtroom full of grieving families. “This is my legacy now.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Hickey contended that she thought she put the boy down on his back for sleep, but the video footage suggested otherwise. She entered an Alford plea last month to charges of murder and cruelty to children in the second degree related to Charlie’s death, maintaining her innocence while taking responsibility for the crimes.
Hickey admitted guilt for 18 other charges ranging from child cruelty to battery to reckless conduct — all captured on the surveillance video.
Credit: Credit: Family Photo
Credit: Credit: Family Photo
During Friday’s hearing, families described watching in horror as their children were swung around by their feet, slammed into the ground, pushed, tripped and had their hair pulled, then cried out for help that never came. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 16 months.
All had done their homework when selecting Little Lovey for their children, the families said. Mothers described their trepidation in leaving their babies to return to work after birth, trusting in Hickey’s 10-year reputation as an in-home provider and her early childhood education pedigree. She was as trusted as a member of their own families, many told the judge.
“How could we trust Amanda Hickey, drop (our son) off each day and be so clueless?” Jessica Bryant said of her child, then only 10 months old. “How sad that Amanda took her anger and aggression out on innocent little babies that couldn’t defend themselves.
“We question everything now, all the bumps, scratches and bruises (my child) came home with,” Bryant continued. “These are questions we will never have the answers to.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Assistant District Attorney Edward Chase accused Hickey of exploiting restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic for financial gain. When families and state regulators could no longer visit her day care in person, she accepted additional children. Licensed only to care for six in her Leisure Lane home, there were 10 children present on the day Charlie died, the prosecutor said Friday.
The environment “clearly fostered frustration and clearly allowed for gross negligence and outright physical abuse that occurred within the day care,” he said. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning ultimately revoked Hickey’s license.
At his point in development, Charlie did not possess the skills to change sleeping positions on his own and was distressed by time spent on his stomach, Chase said. Video showed he struggled in his portable playpen for 20 minutes before he stopped moving. Hickey did not return to check on him until two hours later, and at that point he was unresponsive, Chase said.
“There is no remorse,” the child’s mother, Stephanie Cronmiller, told the court Friday while affirming her support of the prison sentence for Hickey. “The only thing she’s sorry about is that she got caught. I focus on forgiving myself because I chose her. How could I not think this was my fault?”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
The couple have since welcomed another son and often wonder what life would have been like to raise the boys together, Cronmiller said. They have started a foundation in Charlie’s name to raise awareness of the importance of safe sleep and to “give voice to the voiceless.”
Many of the other families spoke of their “hero Charlie” who brought Hickey’s abuse into the light. Their children were too young to remember what happened, they said, but some still struggle with clear signs of trauma.
Jackson on Friday sentenced Hickey to a total of 35 years, with the first 30 to be served in prison and the remainder on probation. She received credit for time served in jail and the time since March 2021 when she was on house arrest.
While pronouncing the sentence, Jackson acknowledged that Hickey had no prior criminal history. She ordered that Hickey have no contact with any children under the age of 13, including the victims, and be prohibited from working at a day care facility ever again. Citing a jail phone call, the judge also ruled that Hickey cannot benefit financially from the court case.
“These families were smart and our relationships were real,” Hickey told the judge, describing herself as someone who was presenting well but was spread too thin. “I failed them. They did not fail their children.”
Those looking for child care in the state can research all licensed providers by visiting www.qualityrated.org or www.decal.ga.gov or calling 877-255-4254. If families have concerns about their child care provider, they can contact the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning at 404-656-5957 or ccscomplaints@decal.ga.gov.
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