A New Jersey woman is facing charges after being accused of child abuse at her owned day care. She was arrested earlier this month after being accused of abusing two children she watched in her home. There has since been four more alleged victims. NBC10’s Lili Zheng reports.
A New Jersey woman is accused of physically abusing at least six babies that she watched in her home day care.
The investigation began when a baby was taken to the hospital after suffering a bruised eye. Investigators said the baby had been in the care of Danielle Ingraham, who runs a day care out of her home on the 300 block of Evergreen Road in Mount Laurel. Police later determined Ingraham had slapped the baby as well as a toddler who she was also watching in her home.
“There’s really no excuse for it,” one of Ingraham’s neighbors said. “It’s unfortunate, but it seems like it got the best of her and she reacted, which is not acceptable at all in any way, shape or form.”
Ingraham was arrested in March 2025 and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of cruelty to a child under her care.
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Then on March 20, Ingraham was charged with abusing four more children she watched at the day care.
Ingraham allegedly injured a 5-month-old child’s head, eyes and wrist, leading to the baby’s hospitalization. She also allegedly shook a 7-month-old child, injured the cheek of a 10-month-old child and caused visible injuries to the face and back of a 13-month-old child.
“Unfortunately, this is the world we live in. Sadly, I feel. People need to be more observant on where you’re dropping your kids off, where your kids are going,” her neighbor said.
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Ingraham was released from custody following a court appearance. Her case will now be prepared for presentation to a grand jury for a possible indictment.
Ingraham's attorney, Gregory Shugar, responded to the allegations in a written statement.
"We have reviewed all charges and there’s no evidence suggesting any wrongdoing on Ms. Ingraham’s part," he wrote. "What we are witnessing is the State attempting to fabricate a narrative by assembling unrelated and weak assertions in an attempt to build a case. They are creating a story to fit a flimsy accusation regardless of facts. We look forward to exonerating Ms. Ingraham from these unsupported claims."
Her attorney also said that the day care is suspended for the foreseeable future.
According to a spokesperson for the New Jersey Dept. of Children and Families, a child care provider providing for six or more unrelated is required to be licensed through the DCF Office of Licensing.
“If a provider is caring for fewer than six unrelated children, they can operate as a family child care home, and would not be subject to licensure and inspection, though they would be able to voluntarily register through the state in order to be eligible to receive child care subsidy payments for income-eligible families,” an email to NBC 10 states. “Beyond licensure, if there are allegations of child abuse or neglect, DCF may still be involved, but due to client confidentiality, we are prohibited from discussing specific cases or confirming or denying our involvement with a family or individual.”
Ingraham’s home daycare in Mount Laurel is not listed in the online licensing portal, though neither DCF or Ingraham’s attorney could confirm how many children were most recently in her care.
Winifred Smith-Jenkins, Director of Early Learning for Policy and Advocacy at Advocates for Children of New Jersey, says whether a child care provider is licensed with the state does not make it “better” or “worse” than one that is not.
“I think what we have to remember is a very undervalued profession that requires early educators to have a complex amount of skills and knowledge about developmental needs all while trying to make sure they’re caring and educating multiple children. Being able to do that for 10 to 12 hours a day definitely takes people who are dedicated to this profession,” Smith-Jenkins said. “There are so many amazing providers who really … this their passion, this is their calling in life. They’re definitely not doing it to get rich, I can guarantee you.”
When it comes to choosing a provider, she said parents have to trust their gut and instincts.
“Every mom and dad kind of knows, this just doesn’t feel right. You expect little people to cry or express discomfort if they’re going to a new space. If we change to a new job, it’s not always roses and butterflies when we first get there, but we eventually find our rhythm. Same thing happens for little people,” she said. “If your baby isn’t really sleeping at night or they’re starting to display signs that you’re like, ‘This is kind of new. I have never seen before’, it’s maybe time to start having additional questions with the childcare provider who’s been there with them throughout the day.”
No word yet on just how many children were in Ingraham's care recently.
If you have any information on Ingraham, contact the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office by emailing tips@co.burlington.nj.us or Mount Laurel Police at tips@mountlaurelpd.org.
