This book is a riveting retelling of a true 1993 murder trial involving three infants in daycare in South Carolina. In addition, the author offers well researched insights into the lives of the people involved. Not only do we gain a deep understanding of the accused, but we learn about the defense and prosecution teams, expert witnesses, and friends and family of the accused. Most importantly, we learn that a home daycare that appeared well-run, loving, and safe, was not—that harm done to babies may easily go unnoticed because trauma may not be visible on the baby’s skin. The book is not only for parents who want to understand what they should look for in daycares. Pediatricians, social and elder care workers, those interested in justice, and many others will learn from this richly told story. Its lessons are about keeping all loved ones safe.
In Good Hands by David Hechler
Description
“Patsy Habben fired off instructions. Take photographs of the residence. Collect the bedding on which the child had slept, the last bottle it had taken, and the trash. Secure them as evidence and drop them at SLED. She wanted the names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of the day care owner and all workers, and the name and date of birth of the baby. She also wanted an account of all activities at the day care that day, and a detailed statement from the last person who had seen the baby alive.
A few minutes later Patsy Habben was on the phone with one of the officers. The dead little girl was Ashlan Daniel, age four-and-a-half months. The day care was located at 1101 Chadford Road, and the Daniel baby was apparently the second child to die there. The officers had collected everything. There’d been only one hitch; the husband had insisted on speaking to his lawyer before relinquishing the trash. But in the end he did.
Habben had been scribbling notes in her Day-Timer. Once she reached home, there were more beeps and calls and hastily scratched notes. And there was dinner to cook, and a bath to give, and bedtime stories to read. So much for her “easy day.” Still, it hadn’t been one of her harder days. Her new job was proving plenty challenging. This case sounded like routine SIDS. Except for one thing. That night, just before she went to sleep, something gnawed at the edge of her consciousness. The Irmo officer had said this was the second death at the day care.”
Excerpt from Chapter 2: Paths that Cross Will Cross Again
From In Good Hands by David Hechler
How can you be sure that your child in day care is safe?
a) The day care I chose was highly recommended.
b) It’s fully licensed and government-approved.
c) My son’s provider loves him as much as I do.
d) All of the above.
e) None of the above.
The correct answer is “none of the above.” Recommendations may be helpful in selecting a facility, but they’re no assurance your child will be safe. The government may check, but you can’t count on the government to effectively monitor day care. And banking on a provider’s good will is no substitute for your own watchful eyes.
In Good Hands is a book about the importance of safe day care. It’s also the story of one family day care that parents loved even after a baby died. They continued to drop off their children after a second infant died in the home. Doctors ruled that both children were victims of sudden infant death syndrome, but that didn’t stop the police from launching a criminal investigation.
In 2017, The American Society of Journalists and Authors awarded In Good Hands first prize for a book of general nonfiction.
Reviews
I hate to give 5 stars for such a gruesome subject, but David Hechler told this story as if a person was there, experiencing it all, describing what some of us would not understand, and some of us who would understand and wished we could not. Excellent author with a command of his words.
I was one of the lawyers on the first defense team. Reading this book was traumatic, like hitting the rewind button on a horrific event. Excellent writing, factually accurate with details about the science, the people involved, the law. The author definitely did his homework and doesn't spin it. A real page turner. When the system fails to deliver justice, it fails big, and the failure reduces us all beyond description.