Just in:NJ mother says 2-year-old daughter was missing a braid when she picked her up from day care

“‘mother Can’t Explain What Happened’: Mom Demands Answers After Daughter’s Braid Vanishes at Day Care”

Outrage in Ocean Township: Mother Demands Answers After 2-Year-Old’s Braid Mysteriously Goes Missing at Day Care
By Janice Yu | Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Tamara Hemingway says her 2-year-old daughter, Myla, arrived at day care with her hair neatly styled in four cornrow braids. But when Hemingway picked her up, one of those braids was gone—leaving behind a bald spot and a flurry of questions.

“She sent me a picture, and that’s when I saw it—the bald spot on my child’s head where the braid had been,” Hemingway told Eyewitness News. “It was braided to the scalp. You have to use real force to pull that out. This didn’t just fall off.”
Hemingway shared photos that clearly show the missing braid, but staff at Growing Kids Academy claim they have no evidence that the braid was forcibly removed.

According to a police report, Myla’s hair appeared intact during a check-in at 11 a.m. Surveillance footage from the classroom shows the toddler playing with her hair multiple times. But things changed around 11:45 a.m., when a teacher is seen removing a smock from Myla’s head. That’s when Myla is observed touching the area where the braid was located. After that moment, the braid is never seen again.

Even after a search, neither the braid nor the attached barrettes were recovered.
To Hemingway, the most disturbing part isn’t just the missing braid—it’s how the day care handled the situation.

“What really upset me was the silence,” she said. “No one called me. No one told me what happened. I had to find out myself when I picked her up. She’s only two—she can’t explain what happened to her.”

The family’s attorney, Marc Caswell, says the lack of communication and inconsistent explanations from the facility are alarming.

“They gave her conflicting stories—first they didn’t know it happened, then they said maybe she did it herself,” Caswell said. “It’s unacceptable.”

The day care’s director told Eyewitness News that while the exact cause is unclear, there’s no definitive evidence the braid was pulled out.

But for Hemingway, that’s not good enough. Myla has since been pulled from the facility and is reportedly more sensitive about anyone touching her hair since the incident.

“This isn’t just about hair,” Hemingway said. “It’s about trust. It’s about safety. It’s about how our children are cared for when we’re not there.”

As the legal process moves forward, Hemingway hopes no other parent has to endure a mystery like hers—and that accountability follows wherever the truth le