By Mila Ipantonio
Hour Staff Writer
The Hour 04/21/99
WILTON – Private investigator Linda Purtur said parents shouldn’t take any chances when they leave their children with an outside caregiver. And if they suspect any abuse or neglect is occurring, she recommends videotaping their nannies?
“People realize when they bring a complete stranger into their homes and don’t know their personality, abuse may occur,” said Hunter who runs Hunter Investigations in Westport.
In Wilton, Richard and Jeanne Varnums couldn’t agree more. Their decision to videotape their nanny on April 22 led to the arrest Friday of Joan Kahn, a caregiver from West Redding, who had been employed since October 1999 by the Varnums to care for their 10-month-old son and for the 10-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Burress of Fairfield.
Kahn was charged with two counts of risk of injury to a minor after she was observed on the videotape of hitting, slamming and jerking the two youngsters while they were in her care in the Varnums home.
In an arrest warrant application prepared by Wilton police, Kahn’s actions as caught on film were vividly described. In one incident Kahn is viewed dropping the 11-month-od boy from a height of three feet above the ground onto a pillow after becoming upset because the youngster wouldn’t eat. Kahn is also viewed throwing the boy again, kicking him, picking him up by his right arm and throwing him back down again, then finally kicking him again. With the 10-month-old, Kahn was taped slapping her soundly on her back after becoming upset because the child wouldn’t eat.
Kahn’s reaction when watching these actions in police presence was to say, “Not the best,” or “Not the greatest,” she then stated that she was much rougher than she should have been, but didn’t remember hitting them, according to the warrant.
The Varnums told police they tabbed their nanny when they began to notice unexplained bruises and scratches on the children.
Their method of dealing with their suspicions is becoming more common. Hunter said that in the last year she has installed cameras in four homes in lower Fairfield County where the parents suspected some form of abuse.
She said videotaping is used to prevent abuse of the elderly or to allow an employer to identify an employee suspected of theft. Videotaping is legal; audio taping isn’t.
Hunter said that when hiring a nanny, parents should complete a background check, which included the person’s criminal, employee and worker’s compensation history as well as licensing verification.
But sometimes a check still does not guarantee the children are free from abuse.
In the Wilton case, Jeanne Varnum told police she received great references an extensive resume from Kahn, “We did every background check we could have and called every reference. That’s the scary part. She also was working for an agency in Manhattan and they didn’t even know,” she said.
Even though she received glowing recommendations from extended family members about her nanny, Kelly Costigan, spokeswoman for Norwalk Public Schools, said she too checked references when she was choosing a female caregiver for her two young children.
“There are no guarantees when it comes to child care,” she said. “You have to have the confidence that this person has the right instincts.”
Costigan advised parents to spend time with a prospective caregiver and observe them in a discreet way.
Anna Zaccardo, executive director of Children’s Connection in Norwalk, recommends conducting reference interviews much like a job interview. She said families should hire someone who has a history of working well with children and should interview the person, themselves, not relying solely on the placing agency.
“The most important thing is for a parent to know their child and to pick up on clues,” Zaccardo said. “You have to instincts be your guide.”
Mike Giordano, owner of the New Jersey company Know Your Nanny who rented the Wilton couple the camera, said a videotape verifies any suspicions. He rents or sells between 12 and 15 cameras a month. Parents can rent a camera for 10 days for $199 or purchase one for $699. Giordano said the fee is a small price to pay for parents to guarantee their children’s safety.
Giordano said 80 percent of his customers fire their nannies after renting the cameras because they find some form of neglect, but the Wilton incident is the first time a taping has led to an arrest. And parents often must wait days to view anything suspicious.
“I spoke to a client last night. The first day she didn’t’ see anything disturbing, but on the second day, she did,” Giordano said.
Are Lungo, owner of Tutor Time Child Care Learning Center in Norwalk, said that at his child care center, security is a necessity. All employees must enter the building by swiping a security card. He also installed three monitors and two cameras to monitor the rooms. Lungo, along with his wife an co-owner Carol Anders, complete background checks and ask for five references. He said three is also safety in numbers at a daycare and the many parents have registered their children at his daycare because they felt uncomfortable with their nanny set-up.
“Generally speaking, parents feel uncomfortable and guilty about leaving their children to begin with,” Lungo said. “They should do whatever they can do to eliminate some concern.”
Vanrum said she would recommend using a video camera for anyone who has a nanny as a precaution. “Even let her know you’re taping,” she said.
Wilton Police Capt. Ronald Bellveau said taping childcare workers probably isn’t necessary for every parent but if there are ground for suspicion said taping is beneficial because it could lead to an arrest.
Kahn was released on $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Monday.