Abbotsford, B.C., daycare owner charged with 6 counts of assaulting children

A daycare owner in Abbotsford, B.C., is being accused of assaulting children in her care.

The alleged incidents, dating back to 2022, involved children aged two to six years old, according to the Abbotsford Police Department.

Indu Takhar, 60, has been charged with six counts of assault, police said.

She was arrested Tuesday and was released from custody under several court-ordered conditions that include not going to any daycare centres and having no contact with any person under 16.

Takhar is named as the owner of a three-location daycare chain, Smile 'n' Play Daycare, on the business's website. According to the website, she is a mother of two and a 'seasoned visionary' who established the business in 2019.

CBC News is not identifying the specific location tied to the charges to avoid identifying victims of alleged assault.

In a Fraser Health facility inspection report from May 2020 — which is before the time period related to the assault charges — the inspector found that one of the Smile 'n' Play Daycare locations "appeared tidy and well maintained," however violations were noted, including two related to care and supervision.

The inspector reported that the manager, Takhar, "directed children to continue eating when they said they were finished by telling them they could go to bed or that she would call their mom and dad."

The inspector said children would cry and take another bite of food.

The 2020 report also said children who would not rest were physically turned to face the wall. Takhar said "what is your problem today, go to sleep and be quiet," in what the inspector described as a louder tone.

Takhar told the inspector that she says this to the children to scare them "and that way they listen." The inspector described the guidance strategy as inappropriate and directed Takhar to implement strategies that are developmentally appropriate for the children.

Fraser Health said in a written statement that it has launched its own investigation of Smile 'n' Play Daycare and is actively monitoring all three locations to ensure they're complying with regulations. 

"As soon as we received a complaint regarding the daycare operator, we took immediate action by implementing a health and safety plan across all three locations, which meant this individual was not allowed to access these sites to safeguard the children in care," said the health authority.

The police department said Thursday that it began investigating Takhar in October 2024 after receiving reports that children were allegedly being assaulted by the owner-operator of a daycare in Abbotsford. 

The department's major crime unit is asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact police.