A former State College daycare director is facing a felony charge after investigators say multiple employees reported witnessing her physically abuse young children in her care at a Centre County daycare.
Sarah E. Yanda-Santana, 54, of York, has been charged with one count of felony endangering the welfare of children and one count of summary harassment following an investigation into allegations of abuse at the Kinder-Care on Farmstead Lane in Ferguson Township.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Ferguson Township police, the investigation began after a Child-Line referral alleging possible abuse involving a 4-year-old child.
Police said the child suffered bruises to the wrists, head, back and elbows. Investigators allege Yanda-Santana grabbed the child by the wrists, dragged the child across the floor, held the child down and threw the child. The complaint also alleges the child had fingerprint-shaped bruises on the wrists.
Court documents allege Yanda-Santana, as a childcare worker responsible for young children, grabbed children by their arms and legs, held children’s hands together while restraining them on cots, and dragged a child into her office before locking the door. Prosecutors further allege children suffered visible bruising as a result of her actions.
Investigators interviewed several current and former employees during the investigation, all of whom described witnessing aggressive physical treatment of children.
One witness told police Yanda-Santana dragged children by their arms, picked them up by their wrists and threw them onto cots. The witness also alleged Yanda-Santana held children face-down on their cots by pressing on their backs and restrained their wrists for several minutes.
According to the complaint, the same witness described an incident on Jan. 22, 2026, in which Yanda-Santana allegedly removed the 4-year-old from a classroom, dragged the child by the arm into her office and closed the door. The witness told investigators the child could be heard screaming and trying to get out while Yanda-Santana laughed from inside the office.
Another employee told police she witnessed Yanda-Santana pull the child off a stack of cots by the wrist, causing the child to fall onto his knees. The witness also reported seeing Yanda-Santana pull children across the floor by their wrists on multiple occasions.
A third witness told investigators she observed Yanda-Santana grab the child by the wrists and elbows, drag the child across the floor and take the child into her office. According to the complaint, that witness also said a district supervisor instructed her to document that another child had caused bruises the victim received, despite witnessing the incident involving Yanda-Santana.
Police also interviewed another witness who reported hearing the child yell, “Get off of me, I want out of here,” from inside the office while Yanda-Santana laughed. The witness also described a separate incident in which Yanda-Santana allegedly grabbed another child by the wrists and threw the child into a chair, causing bruises.
Yanda-Santana is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at a later date.