Wisconsin Day Care Worker Avoids Jail for Infant Leg Injury

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A 36-year-old Wisconsin woman named Chantelle Michelle Cheri Vevang has been sentenced to 45 days of home detention or work release and two years of supervised probation for breaking the femur of a 9-month-old girl in her care at a Woodbury, Minnesota day care center in 2024. Vevang initially claimed she applied too much pressure while changing the girl's diaper, but medical staff determined the injuries did not match that explanation.

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of accountability and oversight in the day care industry, where the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable infants must be the top priority. The sentencing raises questions about whether the punishment fits the crime and whether more stringent measures are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The details

Vevang was initially charged with malicious punishment of a child after the incident at Stepping Stones Early Learning Center, but pleaded that down to a charge of contributing to a need for child protection services, a gross misdemeanor. As part of her probation, Vevang is prohibited from working as a child care provider for any children under the age of 5.

• The incident occurred in 2024 at the Stepping Stones Early Learning Center in Woodbury, Minnesota.
• Vevang was sentenced this week in March 2026.

What’s next

The judge will monitor Vevang's compliance with the terms of her probation, which includes a prohibition on working with children under 5 years old. If she violates the probation, she could be ordered to serve 319 days in jail.