STAUNTON VA: (ROCKTOWN NOW) – It is two years in jail for the owner of a Stuarts Draft daycare who was charged after a young child died in her home. Denise Machelle Stewart was
sentenced to 11 and a half years in prison with nine and a half of those years suspended during a hearing this week in Augusta County Circuit Court. That is according to online records.

The 54-year-rold Stewart pleaded guilty to three charges back in July, including child abuse and welfare fraud. It stemmed from an incident back in October of 2022 when a nearly
two-year child died at the daycare. While an investigation failed to prove that Stewart caused the death, it did reveal that she was taking care of 12 children at the time, which is
three times over the legal limit of four children per one adult.