A Florida family is seeking justice for their 2-month-old daughter, Jersi McKnight, who died while in the care of a state-licensed daycare. 

A grand jury decided not to indict the owner of the daycare, but the local police department is currently investigating the case, WCTV reports. 

“She honestly had just started smiling and giggling. I just assumed she was in good care. Child abuse, child neglect, ” Martasha Robinson, Jersi's mother, told WCTV. 

“It’s neglect all day,” Jonathan McKnight, the 2-month-old's father, added, according to WCTV. “I need some answers. I need some answers. She won’t be forgotten. Justice will be served."

After taking recommendations from various people, Robinson decided to enroll her young child at Hugger Family Daycare. On Aug. 9, 2021, Jersi's first day of daycare, Robinson said goodbye to her infant daughter around 8 a.m., not knowing that it would be the last time she would see her alive. She recalled later receiving a frantic call from a parent of another child.

“My heart stopped. I’m getting closer and closer to the scene and there’s an ambulance, and detectives and police lights,” Robinson said.

An officer met her at the door and told her that Jersi was left alone on the changing table, rolled over, and landed in a nearby mop bucket and drowned.  

“That alone — leaving her — is just negligence,” Robinson said. 

A grand jury voted in a 10-8 decision that the daycare owner would not be indicted on criminal charges.

”I’m still in shock. Hoping I heard it wrong. Maybe I just heard it wrong,” Katrina Cook, the infant’s aunt, said.

The state attorney's office gave no comment concerning the case. The Perry Police Department rejected any further interviews and refused to provide copies of the incident report to WCTV.  

”That’s just like taking a bucket of water and throwing it out in the yard, and when it’s dried up, it’s over with. My grandbaby was way more than a bucket of water,” Walter Bishop, the baby’s great-grandfather, said.

Despite the grand jury's ruling, Jersi's case is still under investigation. According to Florida state records, the daycare was cited as "non-compliant" on two separate occasions. One incident included a violation that was five weeks before Jersi's death.

The daycare was accused of having seven children under the age of 3 years old, which is more than the number permitted under Florida law. 

Jersi's parents said they didn't know of the violations prior to enrolling their daughter in Hugger Family Daycare.