By Wally Kennedy

Globe Staff Writer

The director of Mercy Discovery Center, the child-care center operated by St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, was charged Thursday with one count of abuse of a child for allegedly biting a 1-year-old boy on the arm.

Janice Burress, 55, 1410 S. Marwalk Drive, has been charged with a Class C felony, according to Dean Dankelson, Jasper County prosecuting attorney.

Burress was to turn herself over to police on Thursday before a warrant for her arrest was signed, according to her attorney, Charles Genisio, of Joplin.

A spokeswoman at the Joplin City Jail said Burress had not surrendered as of Thursday afternoon.

Associate Judge Richard Copeland of Jasper County Circuit Court set bond at $3,500.

According to an affidavit filed by Joplin police Detective Michael Gayman, the incident happened Monday when Ethan Estes-Daniels, age 1, went into an office with Burress at the child-care center.

The affidavit states that the boy "entered the suspect's office with no injuries and left the office a short time later with an adult-size bite mark on his right arm."

What prompted the woman to allegedly bite the child is not clear, but the medical center issued a statement that "time outs" are the only disciplinary measures sanctioned by the medical center.

The affidavit said witnesses had seen similar conduct with the boy in late April and early May.

The incident was reported to the Missouri Department of Social Services on Tuesday by administrators at St. John's. That reporting is required by state law. The medical center said Burress is no longer employed by Mercy Discovery Center.

Debbie Linnes, interim chief executive officer at St. John's, said: "We take this situation very seriously, and have initiated a comprehensive internal investigation surrounding the allegation. We are further cooperating with authorities in their investigation of the incident."

The hospital said Mercy Discovery Center, operated by St. John's since 1988, was placed under new management Wednesday.

Linnes, in a statement released to the media, said: "We have conducted and will continue to conduct employee in-service training on our policy on disciplining children at the Mercy Discovery Center, and we have reminded staff of the Ethics at Work Hotline established for St. John's employees.