EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) — A daycare center has been closed after receiving violations dating back to last year.
Oklahoma City police were called to a residential day care facility in Edmond in March.
According to a Department of Human Resources and Human Services (DHS) case summary, the caregiver placed the baby in the crib knowing it was broken.
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Not only did the crib not have two wheels, the crib sheets did not fit properly, and after only 20 minutes in the crib, the infant was found unresponsive.
The summary also said the caregiver did not immediately call 911.
“We have about 3,700 daycare centers in Oklahoma,” said Joe Dorman, CEO of the Oklahoma Child Advocacy Association, “and parents leave their kids there believing they’ll be safe, and then we hear about things like this happening.”
When paramedics and firefighters arrived on scene, they attempted to resuscitate the four-month-old baby before rushing him to hospital, according to police reports.
An investigation revealed that the daycare center had a history of violations dating back to last year.
In April 2023, a complaint was received about tobacco products being used around children.
Then last October, a child got hold of some medical marijuana and ate it.
DHS later confirmed the owner’s license had been revoked.
DHS officials sent News 4 the following statement:
As part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to provide safe, affordable and reliable child care options for Oklahomans, child care licensing officers work with providers to ensure their operations comply with the agency’s child care regulations and policies.
Ministry of Human Services
Child care advocates like Dorman said the situation should never have happened.
“We’ve got to do a better job, we’ve got to put in the right resources, we’ve got to send in inspectors and make sure these daycares are safe,” Dorman said.
