GARDEN CITY, Mich. – A daycare in Garden City has been shut down by state officials after an investigation found the situation required emergency action.
LARA shut down Jade Child Development Center in Garden City on Monday. It will remain closed indefinitely while police and LARA officials continue to investigate.
LARA issued an order of summary suspension with notice of intent to revoke the center's license. LARA said they do so when the public health, safety or welfare requires emergency action.
Earlier this month, a teacher at the daycare was fired after a child was left alone on a bus for almost two hours.
"He was crying, he was wet, he had urinated himself," the child's mother told Local 4. "They said he had frost nip on his feet which is the first degree of frostbite."
"Unfortunately, our center has been closed. We have been fully cooperating with the state and are not commenting on any allegations. Our hearts go out to the children in our community that have been displaced and the teachers that no longer have employment due to the closing of the center," Rhonda Guido, the owner of the daycare center said in a statement.
"Jade Child Development Center Garden City has been dedicated to the health, safety and well being of our children for over five years. Our hearts break for the displaced children and the teachers that have been affected by the closing of the center. Thank you for the support our families have given us during this difficult time."
LARA said the daycare can request a hearing if they would like to appeal the decision.
LARA released the following statement:
"Yesterday, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS) issued an an order of summary suspension and notice of intent to revoke the license of Jade Child Development Center, a child care center located at 28482 Cherry Hill Rd, Garden City.
This action resulted from a recent complaint investigation of the child care center. The Special Investigation Report, dated November 16, 2018, found violations of the Child Care Organizations Act and administrative rules regarding the failure to provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.
Based on the investigation, it was determined that staff at the center did not provide appropriate care and supervision to a child when he was left in the bus unattended for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, in cold weather, resulting in injury to the child. Due to the serious nature of the violations – and the potential risk it represents – BCHS took emergency action to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the vulnerable children in the licensee’s care.
As of 6:00 P.M. on Monday, November 19, 2018, the summary suspension order prohibits the operation of a child care center at 28482 Cherry Hill Road, Garden City, MI. The licensee may not accept children for care after that date and time. The order also requires the licensee to inform all parents of children in their care that their license has been suspended and that they can no longer provide care.
A licensee has the right to appeal the suspension and revocation. The case will be forwarded to the Michigan Administrative Hearing System (MAHS) for a hearing date."