Long Island daycares at risk of losing licenses after serious health, safety violations

Corporal punishment and harsh discipline during toilet training against toddlers and preschool-age children that went unreported to the state.

Young children left without competent supervision and staff who failed to immediately inform parents of serious incidents.

Daycare centers that failed to conduct criminal or sex offender background checks for new hires, in violation of state guidelines.

These are just some of the nearly 100 allegations leveled against seven Long Island daycare centers that state officials report are now at risk of losing their license to continue operating.

Meanwhile, another four local childcare facilities had their license revoked and were forced to shutter in recent months after serious health or safety violations were documented by the state Office of Children and Family Services, a Newsday investigation found.

'The system is working'

The nearly dozen Long Island day cares that have found themselves under scrutiny from the state, including a Northport facility facing an investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department's Special Victims Unit for alleged child abuse, represent just a small fraction of the 2,133 childcare providers on Long Island.

But to the families of children enrolled in these facilities, typically ranging in age from infants to as old as 12, the alleged violations raise questions about the businesses' safety protocols and offer doubts whether they'll continue to operate moving forward.

"The safety and well-being of all children in Office of Children and Family Services-licensed childcare programs is our top priority," said Daniel Marans, a spokesman for the agency. "To achieve these standards, we work diligently to ensure enforcement is fair and proportional across the state, creating a pathway back to good standing for childcare providers that fully comply with OCFS’  remediation plans."

Across the state, 176 daycare facilities in 32 counties are either at risk of revocation or had their licenses pulled by the state — often because of serious violations — in recent months, records show.

In most instances, the day cares facing revocation are allowed to continue operating while the process is pending and most never permanently close, officials said. 

Providers facing revocation are given two choices: Appeal and request an administrative hearing to contest the action or, after the hearing request is received, submit a corrective action plan and agree to a settlement stipulation, which could include mandated training, forced terminations, new management or monetary fines. 

In other, more serious cases, the facility could have its license immediately suspended and be forced to close.

Some childcare providers told Newsday that the state can be overly rigid in how it responds to alleged violations, putting facilities at risk of revocation for innocent errors that are quickly corrected. Often, providers said, a single mistake can generate several violations running afoul of multiple state regulations simultaneously.

But Jennifer Rojas, executive director of the Suffolk County Child Care Council, which provides assistance to parents and day cares, including those at the risk of revocation, insists "the system is working the way it's supposed to."

Problematic providers, she said, are being closed while facilities that make good faith errors are given an opportunity to make necessary corrections before losing their license.

"We will not keep programs open or allow children to be there if we think they're unsafe, or if there's health or safety concerns," Rojas said. "And there are times where maybe something comes up and the state will decide to temporarily close [the center] until it can be fully investigated. But it depends on what the specific complaints are. The goal is to remedy and support that program and to provide them with all the resources they need so they can continue to provide safe, quality care."

2 Nassau centers facing revocation

Two daycare centers in Nassau are currently listed by OCFS as at risk of revocation.

They include the Barry and Florence Friedberg Jewish Community Center in Rockville Centre, which was cited for children being left without competent supervision and failing to immediately report suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment, records show.

In an interview, Roni Kleinman, chief executive of the JCC, said the incident involved a "lapse of supervision during a transition between activities," as children were being moved from the playground back inside the building.

A child, she said, was not in their group as kids returned to the building. Within less than a minute, Kleinman said, the child was located and brought back to their group. 

The child's parent, she said, was immediately notified but because the incident happened at the end of the day, staff waited until the following morning to inform the state, triggering additional violations, Kleinman said. The issue, she said, was immediately corrected and the center took steps to strengthen its transition procedures between activities.

"It’s important to distinguish this from the more serious situations" cited by the state, Kleinman said. "This matter did not involve abuse or maltreatment, but rather a procedural lapse that was addressed right away and transparently. We are working cooperatively with OCFS through their standard process and expect to enter into a stipulation that will formalize the corrective measures already in place."

The program CEO added: "While any incident involving children is taken seriously, this does not reflect the overall quality of our program. We have a strong, long-standing track record of providing safe, well-supervised care, and we remain fully committed to maintaining those standards."

Meanwhile, Yami's Playhouse Daycare Corp. in Uniondale has been facing license revocation since Aug. 29, records show.

The state cited Yami's, which did not respond to requests for comment, for submission of fraudulent documents to the office; flammable or toxic chemicals not properly stored; and failing to provide notice that an animal was kept on-site. The site also did not maintain attendance records; a healthcare plan for students; schedules documenting the arrival and departure of employees; or properly display their license, records show.

One additional Nassau daycare provider, SCOPE Educational Services at the John Lewis Childs School in Floral Park, was facing revocation until it entered into a stipulation settlement — which included an undisclosed fine — with the state on April 22, records show. 

The state had cited SCOPE during a Feb. 6 inspection for failing to immediately notify parents and the office after a child in its care was involved in an incident involving serious injury, state documents stipulate. The nature of the injuries was not disclosed, and SCOPE declined to comment.

5 Suffolk sites at risk

In Suffolk, five day cares are at risk of revocation, records show.

They include Dazzling Tots Daycare in Mastic, which has been facing revocation since Aug. 26 for a host of violations — all of which have since been corrected — such as failing to report abuse or maltreatment of a child; children sleeping outside a caregiver's range of vision; kids left without competent supervision and not reporting a serious incident to parents.

Other violations include failing to maintain attendance records, not having a staffer on site with certification in CPR; failure to ensure that animals on site were free of disease or parasites, and a lack of cooperation with inspectors. Reached by phone, the facility's owner declined to comment.

Following a complaint, Kiddie Academy of Farmingdale was cited during an April 6 inspection for allegations of corporal punishment; failing to make an immediate report to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment; not reporting a serious incident to parents and the lack of a plan for addressing problematic child behavior.

In a statement, Pattie LaMarsh, the owner of the Farmingdale Kiddie Academy location, said that after being made aware of an "allegation involving child mishandling by a staff member, we took immediate and decisive action, including reporting the matter to the appropriate state agencies, the respective families, and terminating the employee that same day. We take solace in the fact that there were no injuries nor was medical attention sought as a result of this incident."

LaMarsh added that Kiddie Academy had fully cooperated with state investigators 

"We want to reassure our families and community that we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of care and professionalism at our Academy," she said. "We have filed for an administrative hearing to contest the proposed revocation and seek means to redress any corrective issues moving forward. We have reinforced our commitment to staff training around behavior management and incident reporting responsibilities. Our focus remains on providing a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn and grow."

Newsday reported last month that state investigators substantiated a complaint against The Learning Experience in Northport and issued violations for failing to report allegations of child abuse or maltreatment, including corporal punishment and harsh discipline during toilet training, records show. 

The incident, officials said, involved a now former employee whose identity has not been disclosed.

The facility has been on the pending revocation list since April 17 and — like all day cares facing the loss of their license — the state is no longer referring families to the center. The Learning Experience did not respond to requests for comment about the incident.

One of the more recent revocation notices was issued last month to Snuggles Day Care in Copiague, records show.

The Deauville Boulevard group family daycare was cited for a bevy of violations, including failing to ensure that children develop skills such as crawling, standing, walking and running; lack of competent supervision; unlicensed animals on premises; issues related to trash or odor; bottles and food not clearly marked and beverages other than water, milk or juice given to children, documents show.

Other violations involved the lack of monthly evacuation drills, peeling paint; doors that did not open from the inside without a key; children in high chairs without a safety strap and not using acceptable techniques and approaches to help children solve problems, records show.

Snuggles owner Yolanda Serna told Newsday she's been in the daycare field for 25 years and called the allegations "stupid," saying she was unfairly targeted.

"I do have an explanation for each one of them, and they're justifiable," Serna said without elaborating. 

Also facing pending revocation, records show, is Vanessa Little Blessings Daycare in Coram. 

The facility has been cited for more than two dozen violations since February, including failing to conduct criminal or sex offender background checks on new hires; not following guidelines to prevent anaphylaxis; failing to call 911 during a medical emergency; lack of competent supervision and someone other than a caregiver having unsupervised contact with a child enrolled the program, records show.

Other violations cite issues with the facility's records retention or required medical statements; unapproved space used for childcare; vaccinations; napping or sleeping arrangements and breast milk or formula schedules, documents state. 

Vanessa Little Blessings did not respond to requests for comment.

System 'struggling'

Several Long Island daycare centers have been forced to close their doors in recent months after violations were documented by the state.

They include Tiny Angel Dreamhouse in Baldwin, which had its license revoked on March 16 after investigators found a program employee, volunteer or operator had a criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge. The nature of the charge or the identity of the offender was not clear and the facility did not respond to a request for comment.

Also forced to close was Building Blocks Childcare in West Babylon, which had its license revoked on Dec. 12 after state officials documented employees without the mandated 30 hours of training, records indicate. Messages left with Building Blocks were not returned.

Kids Cottage LI Inc. in Shirley had its license revoked on Feb. 5, records show, when investigators cited the facility for allegations of corporal punishment; failure to report allegations of child abuse or maltreatment; employees not being of good character; children left without competent supervision; infants not held during bottle feeding; the lack of a behavior management plan and insufficient records retention. Messages left with Kids Cottage were not returned.

The Sunny Home Daycare in North Babylon had its license pulled on Dec. 16 after investigators documented children left without competent supervision; precautions not taken to remove safety hazards; failure to report suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment; improper staff-to-child ratio and failing to notify parents of serious incidents.

The owner of the daycare hung up on a reporter when reached for comment.

While providers said a single incident involving a lone employee could cost a daycare facility its license, Rojas, of the Suffolk County Child Care Council, said the picture of childcare enforcement on Long Island is far more complex.

The combination of a highly regulated system, mixed with an industry struggling to hire and maintain decidedly low-wage staff, can create problems, she said, for some facilities.

"The childcare system itself is kind of struggling because of the structure of it," said Rojas said. "So hiring and keeping a strong workforce is challenging, because the salaries aren't great. ... It's getting harder and harder to keep qualified staff. So that turnover of staff leads to some of the issues that programs are experiencing at the moment."

But in the end, she said, it's on the providers to comply with state guidelines if they want to continue operating.

"It's our youngest kids. Our babies and our toddlers," Rojas said. "So we try to make sure that this is a highly functioning and safe system, which requires a lot of regulations."