Northport daycare, cited for child abuse, settles investigation with state, officials confirm

A Northport daycare center, once at risk of losing its license to continue operating after inspectors verified allegations of child abuse and mistreatment at the facility, reached a settlement agreement with the state to close the investigation, officials confirmed.

The Learning Experience, a childcare center on Fort Salonga Road for kids ages 6 weeks through kindergarten, entered into a settlement agreement with the State Office of Children and Family Services on June 1 that included the payment of a fine, new employee training programs and classroom observations with agency officials, the office said in a statement.

OCFS declined to detail the size of the fine.

Threat of closure removed

Settlement agreements, the office said, remove the immediate threat of revocation of a childcare provider’s license if the operator completes the terms of the deal.

"On July 1, OCFS removed the threat of a proposed license revocation, after determining that the Learning Experience in Northport had completed the portion of the settlement needed to withdraw the proposed revocation without prejudice," the office said in a statement. "The Learning Experience in Northport must now fully complete the terms of the settlement to avoid the reinstatement of proposed revocation."

The Learning Experience and its parent company did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Newsday first reported in April that detectives with the Suffolk County Police Department's Special Victims Unit were investigating allegations a now-former Learning Experience employee had abused at least one minor at the facility.

The identity of the ex-employee has not been disclosed and the criminal investigation, a police spokesman said, is continuing.

OCFS investigators said they substantiated the complaint during March 26 and April 1 visits to the facility.

The office issued violations for failing to report suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment; prohibited forms of corporal punishment and unapproved methods of discipline during toilet training that could frighten, demean or humiliate a child.

The facility was also cited for not establishing and following a written plan for behavior management while staff was found not to be of "good character and possess suitable personal qualifications" or to "have the energy and emotional stability necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of their positions," records indicate.

Punishment for accidents

State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James), whose district includes Northport, previously described the specific allegations, including that at least one teacher made students sit in urine-soaked clothes as punishment for having an accident, as "unacceptable."

The lawmaker has worked with the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District to accommodate parents who want their children removed from the Learning Experience and transferred to other daycare facilities.

A district spokeswoman confirmed the Learning Experience remains one of its Universal Pre-Kindergarten placement sites but otherwise declined to comment.

Childcare providers in New York cited for serious regulatory violations, including child abuse, can face denial, revocation or suspension of their license or fines of up to $500 per day, according to agency guidelines.

In late April, Newsday reported the Learning Experience’s licensing status was listed by OCFS as "pending revocation" and the state was no longer referring families to the center.

Those designations have since been removed, officials said.

Previous facility citations, which records show have since been corrected, include failing to prepare a healthcare plan that protects and promotes the health of children; exceeding capacity in certain childcare age groups; failing to conduct two shelter-in-place drills annually; hand-washing violations; and not properly securing window and door blind cords, ropes, wires or other strangulation hazards.

Newsday reported in May that five daycare centers in Suffolk and two in Nassau were facing the threat of license revocation by the state after health or safety violations were documented by inspectors.

That list has since grown to six daycare providers in Suffolk and three in Nassau, state records show.

The Learning Center has more than 600 locations nationwide either open or under development.

In addition to Northport, the Learning Center has a dozen other Long Island locations, including in Centereach, Deer Park, East Northport, Farmingdale, Huntington, Kings Park, Lake Ronkonkoma, Massapequa, Medford, Oceanside, Plainview and Rocky Point.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.