The West Chatham YMCA, Pooler, GA, has lost its child care license after failing to correct multiple violations that jeopardize the health and safety of children at the facility.
Since August 2011, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning has investigated and verified multiple rule violations and repeatedly issued fines and warnings to the Y, which is operated by the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. Although the Y submitted a plan to correct violations that was accepted by the state, recent investigations show that the Y has not implemented the proposed corrections, according to the department, and has "demonstrated a reckless disregard for the health and safety of the children in care."
The department informed Y officials of the decision last month in a public letter, which includes a detailed list of allegations, verified complaints and past actions taken by the department and the Y.
According to the letter, the decision to revoke the license was made after a state investigation verified that on Sept. 30, a 2-year-old was left alone in the facility's gym, which is in a building separate from the child learning center. The child was missing for 10 minutes and walked back to the child care center without supervision.
The Y had received previous citations for failing to supervise children and was fined for an incident on May 14 when a 6-year-old was left alone on a bus for between 26 and 41 minutes after being transported from a local elementary school to the Y.
The department also confirmed that on Sept. 6, an employee spanked her own child in the center, which violates a regulation prohibiting personnel from inflicting corporal punishment on a child. The Y was previously cited and fined for personnel shaking, jerking, pinching or roughly handling a child and verbally abusing or humiliating a child.
The Y is appealing the department's decision and will continue to operate its child care programs until a final decision is made. Heather DuCloux, director of the West Chatham Y, addressed the licensing issue in a statement to parents posted on the Y's Facebook page.
"The ruling is based on past infractions at the center; and, while we admit that said infractions did occur, we feel comfortable telling you that we have always dealt with these situations forthrightly and honestly," DuCloux said. "In each and every one of these cases, we worked hand in hand with the agency's local consultants and had been given the impression that everything was moving in a positive direction. Over the past several weeks alone, we have had daily visits from these consultants, and our centers have been deemed completely compliant. Quite honestly, we don't understand this current action, but we do intend to vigorously defend ourselves by appealing it."