Texas Daycare Shutdown for Missing Background Checks

A daycare in Georgetown, Texas was suddenly shut down recently, after the new owner of the business discovered that several staff members had not undergone the required background checks. According to a local Fox affiliate, there is also suspicion that one of the staff members at the daycare was "acting inappropriate around children," though it isn't immediately clear what that particular accusation means.

The daycare in question, called Creation Station Daycare, was shut down as of the morning of Wednesday, January 13^th. The closure of the business was so sudden that parents were not informed about it until they arrived at the daycare that morning to drop their kids off for the day. The daycare had recently been purchased by a Christian organization called Jesus Life Center, and the head pastor immediately noticed a few issues with the daycare that he believed necessitated a shutdown.

An internal investigation conducted of the daycare by Jesus Life Center turned up a slew of problems, including multiple sets of books and missing certifications for staff members. Under state law, daycare workers are required to undergo background checks, obtain a certificate, and go through CPR training. Evidently, some of the staff members at Creation Station Daycare were missing those required steps.

Jesus Life Center initially gave the Creation Station Daycare staff three days to get their documents in order and prove their compliance. The organization also stressed that they were looking for teachers more than babysitters or caregivers. Ultimately, the employees opted not to get compliant, so the daycare was closed. The unwillingness of staff to comply with state laws is telling, as is the history of infractions that Creation Station Daycare received over the years from the Texas Department of Department of Family and Protective Services. Among other things, the daycare had been cited over the years for failing to keep up with its health and safety inspections.

The major question is how the daycare managed to stay in business so long. Why did it take a new independent owner to shutter the business when the state department in charge of regulating daycares never did? Why was the daycare ever allowed to get away with missing inspections or background check reports?

Understandably, some local parents are upset that their daycare is gone and that they now have nowhere to take their kids during the workday. This situation is lucky, though, because there have so far been no reports of any children being abused at the daycare or hurt due to neglect or improper safety measures. There are always other daycares, and hopefully, they are better run and better regulated than this one was.

Sources: http://www.fox7austin.com/news/local-news/74608849-story