The owner of an in-home daycare center will not fight the state’s move to close her business following the death of a 3-year-old boy. But it’s not known whether the owner will face criminal charges for admittedly leaving the boy alone on the playground, where he hanged himself with a piece of twine.
Janna V. Thompson, of Alpharetta, had until Monday afternoon to appeal the emergency closure ordered by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), according to a spokesman for the agency. Thompson’s center, Ms. Janna’s Daycare, must now close temporarily because of rule violations, DECAL stated Monday in its order, obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Thompson told police she had gone inside her licensed center on July 8 and returned outside to find the boy, Thomas Stephens, unresponsive on the slide, The AJC previously reported. Thompson called 911 and administered CPR on the child, who died the following night after being transported from North Fulton Hospital to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, according to officials.
DECAL began an investigation within hours of the boy being found with a piece of twine-like string around his neck. The agency cited rule violations in the court order to close the center.
The morning of the incident, Thompson allegedly had seven children in her care, though she was only allowed by state law to care for six, according to DECAL. She also allegedly left two infants and a toddler inside her home while she took three toddlers and a preschool-aged child outside, the court order states.
“While the children were playing, one toddler began misbehaving,” the document states. “The Provider took this child inside leaving three children unsupervised on the playground. While inside, the Provider used the restroom, received a phone call and made a phone call.”
After an “undetermined amount of time later,” Thompson returned outside, where she found the injured boy laying flat on the slide, according to DECAL.
“The Provider thought the child was playing until she noticed that the child was not moving,” the order states.
Investigators found a piece of twine, similar to that used on pine straw bales, around the play area. That twine was around the neck of the boy, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain and a neck injury, according to DECAL.
In an emailed statement released Friday afternoon to Channel 2 Action News, Thompson said she had cared for the boy, known as Max, for three years.
“I have cared for Max in my home for three years and he was loved as one of my own,” Thompson said. “My grief pales in comparison to that of his parents.”
The Roswell boy’s death at the daycare came less than six months after the home’s playground was deemed unsafe during an inspection, state records showed.
The boy’s death remains under investigation by Alpharetta police.
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