Austell daycare appeals closure in case of child, 2, left in van

A Cobb County daycare is appealing the emergency closure order after a 2-year-old girl was allegedly left on a van for five hours, the state agency that monitors centers said Thursday.

The Bright Achievers Pre-K Center, in Austell, can remain open during the appeal process, according to Reg Griffin with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. But state monitors will be at the center each day during its operating hours, Griffin said.

The state agency issued the order to close the center Wednesday, citing serious rule violations in the areas of transportation and supervision, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The closure order was in response to a child being left behind on the daycare van for many hours, and the subsequent arrest of the center's owner for allegedly trying to cover up the incident.

After realizing 2-year-old Zaryaha Emile had been left inside a van for several hours, daycare owner Melinda Hamilton failed to seek medical treatment and lied about the incident to the girl’s mother, according to police.

Hamilton, 59, of Atlanta, was arrested Friday and charged with false statements, tampering with evidence and reckless conduct. She was booked into the Cobb County jail and released Saturday morning after posting $25,000, booking records showed.

Zaryaha was dehydrated, but not seriously injured, her mother, Quantina Russell, told the AJC. Russell said Hamilton told her the girl had been on the van 15 minutes, but other staff members at the daycare told her the truth.