A judge ruled Wednesday to keep a southwest Atlanta daycare center closed after a 2-year-old boy was left inside a van for two hours.
A New Beginning Learning Center II, on Sylvan Road, must remain closed for 21 days to allow state investigators to determine if the center should be closed permanently.
It's the second time in four weeks a metro Atlanta center was closed due to forgotten children. On May 20, Bright Achievers Pre-K in Austell was ordered closed after a 2-year-old girl was left on a van for five hours.
In the Atlanta case, van driver Shavonda Dailey was arrested June 8 and charged with reckless conduct and cruelty to children after she allegedly left the boy locked inside a van outside the day care. Dailey failed to check the van after returning to the center at the end of the day, and no other employee checked the van, as state regulations require, according to investigators.
Jeremy Smith had attended the southwest Atlanta daycare for most of his life, except for a short period when his state subsidy was stopped, according to the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. June 8 was the boy’s first day back at the center, and he was supposed to ride a daycare van to and from his home.
Renae Evans, Jeremy’s mother, testified in a state administrative hearing that her son would typically arrive home at 3:45 p.m., the judge’s ruling states. Evans called the center at 4:15 p.m. and was told the van was running late. When the boy wasn’t home at 5:15 p.m., Evans again called the center, but no one answered. Phone records showed Evans called the center eight more times before calling 911 at 6:20 p.m.
When Jeremy’s grandmother arrived at the center, it was closed and no one was inside. When she looked inside a van, she saw her grandson asleep on the back seat, Delondra Evans testified. She banged on the window, shouting the child’s name and he woke up. A man in the area used a brick to break a van window, and at 6:54 p.m., Jeremy was removed from the van, according to the boy’s family.
Jeremy’s skin was hot and sunburned. He was sweating and covered in urine, but he was not injured, his family said.
After the incident, center owner Pilar Lewiel fired Dailey, who was released from jail June 10 on a $15,000 bond. Lewiel testified she hired additional staff members and installed an alarm system for the center vans designed to help avoid leaving children behind. Lewiel also agreed to strictly follow DECAL's transportation guidelines and hired a new director.
About the Author
