A northwest Georgia day care center owner was arrested after she allegedly left a 5-year-old special needs child unattended on a bus for an “extended period of time,” according to a report.
Debra Brooks McDaniel, the owner of Superkids Early Learning Center in Rome, parked the bus at her home Friday and left the vehicle without checking for occupants, the Rome News-Tribune reported.
It was not known how long the child was left unattended.
McDaniel, 58, surrendered Monday at the Floyd County Jail, where she was booked on charges of felony second-degree cruelty to children and misdemeanor reckless conduct, officials said.
She was released on bond the same day, the News-Tribune reported.
The incident is under investigation by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, spokesman Reg Griffin said.
“We had a consultant/investigator from our team visit the center (Monday),” Griffin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday in an email. “Our investigations are always thorough, speaking with the provider, the parents, any witnesses, and also the child to help us determine what rules were violated and the appropriate response by the agency.”
The day care center will conduct business as usual during the investigation, Griffin said.
However, McDaniel can’t go to that or any other day care facility in Georgia during the investigation, Griffin said.
Rome is about 70 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
In other news:
About the Author
