The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning revoked the license Tuesday for the Cobb County daycare where a 2-year-old girl was left on a van for several hours. And within hours, the daycare filed an appeal to keep its license.
On May 13, DECAL ordered Bright Achievers Pre-K in Austell closed, eight days after the child was left on the van. The center appealed the closure, but a judge's ruling May 20 closed the doors. Since then, an extensive investigation has been conducted, a DECAL spokesman said Tuesday.
“DECAL found serious rule violations at the center,” Reg Griffin said in an emailed statement.
On the morning of May 5, Zaryaha Emile was picked up near her home by a Bright Achievers van, according to her mother. But when the van returned to the daycare, Zaryaha was left in the backseat and wasn’t found until more than five hours later, when a daycare employee was heading to pick up students from an elementary school, according to police.
Zaryaha was sluggish and dehydrated, but otherwise unharmed, police said. But the center's owner, Melinda Hamilton, didn't seek medical help for the child and attempted to cover up the incident, according to investigators. Six people, including Hamilton, have been arrested and charged for their alleged roles in the incident.
The daycare had 10 days to appeal the license revocation, but filed the appeal Tuesday afternoon, Griffin said. The center must remain closed during the appeal process.
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