A Cobb County childcare center is under investigation after allegedly leaving an infant asleep in a crib when the staff left.
The child's mother told police she arrived at River Oaks Day Care on Floyd Road in Mableton about 10 minutes before the center closed at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Officer Mike Bowman with Cobb County police told the AJC. The mother, Lakristy Rogers, had passed the center's owner driving away, but assumed other staff members were still inside, Bowman said.
"Mom goes up to the front door and there's no answer," Bowman said.
Rogers banged on the door and windows, but no one answered, police said. When the mother saw her 8-month-old girl asleep in a crib, she called 911.
Police and firefighters arrived and were able to break into the building to get the child, who was fine.
"An officer had his eyes on the baby the whole time," Bowman said.
The Cobb police Crimes Against Children unit is investigating. A state agency that monitors childcare centers, Bright from the Start, is also investigating the incident, but cannot comment on the case, a spokeswoman told the AJC.
"It is an open investigation," said Sophal Lackey, spokeswoman for Bright from the Start.
State laws requires that children be supervised at all times. One staff member can care for up to six children under the age of 18 months who are not walking, according to state regulations.
The center's owner, Sue Pierce, was remorseful and told Channel 2 Action News the incident was a mistake that should have never happened.
"I don't have any defense for it," Pierce said. "I can give you all kinds of reasons why it happened. It's reprehensible."
Rogers, the baby's mother, told Channel 2 that Pierce is a "good woman" and she doesn't plan to switch to a different childcare center.
Last October, the center was investigated following a complaint, according to state records. An Oct. 28 report cited the center for a discipline and staffing problem.
"Inappropriate discipline was used when a teacher used a rubber band to ‘pop' children," the report states.
The report also cites the center for having too many children in the 4-year-old room to be under one staff member's care.
The center met the majority of the state's requirements during a licensing study in March.
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