SOUTH DAYTONA— A South Daytona day-care center’s license was suspended by state officials Monday less than a week after two small children walked out of the facility unsupervised, officials said.
Miles of Smiles Learning Center Inc. has been ordered by the Department of Children & Families to close its doors by 5 p.m. today. DCF officials said the suspension will lead to a permanent revocation of the center’s license, which was set to expire in September 2007.
The two children, a 21-month-old girl and a 17-month-old boy, left the center unnoticed Oct.24 and were seen wandering around Reed Canal Road, according to a DCF complaint. Two women stopped their vehicles, picked up the toddlers and returned them to the center. The children were not hurt.
“This is a very serious offense,” said Lotta Mapp, a DCF spokeswoman for Volusia and Flagler counties. “Child safety is our No. 1 priority.”
A DCF investigation Wednesday showed the facility’s front gate was left open during its hours of operation, and parents are asked to sign their children in on attendance logs monthly rather than daily. The center has been cited for many violations in the past, including a failure to maintain daily attendance records, leaving a class of 3-year-olds unattended and not supervising an infant in the dining room. A 2-year-old was found with bites and bruises at the center.
Last week’s incident and the center’s “history of supervision and other compliance deficiencies, demonstrate an immediate and serious danger to the health, safety and welfare of the children served by Miles of Smiles,” the complaint read.
Miles of Smiles officials could not be reached for comment. They have 15 days to appeal DCF’s decision with the state Division of Administrative Hearings.
Mapp said this is the first time the department has taken emergency action to suspend a Volusia County day-care center’s license.
