The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) reported that staff members waited almost two minutes to call for emergency help after the incident.
The heartbroken family alleges that their son and the other children at the daycare were neglected. It has been reported that during the incident, staff provided the food but did not supervise the children while they were eating.
“JB lost his life due to The Kids Nest Learning Center’s failure to have CPR-trained staff, giving an 18-month-old a large piece of watermelon, not requiring children to be seated while eating, and not being within arm’s reach of the kids as required by Georgia’s DECAL,” stated the GoFundMe page created by the family.
On May 21, a heartbreaking incident occurred, and during the court proceedings, Charles Grant, the daycare owner, revealed that out of the two staff members responsible for the children, only one was certified in CPR. He admitted that the staff failed to follow both the center’s and state regulations by not supervising the children during mealtime.
Jamal’s mother expressed her deep disappointment, stating that the daycare let her son down. Surveillance footage showed that instead of performing CPR as needed, the staff merely patted him on the back.
“We rely on you to care for our children to the best of your ability, and if that was a rule, you should have followed it,” she said. “I trusted you to do your job, and now I blame myself for leaving him there that day. I don’t want to hear excuses from them; they should have called for help. Nothing can change this, except for them facing consequences.”
Due to significant violations of regulations that “seriously impacted the health and safety of children and showed a willful and reckless disregard for their physical and mental well-being,” DECAL has begun the process of permanently closing the daycare.
The owner initially appealed the decision but later decided to withdraw the appeal. “A notice has been sent to the Office of State Administrative Hearings to dismiss the case and cancel the court proceedings. With the appeal no longer active, the center has been officially closed in our records following the revocation of its license,” the statement indicated.
We deeply regret this heartbreaking loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family.
