State fines First Baptist daycare $3k

First Baptist Child Ministry has been fined $3,000 by the state Department of Health after three children wandered off earlier this month.

The incident occurred on April 4 but was not reported until April 9, according to findings from a complaint investigation conducted by state Childcare Facility Inspector Christina Ryals.

Because the daycare failed to report the incident on the day it happened, the fine was doubled from $1,500 to $3,000.

The investigation found that three children — one age one and two age two — had left the gym unnoticed.

Director Tiffany Long told investigators that the gym door had been propped open with a weight and that caregivers did not realize the children had exited the area.

According to Long, two 1-year-old classrooms and one 2-year-old classroom were in the gym at the time. It took about 10 minutes for the staff to realize the children were missing.

Assistant Director Sage Love was the first to spot one of the 2-year-olds outside the gym’s front door. She ran outside and saw another 2-year-old near the edge of the parking lot.

When she called out for him to stop, the child ran off, so Love pursued him and eventually caught up with him at a nearby law firm about 0.2 miles away. The 1-year-old was found in the breezeway of the parking lot and returned safely to class.

Long said the children’s parents were contacted immediately, and all three children remain enrolled at the facility.

In response to the incident, Long told Ryals that the daycare will no longer prop open the gym door and will adjust the gym schedule so that only one or two classes are present at a time.

Long said she would discuss active supervision practices with staff, including positioning themselves throughout the gym to better monitor children.

The facility will also use a roster to track which children are present, conduct headcounts before leaving classrooms, again at transition points like doors, and once more upon arrival at the destination.

Additional counts will be done periodically during activities and again when lining children up to return indoors. Children will also be lined up using colored discs or photo markers to help ensure each child is accounted for.

“We are aware of the situation and have addressed the issue with the parents of these children as well as our staff,” said the Rev. Evan Humphries, pastor of The First Baptist Church.

“Parents have trusted us for over 60 years to care for their children. As a ministry, we are committed to the safety and well-being of the children of our center, and we will continue to operate with a safe and loving environment.”