Delaware parents trusted that their children would be cared for at Holly Oak Child Care Center, a daycare and early childhood provider in the Wilmington area.
But families would learn this spring that when concerns about a staff member’s “rough” treatment of children reached Holly Oak administration, leaders downplayed the suspicion of abuse, expressing more concern about keeping the doors open.
The parents shared information with Delaware Online/The News Journal without knowing if a formal investigation was forthcoming. Normally, learning such details would be impossible. Concerns that are not communicated, that are ultimately unsubstantiated, or that are under active investigation are often not made public.
READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION: This Delaware daycare has not reported abuse concerns. What happened next?
Those concerns ultimately sparked a state investigation after a member of the board of directors alerted state officials to problems plaguing the Philadelphia Pike day care center, leading to the Office of Day Care Licensing — which oversees child care centers and child care centers in Delaware — being called upon. substantiating more than a dozen claimsincluding the fact that Holly Oak staff failed to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the state’s child abuse hotline.
The state entity also confirmed that “inadequate discipline” was used in the rooms of babies and young children, among around 14 complaints of non-compliance.
Days after the publication of a Delaware Online/The News Journal investigation into Holly Oak, the early childhood center learned its license was suspended.
FINDING CHILD CARE: Child safety in Delaware day care centers is once again in the spotlight. What should parents know?
The latest problems at Holly Oak Child Care Center have prompted families to seek services elsewhere and encouraged state lawmakers to continue pushing for industry reform.
This article originally appeared in the Delaware News Journal: Why This Delaware Daycare Closed After Failing to Report Abuse
