Recent allegations of barbaric disciplinary measures against children at Sugar N Spice Day Care Center in Carson City uncovered several questions much quicker than it would take to painfully remove builder's tape from a child's mouth.
The biggest question: Why was Norma Childers granted a license to open a day-care center, given her prior charges for felony abuse and neglect in 2000 at Nevada Cares nursing home, which was owned by her husband, Michael Childers?
Businesses of much lesser proximity to the welfare of children and the elderly will go out of their way to check professional references, explore criminal records, and conduct drug tests. So what happened in this case where adults need to invest their trust and confidence in an administrator to "care" for their children while they work?
Question No. 2: Why did it take so long to explore and correct the actions at the day-care center? These are, after all, children. Their parents are paying for "day care," not "day scare."
Why did the Carson City Environmental Health Department exercise such apparent indifference to seven recorded complaints? Why did it take a local businesswoman to kick down the figurative door and bring the situation to the attention of the Sheriff's Department, which in turn did the right thing of presenting the charges to the District Attorney's Office.
Was the Health Department waiting for serious injury? Maybe more evidence of psychological scars? Were the reported taping of mouths, accusations of forcing children to stand in a dark and unsafe closet, spankings, grabbing, and children left unsupervised not enough?
The Carson City Environmental Health Department should have acted much quicker to shed some light on the allegations and perhaps prevented some of the reported cruelties. And to the point of origin, Norma Childers should not have been issued a license to open a day- care center to begin with.
