Two employees at a North Bennington daycare center are facing criminal charges over allegations of delaying medical treatment for a baby.
The manager of Dooda’s Daycare Debi Miller, 54 of Bennington, and employee Kristie Clough, 47 of Eagle Bridge, New York, were arrested earlier this week following an investigation into a report of possible neglect, according to the Vermont State Police.
Dooda’s Daycare was suspended immediately following the arrests. It’s the second childcare center in Vermont this year that has been closed temporarily as the result of alleged negligence.
The Bennington arrests come months after a child at a daycare center in Waterbury died after falling into a stream — a case in which no criminal charges have been filed. However, a Department for Children and Families official says that the cases, while concerning, do not necessarily point to a systemic issue in Vermont’s childcare oversight.
According to police, immediately after a one-year-old was dropped off at the daycare center, staff noted that the child was not alert. Staff let the child nap “for a considerable amount of time” before discovering that the baby was not responsive, the release states.
Staff initially tried to contact the baby’s parent to ask that they come to pick up the child, according to the police report. The daycare staff allegedly “waited several minutes” to call 911.
When emergency personnel responded to the daycare, the child was having trouble. The baby was intubated, and transferred by helicopter to a medical center in Albany for care.
Eventually, after treatment, the child was given a “positive prognosis.”
The Bennington County Special Investigations Unit and the Department for Children and Families investigated circumstances surrounding the child’s hospitalization, and determined that the daycare put the baby in danger because of the delay in providing medical attention.
Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage did not respond to calls from VTDigger for comment on the charges.
Both women face charges for cruelty to a child under the age of 10, and reckless endangerment. They are due in criminal court in Bennington County early next month for arraignment.
Dooda’s Daycare staff did not respond to a call for comment.
Reeva Murphy, deputy commissioner of the child development division within the Department for Children and Families, said that Dooda’s Daycare was temporarily suspended from operating as of Thursday morning.
The department is helping to transfer the 30 children who attended the program to other daycare centers in the area, she said.
The suspension is temporary pending further investigation, according to Murphy. If an investigation shows that issues can be remediated, it may reopen. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the center could be closed permanently.
The state, which maintains a childcare ranking system, previously gave Dooda’s a four-star ranking out of five stars, according to Murphy.
Earlier this year, DCF suspended the license of Elephant in the Field, a daycare center in Waterbury, following the drowning death of a toddler in February.
Three-year-old Parker Berry wandered off from a group of children during an outing. He was found partially frozen in a stream near the center. He was brought to UVM Medical Center for care, but later died.
Murphy said Thursday that Elephant in the Field remained on suspension as of late May. The incident has been under investigation by law enforcement, but the Washington County State’s Attorney has not brought charges in Berry’s death.
Murphy said that overall, Vermont’s childcare providers are well-trained and are passionate about their jobs.
“People don’t get into this business because they don’t care about kids,” Murphy said.
She said that sufficient oversight and thorough training for childcare staff are key “because things can happen in a minute.”
However, she said, protecting the well-being of young children requires a high level of vigilance. She also emphasized the need to ensure childcare providers are equipped with health and safety skills so that when high-pressure situations arise, they are prepared to make the best decisions.
“Those are sort of our preventative pieces,” Murphy said. “Making sure people have the knowledge and skill to be preventative.”
The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules approved a new set of regulations that relate to childcare earlier this month, and Murphy said that the rollout of the rules will give the department occasion to check in with providers about compliance.
Overall, Murphy said she believes Vermont has a network of high-quality childcare providers. She encourages parents who are looking for childcare to check the state’s information system, which tracks star rankings and other details of licensed providers. Parents who have concerns about safety at a center can also reach out to the department, she said.
However, Murphy noted that there is a shortage of childcare options in the state. The under-supply “puts pressures on the system,” Murphy said.
“It’s on all of us to ensure that they have the supports that they need,” Murphy said.
