Woman charged with infants death did not have proper daycare license, didn’t qualify for exemptions

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman charged in relation to a baby's death ran an unlicensed daycare and did not qualify for any exemptions.

Sarah D. Brown has been charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter for the death of an infant child at her home daycare. 

Missouri law requires all daycare providers to have a license if they are caring for more than six children or more than three children younger than 2 years old, and Brown did not have the proper documentation.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says there are exemptions to the rule if: They are caring for fewer than six children, the children are related to the caregiver, the caregiver receives subsidies or it is a school operating a childcare program. 

It does not appear Brown qualified for any of these exemptions. 

The probable cause statement says Brown had 12 children in her care while she was the only adult at the house watching over the dozen children. Facilities that are licensed receive inspections every six months from the state. These inspections are reported online.

Child Care Aware of America says those inspections are important because they can stop unsafe practices.  

Practices like laying a child down on their stomach to sleep which police say Brown indicated that she did repeatedly.

“They should not be put to sleep on their stomach so they need to be able to roll over on their own," Mindy Bennett, the Deputy Chief of Membership and Programs at the CCAoA, told ABC 17 News. “Many times when a facility doesn't have enough cribs or enough playpens sometimes, they get put down in unsafe sleeping environments. So that’s why it’s critical to know if there are three infants enrolled that there are actually three cribs or three playpens.” 

Brown allegedly placed the child in a crib, however the probable cause statement says it was with a loose, unfitting blanket and a pillow. 

Bennett says that cribs for infants should have tight-fitting sheets because soft items like large pillows or stuffed animals can easily suffocate a child. 

“It’s just so easy for a child to suffocate when they can’t roll over or move their face away. A well-meaning adult may think a stuffed animal may be comforting but unfortunately, it can be deadly for a baby.” 

Daycare licensing requirements differ from state to state. However, they ensure that programs operate in a safe and healthy environment. 

There are 2,460 licensed childcare facilities in Missouri: 

• 1,723 childcare centers 
• 600 family homes 
• 137 group homes

According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, steps to obtaining a daycare license includes orientation training, an application that must be submitted to one of seven regional offices in the state, diagrams of the facility, written documents that must be reviewed by a compliance inspector and multiple inspections. 

Once approved, every daycare is inspected every six months unless there is a complaint filed against them. 

“We have safe sleep rules. Those are very very high on the list of what our staff is looking at every time they go into a licensed childcare program,” Nancy Scherer, a DESE Office of Childhood administrator told ABC 17. 

Scherer estimates there are about 900 unlicensed childcare facilities that are exempt from having to get a license in the state. However, she says it’s impossible to know how many nonexempt facilities are operating.  

This is why it is important to do your homework before picking a place to send your child. 

“Determine if the childcare program you're looking at is licensed and if so you can actually review the inspection report online,” Bennett said. 

If they are not licensed, there are other steps you can take. 

“Talk to the childcare facility. They are going to want to take a tour," Bennett said. "So when they are touring that childcare facility one easy thing for a family to remember is to use your five senses.” 

Some things Bennett recommends to look for include: 

• Are the caregivers attentive and engaged with the children?
• Are there enough cribs/ proper sleeping areas
• What does the food taste like? 
• Does the building look safe? 

She also says it’s never a bad idea to conduct your own background check. This includes drop in’s during random hours to see how the facility operates. 

For unlicensed facilities, the CCAoA encouraged parents to ask questions such as: 

• Is anyone here CPR certified? 
• Do you know how to provide First Aid? 
• How many children do you take care of at the facility?