Officials say children safe at day care

Wednesday, May 23, 2001 | 11:12 a.m.

The near-drowning Saturday of two toddlers while under the care of a Clark County day care provider was an isolated incident, officials with the county's Department of Social Services said Tuesday.

The toddlers, both boys, apparently crawled through a hole in a fence separating the Adventures in Learning Center at 3338 Onieda Way from a home and pool. One of the boys was conscious at the scene Saturday and has been released from Sunrise Hospital. The second boy was released from Sunrise on Tuesday, officials said.

The fence was being repaired Tuesday, and officials are investigating whether the weight of sand piled against the wood fence in the care center's play area may have created a gap.

An inspector delivered a citation Tuesday to Adventures in Learning for failing to properly supervise the toddlers, said Suzanne Magleby, a Clark County child care licensing supervisor. The citation does not affect the status of the facility, which continues operating.

"Day care is not as unsafe as everyone is portraying it this week," Magleby said. "We really have very few serious incidents, especially considering how many children are involved."

Magleby's agency monitors child care providers in unincorporated areas of Clark County, including Laughlin and Logandale. There are 225 child care facilities with room for more than 9,800 children. The facilities include numerous home settings -- limited to six children or fewer -- and 70 centers for larger groups.

Adventures in Learning has had three complaints in the past four years, a record Magleby said is far better than the county average. Day care centers typically receive three to six complaints each year, Magleby said. Last year, 140 complaints -- ranging from improperly locking doors to a child who was bitten by another child -- were lodged and, said Magleby, 42 of the complaints resulted in notices of violations.

Pat Hedgecoth, chief of the state Bureau of Child Care, said the incident at Adventures in Learning was unusual because the children were actually on someone else's property when they were injured.

State child care regulations, which govern Henderson, North Las Vegas and Mesquite, are not as strict as the rules set by Clark County, Hedgecoth said. In Clark County, providers who care for children other than their own children, grandchildren or ward must be licensed. The state doesn't require licenses until at least four children are being cared for at one time, and a person's own children are excluded from the equation.

"Prevention is the key, whether you're in a home setting or a large center," Hedgecoth said. "Children can always trip and fall, but the reality is when you have kids playing, running games on concrete, the chances of a serious accident jump."

Jessica Olivares, director of Adventures in Learning, on Tuesday declined to comment about the near-drownings, other than to say her primary concern was for the boys.

"We care about the safety of all of our children," Olivares said while standing outside the modest, cream-colored house with green trim that serves as the center.

Karl Ringewold, an employee of Quality Choice Construction who was busy Tuesday repairing the fence, said his own son has been in day care settings since he was 2.

"It's not just the supervision you have to worry about, it's the behavior of the other kids," Ringewold said. "You just have to trust the people in charge to watch out for problems."

Several parents rallied around the staff Tuesday; they said they have no intention of moving their children to another center. Landis Dyer , dropping off his 2-year-old son, said he is pleased with how his son is treated.

"I don't blame (the staff) for that incident that happened," said Dyer, a cook at the House of Blues. "I'm just glad to hear it wasn't as bad as it could have been."