Leaving your child in the care of others is already a daunting task, and to find out that the people you trusted with the care of your child failed to do their job; it is incredibly heartwrenching.
Keep reading to know more about this heartbreaking story.
A daycare facility in Brunswick has closed permanently three months after a tragic incident claimed the life of a toddler there. Jamal Bryant Jr., a 16-month-old child, had a fruit lodged in his throat, which ended up choking him and taking his life. According to information from the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, or DECAL, the staff waited two minutes before they called 911 for help.
The family of Bryant Jr. is furious at the loss and claims that the staff was not just negligent in their care for their baby but also other children who attended The Kids Nest Learning Center.
Little Bryant Jr. was given a piece of watermelon that caused him to choke. According to the GoFundMe page set up by Jamal’s family, “JB tragically lost his life when The Kids Nest Learning Center failed to have staff trained in CPR, gave the 18 month a large piece of watermelon, didn’t require kids to be seated while eating and the staff weren’t seated within arms reach of the children as mandated by Georgia’s Dept of Early Childhood and Learning (DECAL).”
An investigation showed that the staff called for help after a delay. According to a DECAL report, little Bryant Jr. began to choke, and staff waited one minute and 48 seconds before they called emergency services for help. The facilities for The Kids Nest Learning Center were closed for three weeks until the investigation concluded.
The owner of The Kids Nest Learning Center, Charles Grant, testified in late May that only two members of the staff were in the room when Bryant Jr. began choking, and only one of them was certified in CPR. He admitted that the staff did not follow the center or state’s rules as they were not monitoring the children as they ate.
Taylor Hicks, the grieving mother, said the center failed her son.
“We depend on you all to take care of our children to the best of your ability and if that was one of the rules, I feel like obviously you should have followed them,” she said.
Since there have been serious rule violations which “seriously affected the health and safety of children and demonstrated the intentional and reckless disregard for the physical and mental health and safety of children,” DECAL has taken steps to close The Kids Nest permanently. Grant at first appealed the decision but then changed his mind.
“Notice has been sent to the Office of State Administrative Hearings so that the case can be dismissed and court canceled. Since there is no longer an appeal, the center has officially been closed in our system due to the revocation of the license,” the statement read.
This is such a heartbreaking incident which could have easily been avoided. We are sending our condolences to the grieving family as they grapple with this major loss.