JAZMIN GREEN - 2 yo - Jonesboro (S of Atlanta) GA

The Jonesboro day care center where a 2-year-old died after staff left her in a hot van in June has been closed permanently.



The state agency that regulates day care centers said Marlo’s
Magnificent Early Learning Center showed “shocking intentional
misconduct” in the death of Jazmin Green and said the center’s violation
of rules “demonstrated reckless disregard for the physical and mental
health and safety of the children” in its care.

The mother of Jazmin Green said Tuesday she was "happy" and "grateful"
that the day care has been closed permanently.

"I'm shocked that [the day care center] had all of these violations,"
April McAlister said. "I wished I had known this before, but I’m
satisfied that they actually shut her down permanently. I don't want to
see this happen to anyone else’s child because it's the worst hurting feeling ever."

It was at Marlo’s Magnificent on June 20 that Jazmin was found
strapped in a van seat unconscious as temperatures outside reached the
low 90s. Staff didn't realize she was missing for two to three hours
after the van had returned from a field trip to Chuck E. Cheese's.

The state agency, Bright from the Start, said Jazmin’s death came
three months after Marlo’s Magnificent was trained in the proper way to
transport, supervise and account for children on field trips.

After Jazmin's death, the day care center’s owner, Marlo Maria
Fallings, her daughter, Quantabia Shantell Hopkins, and a 16-year-old
involved in the incident were charged with reckless conduct, cruelty to
children and involuntary manslaughter.

Fallings and Hopkins are out on bond awaiting a court date. The
16-year-old, whose name was withheld because she is a juvenile, was
sentenced to two years’ probation and 40 hours of community service. The
youth also was ordered to create a memorial to Jazmin.

In a July 22 letter to Fallings, Brenda Haynesworth, child care
services director for Bright from the Start, provided a detailed
account, including approximate times, of the events that led up to
Jazmin’s death, based on the state’s investigation.

Haynesworth said a Marlo’s Magnificent van had arrived at the center
between 12:22 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. after the June 20 field trip.

Jazmin had fallen asleep during the trip back, and the driver was
not aware that the child was still in the van after others and gotten
off because no check of the vehicle was conducted.

State rules require child care center staff to properly supervise
children “at all times” and to “never leave a child unattended on the center vehicle.”

By 3 p.m. the temperature had reached 91 degrees outside.

“When the staff members noticed the child was missing, between 2:30
p.m. and 3:30 p.m., a staff member went to the vehicle and found the
child unresponsive,” Haynesworth wrote.

“The staff member took the child into the building and emergency
services were called at 3:42 p.m. The child was left unsupervised for an
undetermined amount of time between two and three hours. The child died
as a result of being left on the vehicle.”

Haynesworth noted that on March 16 of this year, staff at the center
had attended Bright from the Start training on proper procedures for
taking children on field trips.

In another violation, Haynesworth noted that child care centers are
required to maintain a signed checklist to account for loading and unloading children.

The state investigation, however, found that Marlo’s Magnificent
staff “did not complete the passenger checklist properly” on June 20.
Staff statements and a review of the field trip’s checklist showed
“staff inaccurately documented on the checklist that all children had
been unloaded at the center, although a two-year-old [Jazmin] remained
asleep on one of the seats.”

Haynesworth noted that the staff was also trained on the checklist procedure in March.

The investigation also found the following:

The vehicle used for the field trip exceeded the maximum seating
capacity. The van left with seven children but returned with eight.

Four children also were transported without proper restraints.

The center was required to provide two staff members over age 18 for
supervision, but only had one. The other staffer was the 16-year-old.

One child did not have parental permission to go on the field trip.

The list of children on the trip was in the possession of the
16-year-old and not in the possession of an adult in charge of the trip.

Although Marlo’s Magnificent, at 1688 Thrasher Court in Jonesboro,
had not operated since the incident, it had not been officially closed
because state law did not allow for the immediate closure of a child care center
when a death occurred.

The law has since been changed. State lawmakers recently passed
legislation that allows for the emergency shutdown of a facility after a child dies.
http://www.ajc.com/news/clayton/state-details-day-care-1151887.html

Women charged in daycare death to appear in court today

Posted: Jun 20, 2011 3:42 PM CDT
Updated: Feb 27, 2012 1:15 PM CST

CLAYTON COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) - The owner of a Clayton County daycare and her daughter are charged in connection with the death of a 2-year-old girl after she was left in a hot van for several hours.

Maria Fallings, 41, and Quantabia Shantell Hopkins, 23, are charged with cruelty to children, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in connection to the death of Jazmin Green, 2.

Green died June 20 after being left in a hot van after a field trip.

Police said staff members at Marlo's Magnificent Early Learning Center took the children to Chuck E. Cheese Monday afternoon.

When they returned between 1:30 and 2 p.m., staff members neglected to take 2-year-old Jazmin Green out of the van, police said.

Clayton County police told CBS Atlanta News that no one at the daycare noticed that the girl was missing until around 3:30 p.m., and that's when Hopkins found her in the van.

A staff member called police around 3:45 p.m. and the girl was taken to Southern Regional Medical Center, police said.

"This is one of those things where people don't realize how in this heat accidents can happen and zero seconds is too long to leave any child in a vehicle," said Lt. Tina Daniel.

"She was a little angel," said Jazmin's grandfather, Russell McAlister.

"I don't know what happened," McAlister said as he fought back tears. "But whatever it was, I think it could have been avoided."

CBS Atlanta has learned the state cited operators at Marlo's Magnificent Early Learning Center in October for transportation problems. The state ordered the daycare center to come up with a system to ensure that no children remained on its vehicles. The facility was also cited for not anchoring playground equipment safely.

The improvements were supposed to be completed by the end of March.

The facility did not open for business on the day after the death.

"Those kids mean a lot to Marlo. We really love Jazmin. Our hearts go out to her family. We are praying for them," said Dier Hopkins, Fallings brother.

Parents of other children at the daycare center said they are rethinking keeping them there.

"I couldn't fathom how they actually feel. And my heart goes out to those parents. Me and my husband will definitely have to talk and find out what's the next step for us, for our children," said parent Melissa Hannah.

The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning released the following statement:

"Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning is investigating the tragic incident at Marlo's Magnificent Early Learning Center. Once the results of this investigation are determined, our agency will pursue all legal remedies as appropriate."

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/14943316/child-found-dead-at-clayton-county-daycare?clienttype=printable