DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REVOKES CHILD CARE LICENSE in Rapides Parish

Center Fails to Report Critical Incidents Following History of Noncompliance
ALEXANDRIA, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education on Tuesday, February 6, revoked the license of a child care center in Rapides Parish and terminated its public funding after learning of several incidents where children escaped or nearly escaped the facility. The center, which has a history of noncompliance, failed to report the critical incidents.

"We are fortunate the children are safe," said State Superintendent John White, "but we cannot ignore the negligence displayed by this center."

The Department inspected Jumpin' Jacks Development Center, LLC, located at 1707 Metro Drive Suite A in Alexandria, on December 21, 2017, after receiving a complaint from a mother who said her child nearly escaped the child care center that day. The parent explained it was not the first time such an incident had occurred. Earlier that year, she said, she found her children outside of the center, without supervision, when she arrived to pick them up. One child, she reported, was walking alone near the street, while the other child was standing in front of another business located in the same shopping center as the child care center. The director confirmed the children had been found outside the center.

The center failed to report the aforementioned incidents to the Department's Division of Licensing, adding to the center's history of noncompliance. In the past 24 months, the center has been cited for 55 deficiencies, including but not limited to insufficient child-to-staff ratios, supervision and record-keeping. The Department has previously worked with the center on corrective action plans.

This center is now ineligible for public funding through the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps make child care more affordable for low-income families. The Department has alerted families affected by this action and is working closely with them to identify safe, quality alternative options.

Jumpin' Jacks Development Center, LLC, has 15 calendar days from receipt of the notice of revocation to appeal the Department's decision. Providers who have had their licenses revoked are ineligible to apply for licensure for two years. Operating a childcare center without a license may result in an order to cease and desist, as well as an injunction from a court prohibiting the continued operation of a child care center without a license and placement on the statewide registry of individuals prohibited from operating a childcare center.