Tulsa Day Care Closes After Three Children Leave Unnoticed

By Nolan Clay, The Oklahoman

Apr. 1–TULSA — Two boys and a girl slipped away unnoticed from a YWCA pre-kindergarten program about noon Friday, walking two blocks to a Sonic restaurant, officials said.

The YWCA East Center’s child care operation has been shut down because of the mistake.

The state Department of Human Services closed the YWCA East Center’s operation Friday within hours of learning of the safety violation. The YWCA’s chief executive in Tulsa said Monday the two pre-kindergarten teachers “are no longer with us.”

The boys are 4 and 5, DHS officials said. The girl is 5.

It was the fourth time in 10 days that DHS officials have acted quickly to issue emergency orders closing child care operations in northeastern Oklahoma.

DHS officials were criticized last year after they failed to close a troubled Tulsa day care home even after the owner admitted hitting a child with a fly swatter. Officials issued an emergency order shutting down that day care home only after another child died when his mouth was taped over at naptime. The death led to changes in DHS policy.

Correia said it is too early to say whether the East Center’s childcare operation will open again. “We are trying to see how many we can … locate to our other facilities,” she said.

“We pride ourselves on quality,” said the YWCA official. “We know that safety is also critical. We just want to reassure parents that our children will be safe here. … It’s just one of those things, one of those once-in-a-lifetime events.”

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