Daycare Workers Convicted of Crimes Can Hide in Plain Sight

As a single, working, parent of 5 children I have found the daycare license system far too lax. Daycare providers in Utah are given citations and in some cases are sent to jail for criminal offenses and then allowed to open a daycare again and it all gets swept under the rug. the parents have no clue! These kids aren't as safe as we think, just because the provider has a license! For example, one provider. We'll just call her Daycare Diana. She cared for 16 children while she was high on her couch for three years. She was finally arrested in cache county for drug abuse but opened and closed several daycares thereafter as the main care provider, and parents have no idea of her history! She changed her name and runs a daycare in another town now, and was just sighted for having unlocked firearms in the same home she was caring for 16 children! This isn't safe!

[Meeko]

I am a Utah provider. Our background checks are run DAILY by computer by the state as we are fingerprinted and FBI checked. Any records change is picked up immediately.

I am not sure how on earth a provider would be able to open several different daycares with a record.

Call licensing if you have ANY concerns and they will help.

[hwichlaz]

in order to do that they have to operate illegally and unlicensed. Always check a provider's license status before enrolling your child.

I am interested in your "Daycare Diana" could you provide a link or charging documents? I want to look into this a little further.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

As a single, working, parent of 5 children I have found the daycare license system far too lax. Daycare providers in Utah are given citations and in some cases are sent to jail for criminal offenses and then allowed to open a daycare again and it all gets swept under the rug. the parents have no clue! These kids aren't as safe as we think, just because the provider has a license! For example, one provider. We'll just call her Daycare Diana. She cared for 16 children while she was high on her couch for three years. She was finally arrested in cache county for drug abuse but opened and closed several daycares thereafter as the main care provider, and parents have no idea of her history! She changed her name and runs a daycare in another town now, and was just sighted for having unlocked firearms in the same home she was caring for 16 children! This isn't safe!

Do you have a news story for this case? I would like to look into it further. I find this fascinating.

[daycarediva]

In NY we are fingerprinted and background checked, and recently that will become even more strict/extensive. Our entire family age 18+ is also put through the same process.

BUT, there are ways to skirt the system. Criminal offenses don't automatically negate a child care license, only abuse/maltreatment and violent felonies, if I remember correctly.

In addition there are ways providers have skirted the system with non criminal offenses. I know one provider who operated a daycare and had so many violations that she was struggling to get enrollment and the state was close to shutting her down.

She just closed and reopened at a new location. Same person, different license number and violation history. Essentially a 'clean slate'.

I agree, far too lax!