ILLEGAL Strikes Again. Enough!

[LysesKids]

Fair enough. I've only been to North Dakota twice to visit my sister in Williston which is the heart of the Bakken region so I know she said daycare was IMPOSSIBLE to find out there. But I wasn't sure how far "west Fargo" was from all that I just remember getting past Bismark and saying(it was 4am) "WHY IS EVERYTHING ON FIRE?!"

I considered moving to Fargo in 2009... dd & I visited in August that year and decided it was too far out . The nearest mall is in MN. Pretty, but as was said, it's small college town and when that river floods watch out

[Blackcat31]

I considered moving to Fargo in 2009... dd & I visited in August that year and decided it was too far out . The nearest mall is in MN. Pretty, but as was said, it's small college town and when that river floods watch out

Since I live pretty close....here is random info about Fargo/Moorhead area.....


West Fargo is only a small part of the Fargo-Moorhead metro area.

Fargo is in North Dakota and Moorhead is on the Minnesota side but they are basically one big city.

Much like other sister cities (Duluth-Superior or Kansas City) that span two states.

The total population for Fargo-Moorhead is over 230,000 people and they DO have a shopping mall in the area called the West Acres Shopping center which IS on the North Dakota side and is the largest shopping mall in North Dakota.

It is home to the state's university (NDSU) and since the late 1990s, the Fargo-Moorhead has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States.

This, coupled with Fargo's low crime rate and the decent supply of affordable housing in the community, has prompted Money magazine to rank the city near the top of its annual list of America's most livable cities throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Also, it does flood frequently because of it's flat land and the fact that it is on the Red River which flows north thus creating a back log of ice melt and run off of seasonal snow. At one point, it reached more than 37 feet above its flood levels (one of the top 10 highest levels recorded)

So, West Fargo is a small town in and of itself but is not really a small singular town at all but more of a suburb or area of a much larger metro area.

...and that's my geography lesson for the day.

[Unregistered]

Geese, this has nothing to do with licensed or unlicensed. This woman should have never been watching kids period.

The state should have issued a permanent cease and desist order which I believe they have the authority to do. This was a accident etc. waiting to happen based on this story alone if it's accurate. Very sad, poor child.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I live in ND and my brother lives in West Fargo. Fargo is a great city and actually pretty big and they have a mall and plenty of restaurants and shopping! And a Cosco of course!

This sounds like a sad story of failures all around. Any number of people could have possibly prevented this, but in the end, no one did and now a child is dead. Very sad

[LysesKids]

Since I live pretty close....here is random info about Fargo/Moorhead area.....


West Fargo is only a small part of the Fargo-Moorhead metro area.

Fargo is in North Dakota and Moorhead is on the Minnesota side but they are basically one big city.

Much like other sister cities (Duluth-Superior or Kansas City) that span two states.

The total population for Fargo-Moorhead is over 230,000 people and they DO have a shopping mall in the area called the West Acres Shopping center which IS on the North Dakota side and is the largest shopping mall in North Dakota.

It is home to the state's university (NDSU) and since the late 1990s, the Fargo-Moorhead has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States.

This, coupled with Fargo's low crime rate and the decent supply of affordable housing in the community, has prompted Money magazine to rank the city near the top of its annual list of America's most livable cities throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Also, it does flood frequently because of it's flat land and the fact that it is on the Red River which flows north thus creating a back log of ice melt and run off of seasonal snow. At one point, it reached more than 37 feet above its flood levels (one of the top 10 highest levels recorded)

So, West Fargo is a small town in and of itself but is not really a small singular town at all but more of a suburb or area of a much larger metro area.

...and that's my geography lesson for the day.

I was only there for a few days... not like I could scope the whole thing out in less the a week - no need to go all haywire over my particular take on a small area

[Blackcat31]

I was only there for a few days... not like I could scope the whole thing out in less the a week - no need to go all haywire over my particular take on a small area

Um, okay... :confused:

I apologize as it wasn't really directed AT you......just as generalized statement about the area since it was brought up....

Again, sorry my post was offensive to you. That was not my intent.

[heyhun77]

This is out of North Dakota. I wonder how much the oil fields had to do with her ratios. Daycare I've heard is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find in the oil towns.

Either way, this is a terrible tragedy. My heart aches for the parents and the baby.

I am in Fargo. While we do have oil field related issues creeping in because they will work there and spend their off time here and we do have shortage of quality infant care openings this isn't about oil field issues. This person has a longf history of doing what she feels like, regulations be darned.

There is some misleading information being reported about the capacititiea. They changed in 2011 so that is some of the issues with mid information but also west Fargo requires a zoning hearing to actually get the group license approved. Also Ithink she was actually in Fargo when she had her group license revoked and Fargo has an ordinance that limits the group license to 12 plus the providers own children.

No matter what this is a tragedy and it will take to!me to get the more detailed autopsy results back for then police to deter!one a more narrow window of when the blunt force trauma occurred.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Geese, this has nothing to do with licensed or unlicensed. This woman should have never been watching kids period.

The state should have issued a permanent cease and desist order which I believe they have the authority to do. This was a accident etc. waiting to happen based on this story alone if it's accurate. Very sad, poor child.

It's about legally unlicensed vs ILLEGALLY unlicensed. I fully support legally unlicensed. The article said she had 8 childten and only 5 are allowed for unlicensed.
I agree, the state dropped the ball here. So did any parent who didn't check her background.

[Unregistered]

Meh

This is out of North Dakota. I wonder how much the oil fields had to do with her ratios. Daycare I've heard is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find in the oil towns.

Either way, this is a terrible tragedy. My heart aches for the parents and the baby.

This has nothing to do with ratios.

[Unregistered]

Not True!

I considered moving to Fargo in 2009... dd & I visited in August that year and decided it was too far out . The nearest mall is in MN. Pretty, but as was said, it's small college town and when that river floods watch out

Our town swells by 40,000 during college months, we have a mall and have for 25years with over 70 stores, shops and booths. As for the river we saved our city with brute determination. We sand bagged and left our schools jobs and families 24 hours to save our city and others. We shipped millions of hand filled bags to other cities with other rivers! We are a strong and dedicated community and don't consider rush hour to be bumper to bumper traffic when we can drive 55. And our college is home to one of the top NFL recruited college football teams and some of the top Agricultural programs in the country. The statement you made is simply not true of our hometown, but we can't appreciate Minneapolis for it's crowded downtown with no place to park for free, smog, dirty neighborhoods in historic area that should be saved but cannot be because no one loves it enough. We don't appreciate gross assumptions that make us sound like we don't even have computers or cell phones or malls. What we have is worth so much more...dedication. And it so happens I know this lady and although she wasn't perfect as a human she didn't have a criminal history the way media spins it. Yes she stole money from a collection agency and she paid for that crime already! That doesn't mean she will kill an innocent baby! I can't wait for the truth to come out because I think it was the father or the mother or someone else close to that child!

[laundrymom]

One of my best friends lives in Fargo, she loves the small town feel of the neighborhoods and the community as a whole. I think we might have swayed off topic here. I dont think anyone tried to bash Fargo or tried to hurt feelings defending it. Long time members of this forum know the history of the posters and they're always respectful and kind. Giving of themselves time and time again. (Although I could never be strong enough to live there a whole winter because I like to feel my toes!!!) .
The point of this whole thread is that a child died. In childcare. Which sheds a horrible light on all of us. I pray for the family. For the others in care. For the community and for all providers who fight the stigma that will follow this type of tragedy for years.

[Thriftylady]

One of my best friends lives in Fargo, she loves the small town feel of the neighborhoods and the community as a whole. I think we might have swayed off topic here. I dont think anyone tried to bash Fargo or tried to hurt feelings defending it. Long time members of this forum know the history of the posters and they're always respectful and kind. Giving of themselves time and time again. (Although I could never be strong enough to live there a whole winter because I like to feel my toes!!!) .
The point of this whole thread is that a child died. In childcare. Which sheds a horrible light on all of us. I pray for the family. For the others in care. For the community and for all providers who fight the stigma that will follow this type of tragedy for years.

I agree with this. One poster mentioned she decided not to move there, the poster was not bashing the area.

At the end of the day, the provider was caught operating illegally more than once and then a child died while she was again operating illegally. That of course doesn't mean she killed the child. But it does mean a tragedy happened while she was operating illegally.