12 Nightmare Daycares 1 Owner

[KidGrind]

I read this story about an allegedly horrible daycare owner and cringed over and over again throughout my read:

On the heels of a seriously heartbreaking story about a 3-month-old who died on her first day of daycare, a woman named Deborah Stokes is making headlines for operating a string of "disastrous" Christian daycares all over southern Alabama for a decade.

Stokes began opening daycares 14 years ago in Saraland, Alabama, according to Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Just weeks into her new career, authorities discovered she was keeping kids in a building that didn't meet basic health and safety standards. Stokes was arrested for child endangerment, criminally charged, and later convicted. She also was banned from operating a daycare for two years.

But soon enough, she was back at it. She opened a daycare in a decrepit warehouse that one worker described as a "house out of a horror movie." Another was next to a **** store. Parents and workers have reported Stokes for abuse and neglect - hitting kids with flyswatters, locking them in closets...

Here’s the link to the full story- https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-all...140814377.html

[LysesKids]

I saw this too... crazy how she pulled it off & it's still happening

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I will never understand any kind of exemptions made. I think my state (in the south) used to do this or still does.

I hope her state changes this immediately.

[Mike]

That's crazy, and "Christian", ya right. Almost anyone can start their own "religious" organization. No way that should have any effect on a child's safety.

[Heidi]

WI has an exemption for some religious based childcare programs, but there is other criteria for the exemption. Not sure what it is, tbh. I think it has to be a "legal" non-profit church and there has to be a parochial school involved. So, one can't just claim to be a church.

On the other hand, no one does much of anything about illegal daycare operations. In fact, I've tried to call attention to the issue, and I get crickets. It's frankly quite strange. I get answers like "report them", but when I do, nothing happens. Meanwhile, the same people run illegal operations with 12-15 kids and no license for years!

[LysesKids]

Well it also makes me question the parents... I mean if the daycare was next to a strip joint or in a decrepit warehouse, what were the parents thing ; I mean even cheap daycare has a limit (you would think they had better sense)

[DaveA]

Well it also makes me question the parents... I mean if the daycare was next to a strip joint or in a decrepit warehouse, what were the parents thing ; I mean even cheap daycare has a limit (you would think they had better sense)

You would think, but guess not. UGH

[NillaWafers]

Well it also makes me question the parents... I mean if the daycare was next to a strip joint or in a decrepit warehouse, what were the parents thing ; I mean even cheap daycare has a limit (you would think they had better sense)

But, money, though.