Disturbing Details Revealed in Michigan City Day Care Death

Michigan City mother whose son died at day care has filed a lawsuit claim against the state of Indiana. Anita Leflore says Tricia's Playhouse should have been shut down before her 5-year-old son, Amareon Williams, died there. 

WSBT obtained a report filed by a parent whose child apparently attended the day care in April. That parent claims she has video of a day care employee spanking her child with a belt. That report was filed with the state five days before workers inspected Tricia’s Playhouse and found what it called 6 “serious” violations. 

The lawyer told WSBT he’s slowly uncovering more information about what happened the day Amareon died from what LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan called an “accidental hanging” at Tricia’s Playhouse.

Novak said investigators told him three other children around the same age as Amareon were playing outside when it happened. Amareon apparently went down a slide with a jump rope around his neck.

Employees Stephanie Johnson and Erica Merriweather were inside, not watching the kids playing outside, said LaPorte County Prosecutor Bob Szilagyi, who charged the two and day care owner Tricia Calvin with involuntary manslaughter and reckless homicide. Calvin was not at the day care when the boy died, After their inspection on April 21 [when workers] detected and learned of these 6 serious violations that the facility should have been shuttered at that point. Those violations included things such as failure to report suspected child abuse or sexual abuse, a child dealt with inappropriately and two staff members working without background checks.

The day care was put on probation after that inspection and Indiana Family and Social Services spokesman Jim Gavin said the state sent notices to 11 parents whose children attended Tricia’s Playhouse to let them know about the violations.

The notices were sent via certified mail, and a notice was put in the newspaper, Gavin said. Leflore has said she did not receive a letter from the state and was never notified about the day care’s alleged violations. That state inspection happened five days after a parent filed the complaint about the day care with the state – claiming a day care worker spanked her child with a belt, violently grabbed the child, shook the child and dragged the child into a back room. The state redacted that parent’s name in the report provided to Novak because of privacy reasons.

Novak said state law requires him to file the Tort Claim Notice with Indiana’s Governor, Attorney General and the Family and Social Services Administration. The state has 90 days to respond.If it does not respond or denies the claim, Novak said he will move forward with a lawsuit.

There is already a lawsuit in Amareon’s death. Leflore filed a wrongful-death suit against Calvin and  

Probe Finds Fakery at 9 NYC Child Care Centers

At one center, a staffer even bolted out the door when confronted about using fake credentials, city Department of Investigations Commissioner Mark Peters, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson and Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said while announcing the probe Friday. 

The centers' owners have pleaded not guilty to various charges involving false documents. These fabrications meant the city did not have a clear picture of the staff and operations at these sites and whether children were appropriately protected. Authorities don't believe any children were harmed as a result. Six centers have already been closed. A seventh is closing by year's end, to allow time to find other care for its children, and, in the meantime, is being closely monitored. Investigators have asked regulators to close the other two.

Together, the nine centers were authorized to care for 400 children. All were privately owned, but some got city Administration for Children's Services payments to care for poor children. The agency said Friday it works actively to detect and stop fraud. The owner of multiple Brooklyn centers all called Next to Home got nearly $60,000 in ACS payments, even though one of the centers never actually operated, authorities said. Inspectors found the rat droppings, the spoiled milk and a broken fire-alarm handle at another Next to Home location, Peters said.

Moreover, owner Owen Larman was an admitted fraudster, having pleaded guilty to grand larceny in a mortgage-fraud scheme in 2007, according to court records. He served about three years in prison and was released in 2011. At the ABC Little Star center in Brooklyn, a staffer with a phony criminal background-check letter on file darted out the door when investigators arrived, authorities are still working to determine the person's true identity, but the flight At One of a Kind Child Care on Staten Island, investigators were presented with clearance letters — state documents certifying that teachers had no record of child abuse — that quickly roused suspicion: They bore the names of governors who were no longer in office.

Child Behaviour and a Rewarding Future for You Kid

Key to successful parenting is to improve yourself as a parent

Let us see how to shape our tiny tots for the better future. Kids are god send gift, a small bundle of joy which gives you a chance to go through your childhood days once again by seeing them pass through that phase of life. Childcare centers are also having a huge influence on children. Major centers use child care software for managing the major operations of the center.

The best part of any human life is there childhood days. So it is up to every parent to give them what they deserve. Your kid deserves the best. Shape them, mold them and make them understand the different stages and paths of life.I still remember when I was a kid my mom used get happy and  angry because of my pranks and fist fights with my sibling and also reward me when I did a good deed. The future of your children is beheld in your hands, your children will learn what you teach them.

Here is an example which I am going to tell you :

Once family consisting of mom , dad, daughter and grandmother all staying together at one place . As years passed by grandmother grew old and not able handle objects well which led to major mess so they found out a solution to make grandmother sit separately. Whenever they all dine grandma was made to sit in the utmost corner of the room and when a spoon or something fell down they scolded her, so days passed by and grandmother got sad and was in tears .one day grand daughter was drawing a painting so mom asked what are you painting dear, daughter replied when I grow up and you become old I will make mom and dad sit in the corner and make you eat your dinner alone ,after hearing it they understood there mistake and started to have there food with grandmother .So see how kids learn from you, your behavior, your attitude and character.So let us check out on how to shape the behavior of children for better future.

The main ways to shape children’s behavior are:

1. Praise is a valuable shaper; children want to please you and keep your approval.
2. Teach your child to be comfortable giving and receiving compliments
3. Ignoring undesirable behaviors works best if you readily acknowledge desirable ones.
4. Experiencing the consequences of their choices is one of the most effective ways children can learn self-discipline.
5. Teach your child to make right choices is a powerful learning tool.
6. Simple rewards and Prizes are a way to entice your child toward goals you've made for your child .Children respect parents who are willing to listen to them. Until they leave home, children must accept your authority— that’s not negotiable; but that doesn't mean you can’t listen to their side of things.
7. Guide your kid . Always be open to your kids and communicate with them specifically what you expect from them.
8. Make yourself available to your kid when your kid needs your presence.

Biggest Discipline Mistakes Parents Make

1. When kids don’t get enough positive attention, behavioral problems often result.Positive attention reduces attention seeking behaviors such as whining,temper tantrums, and other purposely annoying behaviors.
2. When kids don’t get attention for positive behaviors, such as playing quietly, sitting at the dinner table, and taking turns, they’ll often act out just to get any kind of attention. 
3. Good discipline techniques should also focus on the long-term. It is important to remember that your child will need certain skills in order to become a healthy, responsible adult.
4. When there are not clear rules, it can be quite confusing to kids to know what is expected from them.

For more information, check http://discipline.about.com/od/disciplinebasics/tp/4-Of-The-Biggest-Discipline-Mistakes-Parents-Make.htm