West Price Hill daycare could permanently lose license after accusations of child abuse
A West Price Hill daycare center is under threat of having its child care license permanently revoked following accusations that a former worker assaulted a 1-year-old girl, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Small Kids Adventures Learning Center was notified on June 17 of the state's intention to revoke its license, Bill Teets, a spokesperson for the department, told The Enquirer Monday.
The center will now undergo an administrative hearing process to determine whether it can hold onto its license, Teets said, adding it's too early to say when the hearing will take place.
ODJFS issued a suspension order in March, requiring the center to close pending a final determination of its license. Teets said the daycare center's license remains suspended.
Officials allege the center has violated numerous provisions of the state administrative code, according to a license revocation notice sent to the center.
Among those violations, state officials say, the center didn't notify public children services agency officials of suspected child abuse or neglect.
According to prosecutors, Kristian Hemmitt, 27, who worked at Small Kids Adventures Learning Center on Glenway Avenue, assaulted a toddler on March 3.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters has said Hemmitt grabbed the 1-year-old girl by the hair, lifted her off the ground, and then dragged her across the room. While still clutching the girl's hair, Deters said, Hemmitt jerked the girl back and forth, ripping hair from her scalp.
Deters said Hemmitt tried covering up the toddler’s bald spots and threw the hair away in a trash can. She's facing charges of assault, child endangering and tampering with evidence.
Earlier this month, Hemmitt was found incompetent to stand trial, according to documents filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. She will undergo treatment at Summit Behavioral Healthcare for six months and then be re-evaluated.
Hemmitt is scheduled to appear before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers on Nov. 3. Cincinnati police have been investigating to see if other children were harmed while in Hemmitt’s care.
State officials, citing a March 29 complaint inspection, say a staff member confined a child to a "feeding table" for at least four hours. The incident was captured on video footage, according to the revocation notice.
The footage also shows the child being confined to a bed and highchair for "extended periods of time," the notice states.
The notice doesn't identify the staff member, nor does it say when the incident occurred.
An attorney for Small Kids Adventures Learning Center has yet to return a message from The Enquirer seeking comment.
Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided the photo for this report
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: West Price Hill daycare in danger of permanently losing its license
