West Monroe DayCare license revoked
after Child Abuse allegations

WEST MONROE, LA  –  The Louisiana Dept. of Education has revoked the license and pulled public funding from Assembly Kidz Daycare in West Monroe.

In a statement, the department says the decision comes after instances of children being mistreated by staff.

The statement also says the center failed to timely report the most recent incident.  Read more about that incident here.

You can read the full news release below.

The Louisiana Department of Education today revoked the license of an early learning center in Ouachita Parish and terminated its public funding after escalating instances of children being mistreated by staff members, resulting in employees being terminated and arrested for cruelty to juveniles.  The center also failed to timely report the most recent incident to the appropriate state agencies and to the parents of the children involved.

“Early childhood education centers have the responsibility of not only preparing our youngest learners for success in Kindergarten and beyond, but also prioritizing their health, safety and well-being,” said State Superintendent John White.  “This center has proven it is unable to protect our children.”

Most recently, in August, the Department’s Division of Licensing inspected The Assembly Kidz Care, located at 1007 Glenwood Drive, after learning a staff member mistreated three 3-year-old children.

The center’s video showed the staff member picking up one child by the shirt before dropping them to the floor, causing the child to hit their head.

The staff member was then seen aggressively grabbing a second child while attempting to put the child down onto a sleeping mat, and dragging a third child across the room and onto a sleeping mat.

The center’s video also showed the staff member hitting and shaking the children.

 A parent watching the center’s video observed the mistreatment and brought it to the attention of the center’s director.  The center did not notify the state education department, the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services or the parents of the children involved within the required time frame.

This center is now ineligible for public funding through the Child Care Assistance Program, which helps make child care more affordable for working low-income families.   The education department has alerted families affected by this action and is working closely with them to identify safe, quality alternative options.

The Assembly Kidz Care has 15 calendar days from receipt of the notice of revocation to appeal the decision.  Providers who have had their licenses revoked are ineligible to apply for licensure for two years.  Operating a child care center without a license may result in an order to cease and desist, as well as an injunction from a court prohibiting the continued operation of a child care center without a license and placement on the statewide registry of individuals prohibited from operating a child care center.