An allegedly unlicensed New York City day care center is
being investigated after an infant died on his first day under its care. Karl
Towndrow, who was 3 months old, was found unresponsive 15 minutes after being
put down for his midday nap Monday at SoHo Child Care in Manhattan, police said.
Day care center owner Maryellen Strautmanis
called 911, and dispatchers talked her through the steps of CPR until first
responders arrived, according to police. The cause of the baby’s death is
unknown and no criminal charges have been filed.
“The parents are distraught, a little
bit in shock, and they’re trying to get a handle on what happened,” John
Tumelty, the family’s attorney, said.
“They want to find out what happened
here. If they got a proper license and the reviews and the requirements were
met, if it would be a different outcome, we don’t know yet.”
The center was shut down after
Karl’s death, officials said.
The center is unlicensed and had
been owned and operated by Strautmanis for the past 14 years, according to the
New York State Office of Children and Family Services.
Unlicensed child care providers
aren’t subject to basic training requirements and background checks. The exact
number of unlicensed child care providers nationally isn’t known.
Lynette Fraga, executive director of
the nonprofit Child Care Aware of America, says parents need to be vigilant
when deciding on day care centers.
“There are three steps I would
recommend that families consider when they are seeking out child care: call,
visit and revisit,” Fraga said.
ABC News
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