Ten Tucson child care facilities were fined by the state in the first six months of this year for deficiencies including lax supervision, harsh discipline methods, and failure to ensure employees did not have criminal backgrounds.
Penalties ranged from $50 to $1,900, depending on the severity of problems and history of previous violations, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services, which licenses and inspects such facilities.
Tucson is home to more than 300 licensed child care providers ranging from small-scale operators in private homes to larger entities at schools, churches or businesses.
To search the three-year inspection history of any licensed child care operator, go to tucne.ws/1hzr
To file a complaint about a child care facility, go to tucne.ws/1hzs
Fines were assessed against the following centers between January and June:
Children’s Learning Adventure Childcare Center
Address: 3690 E. Hemisphere Loop
The center was fined $400 on April 22 for failure to supervise infants laying on their tummies, and for creating a smothering risk by leaving a pillow within reach of an infant.
It is the second fine since November 2019 when a $100 penalty was imposed for allowing a new staffer to start work without a criminal background check.
Management did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.
Herencia Guadalupana Lab Schools II
Address: 6740 S. Santa Clara Ave.
Operator incurred a $200 fine on March 30 — the second fine in less than a year — for leaving nearly a dozen school age children in a classroom unsupervised, and for failing to keep track of a 3-year-old who was in a bathroom unsupervised. An earlier penalty of $600 was imposed in June 2020 after a child escaped from the facility twice on the same day and was returned the second time by a stranger who found the child in an intersection.
Management did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.
Imagination Tree Learning Center
Address: 525 N. Grande Ave.
A $200 fine was imposed March 25 after an inspector found a staffer working there for more than a year without a criminal background check.
Mayra Jaime, the center’s director, said procedures were strengthened to prevent a recurrence.
Kids Forever Prince Center
Address: 216 E. Prince Road
The center was fined $1,900 on March 4 — its third fine in less than two years — for nearly 20 violations including leaving toxic chemicals accessible to children; insufficient staffing; unqualified staffer lacked criminal background check; exits blocked; exposed electrical outlet; staples and nails found in outdoor play area.
In 2019, a $500 fine was imposed because of two unqualified staffers, one of whom slapped a child’s face and used abusive language as a method of discipline.
Another $500 fine was levied in July 2020 for leaving a child alone in a classroom, keeping infants and 1-year-olds in an area only licensed for older children and an improperly enclosed outdoor play area.
Director Angela Fleming said the facility has received grant money to make improvements and passed a state re-inspection in June.
Kids Ville
Address: 4055 N. 1st Ave.
A $100 penalty was assessed Jan. 4 after a staffer worked for three months with an expired fingerprint card.
Director Debbie Nickell said the problem was corrected and the delay was due to slower government processing of background check applications during the pandemic.
KinderCare Learning Center
Address: 8277 E. Golf Links Road
The center was fined $200 on March 5 for improper disciplinary methods. One staffer sprayed water in a child’s face, another yanked a child’s arm so roughly the child fell into a diapering table and injured their head.
Management did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.
La Casita Day Care Center
Address: 1902 S. Jefferson Ave.
A $500 fine was imposed April 22 because of insufficient playground staffing — one adult for 13 children — and for repeatedly leaving children unsupervised while staffers performed other tasks such as making phone calls and interacting with parents.
Management declined to comment.
Olga and Bob Strauss Center for Early Childhood Education
Address: 225 N. Country Club Road
The center was fined $200 on June 4 for improper discipline when a staffer smacked a child’s arm as punishment for touching another child’s face.
Center director Lyn Henry said the center is committed to children’s health and safety and has rectified the problem.
Reaching Milestones Learning Center
Address: 1101 S. Columbus Blvd.
A $100 fine was levied June 24 for allowing a staffer to work without a criminal background check.
Management did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.
YMCA-Mulcahy City
Address: 5085 S. Nogales Highway
A $50 fine was imposed June 14 for allowing a staffer to start work without a criminal background check.
Marketing director Lauren Burgoyne said the situation was due to a paperwork error and has been corrected.
