WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) — Three Washington County childcare facilities were forced to shut down because a child nearly drowned last week.

Scores of parents are scurrying to find alternative places to enroll their kids for daycare.

The three closed facilities are operated by Kid Biz.

Charles Sorice has a 6-year-old daughter enrolled in one of the closed centers and says being a late-life parent, makes finding childcare difficult.

“So we’re scrambling,” he said. “My wife took off work today. I have no idea what we’re doing tomorrow.”

The state Department of Public Welfare closed the three facilities after a near drowning of a 7-year-old boy. It happened at the Four Seasons Resort campground in West Finley Township last week. There was no lifeguard on duty.

Anne Bale, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Welfare, said there were about 18 children present at the pool and that was unacceptable to the department.

“We can’t have many, many children in the pool without a lifeguard present,” she said. “You know, it’s just unacceptable.”

“I know the state has to do what they have to do, but why weren’t we allowed to be open during all of this,” Adele Wood, president of Kid Biz, said. “Nobody’s in eminent danger.”

She says she will appeal the state’s shutdown order.

“It’s easy [to] shut our doors, but they make it very difficult for us to have our day in court,” she said.

RELATED LINKS
More Local News
More Washington County News

FOLLOW US:
KDKA On Facebook
KDKA On Twitter
Follow KDKA Personalities