JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Every week Action News Jax investigates local child care centers to show you how they measure up to state guidelines.In this week’s Kid Care Report, anchor Letisha Bereola visited a day care that had an issue with the director’s credentials:
In a recent routine inspection at Montessori Tides School in Jacksonville Beach, a Department of Children and Families inspector tagged the center with a class 2 violation. According to the state, a class 2 violation could pose a threat to the health and safety of a child.
The inspector noted the director did not have an active director credential.
Bereola paid the school a visit. She couldn’t access the door because of a gate, so she called the director, Brad Hutton.
According to Hutton, it was because his director wanted to retire in a few years and he was going through the process of getting his credential.
Hutton told Bereola when he called DCF and asked about it, they told him it wasn’t a big deal and he could have a provisional license for six months.
“They never mentioned a class 2 violation. They made it sound like it was normal. Had I known I was going to have a class 2 violation and you guys were going to put me on the news, I would have had my old director do the renewal. It’s not that big of deal,” Hutton said.
The school has the provisional license until Nov. 22.
Bereola also visited Strive for Excellence Learning Academy Inc. in this week's Kid Care report.
Its most recent inspection was clean.
The most recent violation was last year, a class 3, which is the least serious, according to DCF.
The inspector says the provider didn’t notify the Health Department of an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease. An employee said they simply didn’t know to do that at the time.
To search for your day care's latest inspection and to see the most recent clean reports, click here.
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