Owners Forced To Close Day Cares After Girl's Death

DELRAY BEACH (CBS4) - Less than a year after the death of a toddler at a Katie's Kids Learning Center in Delray Beach, the day care's owners plan to close their three remaining locations.

Haile Brockington, 2, died after being left alone in the day care's van for seven hours on a sweltering August day.

A Department of Children and Families investigation found 'human error' was to blame for the girl's death. State investigators said three of the child care center's employees, including the center's director Petra Rodriguez, failed to follow facility owners' procedures for keeping track of the children while they were on the grounds.

An attorney for owner Kathryn Muhammed and co-owner Barbara Dilthey said since Brockington's death it's been difficult to keep the three remaining facilities in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Margate financially stable, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Additionally, the insurance company which had covered the learning centers opted not to renew the policies.

A bill that would have required day care centers to equip each van or bus with an alarm system warning the driver not to leave a child behind failed to pass the Florida House this past legislative session.

Source: The Palm Beach Post