State Issues Emergency Closure for Lyons Daycare
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) Bright from the Start ordered the emergency closure of Step by Step Child Care and Learning Center on March 27 due to significant ongoing health and safety violations.
In the order for closure, DECAL explained that the daycare, which is located at 117 E. Wesley Avenue in
Lyons, is currently operating under conditions that place the health, safety, and welfare of children in imminent danger, and that the facility should be closed for 21 days while the Department continues to investigate the situation.
Step by Step Child Care and Learning Center has had several issues and violations of state code since October 2023, causing the Department to investigate the facilcontinued from page
ity numerous times, and leading to the owner being fined for failure to comply with these guidelines.
The facility received 14 citations in October 23, after DECAL authorities found multiple violations of state code during a facility visit for licensing purposes. Some of these rule violations included issues regarding supervision/ watchful oversight, employees comprehensive records check determinations, safe sleeping environments, and hazardous materials being available to children.
In November 2023, DECAL investigated an incident at the daycare where one of the facility’s enrolled children had numerous abrasions that could not be accounted for by staff; through the investigation, authorities determined that the staff was unable to account for the injuries because they were distracted in the classrooms and reportedly paying attention to their phones rather than the children. The daycare received a citation for supervision/ watchful oversight s a result of this finding.
During the same month, the Department also investigated a different event, through which a staff member was found to have roughly handled and/ or inappropriately disciplined three children under the facility’s care. The staff member, Nicole Kathleen Cabrera, of Collins, was later arrested for the incident and charged with 9 felony counts of cruelty to children and a misdemeanor county of battery, but was later released on bond. The daycare was cited for violations regarding the state activities/rough play guidelines.
DECAL officials returned to Lyons to investigate an incident where a child suffered a broken arm after climbing on a chair and falling to the floor at the facility. Not only was the daycare cited for supervision/ watchful oversight violations for failing to supervise the child to prevent the injury, but also for failing to report the incident to DECAL as required.
Authorities investigated an incident in May 2024 where a child had been bitten multiple times within a two day period; the daycare’s staff were unaware how the incident had occurred, leading them to be cited for a supervision/ watchful oversight violation.
In June 2024, DECAL officials visited the facility as a Plan of Improvement follow-up visit, where they issued 11 citations to the daycare for violations of state code. Several of these violations were repeat offenses by the facility for issues with supervision/ watchful oversight, hazardous materials not being secured out of reach of children, and failure to comply with comprehensive record check determinations for staff. Because of the repeated comprehensive record check violations, the daycare entered into a consent agreement with the state; this agreement explained that the center would not commit any further violations for comprehensive record check requirements within 2 years or would had their professional licensure revoked. In addition, the facility was fined $1,396 as a result of these violations, which they paid and continued operating as usual.
On September 6, 2024, DECAL issued a 40-day suspension of the daycare’s license due to ongoing violations that the daycare failed to correct and a history of noncompliance by the facility. The daycare also received 15 points on their record, which moved them into “Deficient” status based on their 12-month history of issues.
Two months later, on November 22, 2024, DECAL issued a notice of revocation to the daycare, as they explained their intent to revoke the facility’s license if the daycare refused to correct the current violations. This notice came after the Department reviewed the findings of the September 2024 Plan of Improvement follow-up inspection of the daycare, during which 14 citations were issued for rule violations, nearly all of which were repeat infractions of state code. These citations caused the daycare to receive 49 more points against the facility’s record, moving it further into “Deficient” status.
When the investigation regarding the September 2024 incident in which a child was injured after falling out of a high chair was completed on February 11, 2025, the daycare was charged an enforcement fee of $1,096, as authorities determined that the child was not fastened as required and the facility’s staff was not in a position to be able to promptly respond to the child’s actions and attend to the child’s need. These actions violated state code regarding supervision/watchful oversight, and the fine was charged because of the child’s injury and because the instance was a repeat infraction of state code that had already been addressed by DECAL, as this instance was one of several incidents over a year’s time where a child was injured due to lack of supervision.
Another notice of revocation was issued to the daycare on March 10, 2025, after officials discovered more violations of state code by the daycare during their January 2025 licensing and plan of improvement follow-up visit to the facility. During this visit, officials issued 12 citations to the daycare for failure to comply with state code after finding issues with supervision/watchful oversight, safe sleep environment, and comprehensive record check requirements. The daycare received an additional 36 points against their record for these violations, moving them further into “Deficient” status.
Several plan of improvement follow-up visits have occurred since January 2025, throughout which DECAL officials have noticed the same pattern of “blatant noncompliance” at the facility.
For example, on March 10, 2025, while visiting the facility, staff members failed to respond or notice when a child picked up a rubber band and plastic object off of the floor of the daycare, which the child soon put in their mouth. The DECAL consultant had to intervene in the situation and alert a staff member to the situation, so that they would remove it from the child’s mouth to prevent a choking hazard. This incident was logged as a violation of supervision/ watchful oversight code.
On this same visit, the consultant observed an infant, which was wearing a stretch headband, sleeping in a crib that did not have a tight-fitting sheet or mattress cover, which violated the DECAL safe sleep environment guidelines. Staff and children were also seen not washing their hands at required times, such as after diaper changes and during movement from one room to another; this lack of handwashing violated the state’s hygiene code.
One week later, on March 17, 2025, DECAL received a report that a group of 1 and 2 year-olds had been left alone on the daycare’s playground without adult supervision for an unknown period of time. DECAL is currently investigating the incident and reviewing surveillance footage of the incident. If the report is substantiated, then the facility will receive another violation of supervision/ watchful oversight.
“Based on the numerous ongoing violations that have occurred and continue to occur at the Center, as well as the totality of the circumstances, Bright from the Start (DECAL) finds that the health, safety, or welfare of children in care will be in imminent danger if this center is allowed to operate during the investigation arising from the most recent complaint lodged against the Center,” the order for emergency closure read.
According to DECAL, the repeat rule violations which the daycare continues to commit include: Supervision — Children shall be supervised at all times appropriate to the individual age, needs and capabilities of each child. Such supervision must include, but not be limited to, indoor and outdoor activities, mealtimes, naptime, transportation, field trips, and transitions between activities. 'Supervision' means that the appropriate number of Staff members are physically present in the area where children are being cared for and are providing watchful oversight to the children, volunteers and Studentsin- Training. The persons supervising in the child care area must be alert, positioned to maximize their ability to hear and see the children at all times, and able to respond promptly to the needs and actions of the children being supervised, as well as the actions of the volunteers and Students-in-Training, and provide timely attention to the children's actions and needs. Staff shall be attentive and participating with all children during mealtimes and shall be seated within an arm’s length away from children thirtysix (36) months of age and younger.
Comprehensive Records Check Determination – A Center must ensure that every Employee has a valid and current satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination on file prior to being present at the Center, while any child is present for care or before an individual age 17 or older resides in the Center. The Comprehensive Records Check Determination must have a Records Check Clearance Date that is no older than the preceding 12 months of the hire date; provided, however, if the Employee has had a lapse of employment from the childcare industry that lasted for 180 days (6 months) or longer, a new satisfactory Comprehensive Records Check Determination is required.
Fingerprinting – A Center must ensure that every actual and potential Director, Employee and Provisional Employee of a Child Care Learning Center submit both a Records Check Application to the Department and Fingerprints to an authorized fingerprinting site.
Food Preparation – Food for infants or children less than one year of age be cut into pieces one-quarter inch or smaller and food for toddlers shall be cut into pieces one-half inch or smaller to prevent choking.
Safe Sleep Environment – The Center must provide a safe sleep environment in accordance with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) recommendations as listed in these rules for all infants. Center Staff shall place an infant to sleep on the infant’s back in a crib unless the Center has been provided a physician’s written statement authorizing another sleep position for that particular infant that includes how the infant shall be placed to sleep and a time frame that the instructions are to be followed. When an infant can easily turn over from back to front and back again, Staff shall continue to put the infant to sleep initially on the infant’s back but allow the infant to roll over into his or her preferred position and not re-position the infant. Sleepers, sleep sacks and wearable blankets that fit according to the commercial manufacturer’s guidelines and will not slide up around the infant’s face may be used when necessary for the comfort of the sleeping infant. Swaddling shall not be used unless the Center has been provided a physician’s written statement authorizing its use for a particular infant that includes instructions and a time frame for swaddling the infant. Center Staff shall not place objects or allow objects to be placed in or on the crib with an infant such as but not limited to toys, pillows, quilts, comforters, bumper pads, sheepskins, stuffed toys, or other soft items and shall not attach objects or allow objects to be attached to a crib with a sleeping infant, such as, but not limited to, crib gyms, toys, mirrors and mobiles.
Activities – Staff shall not engage in, or allow children or other adults to engage in, activities that could be detrimental to a child’s health or well-being, such as but not limited to, horse play, rough play, wrestling, and picking up a child in a manner that could cause injury.
Feeding – A feeding chair or similar equipment designed for feeding children must be provided for the use of each child being fed who is capable of sitting up but who is unable to sit unassisted at a table. The chair or similar equipment must be cleaned with a disinfectant after each use. Such chair or similar equipment shall have a broad base to prevent tipping; a surface that the child cannot raise; a strap or other device that prevents the child from sliding out of the chair; and a feeding surface free of cracks.
Hazardous Materials – Potentially hazardous equipment, materials and supplies must be stored in a locked area inaccessible to children.
Pacifiers – Center Staff cannot permit children to wear around their necks or attach to their clothing pacifiers or other hazardous items.
Playground – Playground equipment must provide an opportunity for the children to engage in a variety of experiences and shall be age-appropriate. For example, toddlers shall not be permitted to swing in swings designed for School-age Children. The outdoor equipment shall be free of lead-based paint, sharp corners and shall be regularly maintained in such a way as to be free of rust and splinters that could pose significant safety hazard to the children. All equipment shall be arranged so as not to obstruct supervision of children.
Diapering Surfaces – If diapers are changed on a diaper changing surface, the surface must be smooth, nonporous, and equipped with a guard or rails to prevent falls. Between each diaper change, the diaper changing surface shall be cleaned with a disinfectant and dried with a single-use disposable towel.
Diapering Areas – Center Staff cannot use the area used for diapering for food preparation and to keep the diapering area clear of formulas, food, food utensils and food preparation items.
Handwashing (Children) – Children must wash their hands with liquid soap and warm running water upon arrival for care, when moving from one child care group to another, upon reentering the child care area after outside play, before and after eating meals and snacks, handling or touching food, playing in water; after toileting and diapering, playing in sand, touching animals or pets, and contact with bodily fluids and after contamination by any other means.
Handwashing (Staff) – Staff must wash their hands with liquid soap and warm running water upon arrival for care, when moving from one child care group to another, upon reentering the child care area after outside play, before and after eating meals and snacks, handling or touching food, playing in water; after toileting and diapering, playing in sand, touching animals or pets, and contact with bodily fluids and after contamination by any other means.
Crib Safety – Infants shall not sleep in equipment other than safety-approved cribs, such as, but not limited to, a car safety seat, bouncy seat, highchair, or swing. Infants who arrive at the Center asleep or fall asleep in such equipment, on the floor or elsewhere, shall be transferred to a safety-approved crib.
The daycare had 48 hours following the service of the document to file an appeal before officially being closed for the 21-day period. Parents may find resources to help find childcare for their children online at qualityrated.org.
