MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. (AP) — The Indiana Family and Social
Services Administration has ordered the closure of a Michigan City day
care center where a 5-year-old boy died after accidentally hanging
himself with a jump rope.
The action against Tricia’s Playhouse
followed an investigation Tuesday night in which the agency found the
center was "in violation of supervision regulations" at the time Amareon
Williams was injured.
LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan said
Amareon died Monday from asphyxiation due to hanging after getting
caught in a jump rope left hanging over an outside play fort. He was
pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital.
Tricia’s
Playhouse has 90 days to appeal the closure, WSBT-TV reported. If not,
the day care will remain closed for that length of time, after which
FSSA may choose to extend the closure.
Day care owner Tricia Calvin declined to comment on the closure.
The
licensed day care was on probationary status at the time and undergoing
a plan of correction after an April 21 inspection found several
violations, FSSA spokeswoman Marni Lemons told WSJV-TV. The problems
included failure to report suspected child abuse or neglect, harsh
punishment and a locked exit.
Calvin opened the day care in May 2012, but had no violations until April 2014.
Before
it was closed, Tricia’s Playhouse was receiving federal money to care
for low-income children. It is no longer eligible to receive those
funds.
The LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the death.
Michigan City is about 30 miles west of South Bend.