Health department shuts down Bed-Stuy daycare after 2-year-old tumbles down stairs
Health officials closed Bumblebees-r-us, Inc. on Tuesday, just four days after News 12 spoke with Anetra Williams, the mother of the wounded toddler, Khaleel, whose fall was caught on camera.
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The New York City Health Department says it shut down the daycare in Bed-Stuy after a 2-year-old boy tumbled down the stairs last week.
Health officials closed Bumblebees-r-us, Inc. on Tuesday, just four days after News 12 spoke with Anetra Williams, the mother of the wounded toddler, Khaleel, whose fall was caught on camera.
The DOH says it received a complaint alleging inadequate supervision of children, which inspectors confirmed following their investigation and inspection at 1068 Fulton St.
The video shows the 2-year-old near the top of the staircase by a gate, next to an adult who appears to pick something up off the floor. The gate then swings shut and hits the boy, sending him tumbling down the 15 steps.
The footage also shows three adults trying to reach the closing gate, but they can't catch the child or prevent the fall.
Williams says the daycare provided her child only ice packs while he waited about 30 minutes for her to arrive. She also claims that the center told her she could not call 911 until she arrived at Bumblebees-r-us.
Although Khaleel was conscious after the fall, Williams says she worries about long-term health consequences.
The Health Department says it provided a letter for the daycare to send out to parents and guardians to inform them of the closure of Bumblebees-r-us and to provide information about alternative childcare centers in the area.
According to health officials, the closure is temporary, and the center may provide a plan to retrain its staff.
A DOH spokesperson provided the following statement.
“The safety and well-being of children in childcare remains a top priority for the NYC Health Department. Childcare programs are required to follow health and safety requirements, including the critical requirement to maintain constant and competent supervision of children. When the Department finds that a childcare program is not safely caring for children, we will require the program to close, and the provider will have to revise protocols and re-train staff. Once the provider demonstrates that it has made improvements and can safely care for children, we will authorize it to reopen.”
