A picture circulating on social media that has some parents in the Spring area furious and concerned.
”I do have a 5-year-old who comes here in the summer so, it is a little devastating,” said one parent who asked not to be identified.
The photo shows three young children leaving Children’s Courtyard Daycare Center on Louetta through a gap in a fence that encloses the playground.
”People speed down this street so it could’ve been way worse, and no one informed me about that. That’s crazy,” the parent said.
The person who took the picture captioned it saying the kids were rescued after the Good Samaritan screamed for at least a minute for staff’s attention.
Children’s Courtyard officials sent us the following statement:
”We have strict policies and protocols to ensure the well-being of our children. Unfortunately, despite our precautions, a situation arose in which a number of children were able to briefly exit the playground through a fence that may have been left ajar after a vendor had been working on the grounds. The children involved were quickly retrieved, unharmed, and reunited with their classmates. We are taking all appropriate steps to prevent such a situation from happening in the future and are partnering with state childcare licensing. We are re-emphasizing our policies and procedures with all staff members to ensure safety protocols are consistently followed. We’re working to ensure the gate is secure. The playground will remain closed in the interim. Nothing is more important to us than our children’s safety.”
On Wednesday it appeared that someone had put a thin silver chain around the fence to try to secure it, but some parents say this is nowhere near good enough.
”They put a band-aid on it, and that’s not going to work. Bandaids get ripped off,” said Christina Azzarello who lives nearby.
According to the Texas Department of Family Protective Services’ website, the facility was cited for 78 deficiencies within the past five years, including issues regarding the responsibilities of caregivers and building maintenance. As far as that’s concerned, Azzarello says ”To me, they need to revamp their fences.”
