Grove Daycare Fighting Back After DHS Shuts Them Down

Thursday, March 20th 2014, 6:53 pm

By: News On 6

The Department of Human Services shut down a Green Country daycare after claims workers gave children a sleep aid at nap time. At least one family pulled their children out of the daycare, but others are defending the daycare.

Normally the Grove daycare would be open taking care of kids during the day, but DHS closed it down. The attorney for the daycare said it's a witch hunt.

3/20/2014 Related Story: Newspaper: DHS Closes Grove Childcare Center Citing Allegations Over Melatonin Misuse

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has a notice up on the door of Wee Little Lambs Christian Child Care. They said the daycare violated medication and discipline policies.

The notice of emergency closure says "licensing received a complaint that children are being given Melatonin to make children sleep at nap time. They also received information that, "children have been subjected to inappropriate discipline of a physical nature."

Wee Little Lambs' attorney said it is fighting the case, DHS says the daycare has ten days to appeal.

"I would like to think we wouldn't ultimately have to take it to a judge, there is a process we have to complete first within the DHS system," said attorney Winston Connor.

Connor said 80 families are now without daycare.

We spoke with many families in Grove but they were too scared to go on camera.

Connor said his client did nothing wrong and DHS has released little information on the claims made to them.

"We don't believe it. It's just not true. I've known this family for a long time. These are real good people and you cannot imagine how many phone calls we are getting with people who are just absolutely appalled that this witch hunt is, and has, occurred," Connor said.

He said it could be up to 45 days if the daycare gets a chance to reopen.