Central Maine woman charged in death of infant was running a child care business

An Oakland woman charged earlier this month in connection with the death of an infant in 2023 had been running a child care business at the time of the incident.

Lisa Barney, 54, owned and operated Little Angel’s Family Child Care, at 121 Allagash Drive, which had an active license through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the Kennebec Journal reported .

Barney was arrested earlier this month and charged with manslaughter, according to Maine State Police Lt. Aaron Turcotte.

The 4-month-old died on Sept. 8, 2023, after an incident in Oakland on Aug. 31, 2023, Turcotte said. The Maine medical examiner’s office ruled the child’s death a homicide.

Barney closed Little Angel’s on the day the manslaughter is alleged to have taken place, the DHHS told the Kennebec Journal.

The newspaper reported that Barney asked parents to pick up their children the day of the incident and remained closed through Labor Day weekend, reopening briefly before agreeing to a DHHS request to voluntarily close the business.