The owner of The Kid’s Nest Learning Center in Brunswick, will not appeal the state’s decision to revoke the daycare’s license after an investigation found uncorrectable abuses and deficiencies in the operation of the center.
Court documents filed on Aug 26 show that the center’s owners and license holders, Charles Grant and Charles Tucker, withdrew their request for a hearing to present their case.
In May, a 16-month-old toddler, Jamal Bryant, Jr., being cared for at the center choked on a two-inch square of watermelon. He died later that day at the Southeast Georgia Health System.
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The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) closed The Kid’s Nest immediately afterward and in June issued a revocation order for operations there. The center served an average of 89 children before its closure.
During interviews with DECAL, the center’s cook stated that the bus driver donated the watermelon to the class. He mentioned cutting the watermelon into half-inch cubes and expressed concerns about not having enough food for the children. He also stated that he often had to put meals together because the staff at the center claimed that the kids would be hungry.
A DECAL report indicated that the toddler was given a piece of watermelon while standing and walking around the classroom. The boy approached staff while gasping for air, and staff then performed CPR.
Additional DECAL reports described how a staff member attempted a finger sweep of the child’s mouth and the Heimlich Maneuver, but it staff seemed disorganized during the emergency. The maneuvers were not in line with the American Red Cross CPR guidelines for a child or infant, according to the report.
DECAL mandates that center directors must complete a biennial training program in CPR and a triennial training program in first aid , with a record of completion. In addition, at any given time, at least 50% of the caregiver staff shall have completed such training and shall have current evidence of the completion of such training.
On May 21, 2024, one of the five staffers who provided direct care and intervention for the child was observed to have valid evidence of the required training. It was further determined that the director did not have CPR and first aid training that included a provision for infants and children.
The investigation yielded the discovery of a total of 11 rule violations that served as the foundation for the revocation order in June.
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