The Grove, East Bank Demerara daycare where a baby died on Friday was operating illegally and a person has since been taken into custody, according to a release yesterday from the Ministry of Human Services.
The release said that Kyre Nelson, three months old, died at Mya’s Daycare at Samatta Point, Grove. Based on investigations, the ministry said it was discovered that twenty-four children currently attend this facility, which includes three three-month-old babies.
The last documents issued to Mya’s Daycare for renewing the Child Care License was February 7, 2020. Checks with this childcare facility during and post-COVID-19 revealed that this facility was closed. The ministry said that Ms. McLuod, the agency’s registered caregiver, had reported that the facility had been closed since 2020.
However, investigations revealed that the granddaughter opened a child care facility illegally on the 2nd of January 2024 unknown to the Child Care and Protection Agency. No documentation or assessment was ever issued for this facility by the Child Care and Protection Agency’s (CPA) Early Childhood Development Services Unit, the release said.
Checks with the police, Inspector Henry, from the Diamond Police Station, revealed that an incident did occur at this illegal facility on the 28th of June 2024.
The police are investigating the matter, and Ms Archer is in police custody.
“The Early Childhood Development Services Unit is saddened by the loss of the life of an innocent child due the breaking of the laws of Guyana, which states that all caregivers offering services must be registered, and any facilities operational in Guyana must be licensed by the Child Care and Protection Agency.
“CPA appeals to parents to ensure that the facilities you utiiise for your children are registered and licensed as they will meet the standards required for the safety and security of your children”, the release said.
In an interview with the Sunday Stabroek, Rebecca Anthony, the mother of the baby recounted the events. She said that she had taken him to the daycare between 07:00 and 08:00. After running errands, Anthony and her sister returned home around 13:31. Anthony was preparing to make something for her daughter to eat before getting ready for work at 2:30.
“I was preparing for work when one of the girls call me and tell me she put Kyrie down and when she went to check on him he was bleeding through his nose”, the mother related.
Anthony then sent her 16-year-old son ahead of her to the daycare, where he found the daycare director, Mya Archer, distraught and attempting to comfort the baby. He instructed her to rush Kyrie to the hospital.
Upon arrival at the hospital, medical staff were seen desperately trying to revive Kyrie. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead at 14:01.
The distraught mother said “I kneel down and asked God to please not take him from me but it was too late”. Kyrie’s body is now at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting an autopsy.
