Child care center loses license after complaint of child being left in cold garage as punishment

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) - Nebraska officials say a child care center is under investigation, with its license suspended after an alleged inappropriate disciplinary action.

According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, it has filed an emergency order and a motion for a protective order against Children’s Circle Montessori School, forcing the center to close immediately.

The school serves children ages 2 to 6 on weekdays and employs four full-time staff members, two part-time employees, and cares for 35 children.

The Office of Children’s Services Licensing launched an investigation into a complaint on Dec. 11.

According to the report, an OCSL child care inspection specialist visited the center and learned that a child was left unsupervised inside a “freezing cold” garage for being too loud and screaming during naptime.

The document stated that the child was placed there as punishment and, at times, was without socks or shoes.

Based on the information provided, DHHS said it determined there was an immediate threat to the physical well-being and safety of children in care at the center.

The license suspension will remain in effect until the investigation is complete and findings are determined, officials said.

Parents of children who attend the school said they believe the claims have been blown out of proportion and that they continue to trust the care their children receive.

“My second-grade child would still go to that school if he could. This garage is an extension of the classroom ... and it’s absolutely not a space I would have any concern about,” parent Audrey Bach said.

Another parent, Courtney Youssef, said she believes the investigation will reveal that the school is a safe environment.

Lincoln police said the DHHS is the agency handling the ongoing investigation.