Child’s toes severed by lawn mower at Utah day care, officials say. It must close
A Utah child care center was ordered to shut down by early December after a child’s toes were severed in a lawn mower accident and other issues were found, officials said.
Chandara Childcare in Cedar City must stop operating by Dec. 4, the Utah Department of Health & Human Services, or DHHS, wrote in a letter revoking the center’s license.
The child care center didn’t immediately return McClatchy News’ request for comment.
The center can request an administrative hearing but had not done so as of Nov. 27, a DHHS spokeswoman told McClatchy News in a text message.
DHHS’ action came after officials inspected the center on Oct. 18.
The inspectors said that a Chandara staff member had mowed the back lawn with 14 young children present, and “during this incident, a child was seriously injured, multiple toes were severed, and the child required emergency surgery,” the agency said.
The inspection also found other issues, including instances when the ratio of staff members to children was 1-to-13, rather than the required 1-to-8, and an instance when a parent wasn’t notified when a child suffered a minor injury in an accident, officials said.
The center also allowed two infants to sleep in baby bouncer chairs instead of cribs, bassinets or other “equipment designed for sleep” as required, the agency said.
Cedar City is a 251-mile drive southwest of Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published November 27, 2024 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Child’s toes severed by lawn mower at Utah day care, officials say. It must close."
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