SAN ANTONIO – Following Tuesday's fire at the Bright Kids Daycare and Learning Center, the KSAT Defenders began digging into the day care's state inspection history.
The Defenders' Tim Gerber pulled the agency's compliance history report from the Department of Family and Protective Services. According to records posted online by DFPS, Bright Kids Daycare's most recent inspection was on June 22.
Inspectors found no violations during their visit, but the facility did have a serious violation late last year. The day care was hit with a high-risk violation by state inspectors last November and it was a fire safety related violation.
DFPS inspectors found the day care hadn't completed a required annual fire inspection that the state mandates be done every 12 months. The state said the fire inspection posted at the facility was dated March 24, 2015, meaning the facility was eight months overdue for a fire inspection.
The day care was also hit with another serious violation in August 2016 when a caregiver didn't know how many children were in her care. She told the inspector she had 11 kids when in fact she only had 10 kids in her group.
In addition to requiring an annual fire inspection, the state also requires all licensed day care centers to have an emergency preparedness plan to ensure the safety of the children. That plan should address staff responsibility and facility readiness with respect to emergency evacuation, relocation and sheltering in place.
Day care centers are required to practice a fire drill every month and the children must be able to safely exit the building within three minutes.
If you're currently looking for day care, or are curious about your child's day care safety history, you can search them by name on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website.
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