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YOUNGSTOWN Police launch probe into death of infant

Wednesday, February 27, 2002


The day-care operation that watched the baby is not licensed by the state.
YOUNGSTOWN -- City police and the Mahoning County Coroner's office are investigating the death of a 3-month-old New Middletown baby at a residential day-care center on the South Side, police reports show.
Seven other children, ages 2 to 4, were at the 33 Pinehurst Ave. center when an ambulance was called at about 1:15 p.m. Tuesday to take the child to Beeghly Medical Center.
A 24-year-old woman left in charge of the day-care center told police she found the boy lying with his face in a crib mattress. She called 911 and started CPR.
The woman said the infant had been crying and she fed him a bottle before placing him in the crib on his stomach. She said he began crying again for five to 10 minutes. When she checked on him, she found he was not breathing.
The owner of the building was not at the day-care center at the time but was at a doctor appointment, according to police reports.
Not licensed: The center is not licensed by the state, said Jon Allen, spokesman for the Department of Job and Family Services.
Allen said in-home day-care services that serve six or fewer children are not required to hold licenses. Services that care for seven to 12 children must be licensed, he said.
The infant was one of eight in the home at the time, police reports show. It is not clear whether any of the children was related to the day-care center operator.
Allen said the state had not received any complaints alleging that the facility had too many children. He said the department will investigate.
Contacted this morning, the day-care center operator said it is her understanding that day-care facilities in the city do not have to be licensed. She declined to comment further.
Bob Hewitt, director of environmental health at the Youngstown City Health District, said day-care operations within the city must follow state guidelines.
Allen said there are fewer than 100 licensed in-home day-care providers in the state.