Family comes forward to share child care nightmareAccidental hanging highlighted in series By Ron Menchaca (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Seven-year-old Sophie Hill doesn't like to wear tight necklaces. Her parents say she developed this sensitivity two years ago after surviving an accidental hanging at her day care center. 
Mic Smith Sophie Hill, 7, works out a question from her first-grade homework with her father, Powell, at their Mount Pleasant home Tuesday. On Jan. 17, 2006, Sophie was on the playground with other children at Gateway Academy in Charleston when she wrapped a piece of landscape fabric around her neck and headed down a slide. One end of the fabric was tied near the top of the slide, the other end cinched tight around her neck. She lost consciousness before another child alerted a nearby caregiver. Sophie still doesn't fully grasp the seriousness of what happened. "I went down the slide and (the fabric) catched me. Then I went fast asleep." Sophie's parents, Powell and Hope Hill of Mount Pleasant, endured weeks of hearings, interviews and medical bill hassles after the incident as state inspectors tried to learn what happened. The couple thought they had put the episode behind them — until Sunday, when they recognized the details of their nightmare in a newspaper story. Related storiesThe stories in the child care series: SUNDAY STORIES A video tour around one the Lowcountry's few nationally accredited child care centers MONDAY STORIES Ratings could ease parents' agony The Post and Courier highlighted the incident in a series on child care published Sunday and Monday. The newspaper reviewed state child care inspection records and found that many facilities in the Lowcountry repeatedly violate regulations meant to protect the safety and health of children. But the newspaper had been unable to identify through state records the child involved in the hanging incident, and the center declined to comment on the incident. Powell Hill said he was incensed to read that Gateway Academy was twice cited for another strangulation hazard just months after his daughter's incident. He contacted the newspaper in the hopes of raising awareness about proposed child care reforms cited in the article. State Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, plans to introduce legislation as early as this week that would give the state the authority to levy fines against child care centers that repeatedly violate regulations or place children at risk. A state task force studying ways to improve child care quality is expected to formally recommend to the General Assembly this session that South Carolina adopt a five-level rating system for child care centers. Most other states already offer this resource to parents. The Hills say they were completely satisfied with their daughter's care at Gateway Academy before the incident. In fact, they researched a number of area centers before deciding on Gateway. "We had a great experience with them," said Powell Hill. "It just so happened that this one incident was absolutely horrible." But the Hills say their family could have been spared the emotional trauma if the center had simply followed state regulations. State inspectors concluded "the child was injured on the playground due to a lack of supervision by caregivers" and cited the center accordingly. The center also was cited for not properly inspecting the playground for hazards such as "items that may cause strangulation." Center director Mary Beth Sharpe declined to discuss the incident when contacted by the newspaper for its series on child care. Attempts to reach Sharpe Tuesday were unsuccessful. Two caregivers at Gateway Academy were watching nearly three dozen children on the playground when the incident occurred. "Another child on the playground alerted (a caregiver) that the girl was hanging," according to state records. By the time the caregiver arrived, "the girl was unconscious and foaming at the mouth." Hill was working at his desk in the S.C. Aquarium when his cell phone rang. His daughter had been in an accident and an ambulance was rushing her to the Medical University of South Carolina, a Gateway employee told him. Hill went numb. He said nothing to his co-workers as he sprinted out of the building to his car. He weaved through traffic on Calhoun Street, his mind racing. He frantically called his wife, an ophthalmic technician, but couldn't reach her. She called him back, hysterical, demanding to know if their daughter was dead. "I didn't have an answer to that question," he said. He arrived before paramedics wheeled his little girl into the emergency room. He was never so proud of her as at that very moment. She was strapped to a board, her neck bundled in a brace. And she was strong, not a tear in her eye. Then she saw her daddy — and cried. The incident triggered an investigation by the state Department of Social Services, which regulates child care centers. Sophie also was questioned. She said the children had tied the fabric to the slide and were using it as a rope to climb to the top. One of the children suggested they wrap the loose end around their bodies before they went down. Two children tried it, but each time, the fabric slipped off of them. Then it was Sophie's turn. She wrapped the material tight around her neck, thinking that it was the strongest part of her body. Hill said the two caregivers on the playground that day were held responsible for the incident and were fired. But he and his wife felt someone in charge at the center also should have been held accountable for the fact that the playground was not inspected for hazards before children were allowed outside to play. The Hills are most concerned that what happened to their daughter did not seem to improve the center's compliance with state regulations. In June 2006, just six months after the hanging incident, the state cited the center for failing to remove a playground strangulation hazard similar to the one that caused the earlier incident. The center still had not fixed the hazard when an inspector returned in October 2006. Under Lourie's proposal, centers that fail to address health and safety hazards could face fines. His plan also would create more oversight for smaller home-based child care centers, which currently are not licensed or subject to inspections unless a complaint is filed. "We are talking about making changes that will make children safer and give parents peace of mind." Lourie said he believes the child care industry as a whole does right by children, but that the state should do more. "I think most of our day cares in South Carolina do a good job. Anytime there is a bad operator, it makes the whole industry look bad." Nancy Freeman, a professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina and chairwoman of Gov. Mark Sanford's advisory board on child care, applauded Lourie's interest. The legislature has rejected past child care reform efforts, and Freeman said having someone champion the cause could make the difference. "I'm hopeful that with having a legislator involved we can be more effective." Freeman also credited the newspaper for raising awareness about the challenges parents face when looking for child care. "I think it sheds light on how difficult it is to find quality child care. It's hard to separate the good apples from the bad." The Hills said they harbor no ill will toward Gateway Academy and have positive things to say about the facility and its employees. But they pulled Sophie out after the incident and opted not to place their younger daughter in a large day care center. For a long time after Sophie's incident, Powell Hill couldn't shake the image of his daughter hanging there, helpless, wondering why her daddy wasn't coming to her rescue. "I know there was a moment in time when she realized she was in trouble and needed me, and I wasn't there. That's what hurts the most." Reach Ron Menchaca at rmenchaca@postandcourier.com or 937-5724. |
Article tools |
|
Notice about comments: Charleston.net is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Charleston.net does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not charleston.net. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Full terms and conditions can be read here. |
Comments
This article has 12 comment(s)
Posted by bluecap on January 9, 2008 at 4:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
More, and more frequent, oversight and regulation of child care and elder care needs to be in place.
Two things should be kept in mind while doing so:
1. The social phenomenon of trying to wrap everyone in governmental cotton and protect from the eventuality of harm must be avoided. Kids do dumb and dangerous things. It is the parents' responsibility to teach and discipline them in hopes of minimizing the dangers.
2. Should the cost of government oversight in these areas be the responsibility of all or those it helps?
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on January 9, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank goodness this child is alright. How about the incident last year on the weapons station. That little girl DIED while at daycare because she choked on a peach and no one could help her. My co-workers wife works at the base daycare facility and says some of their teacher aren't cpr certified.
Posted by klonjohnsisland on January 9, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have worked in daycare facility(I've also babysat, been a nanny, and worked in Headstart and Child development programs). It is not pretty work. I did it because I love children, but believe me, it is not the best work in the world. I was actually injured in the daycare center in Charleston when a child's table fell on me. At that same center, a little girl fell and broke her arm on the jungle gym. I used to have an afterschool class at that center and there were 25 kids on my rooster. I also picked them up in the bus, gave them medicine and served snack. Why? because I was young and stupid and needed a job. The hard fact is that daycare centers are usually run by money hungry people and they hire cheap labor. For all I did, I was only paid $6.50 an hour. Look at it this way...The average daycare cost for an infant is about $130 a week yet the average daycare worker is paid about $7.50 an hour or $280 a week. Figure in taxes and your looking at a take home pay of about $200 a week. How can you support a family on that? I say this to all parents...Visit your daycare and stay on them. My 6 year old was hospitalized with RSV while in daycare and my 1 year old just got over pneumonia. I wish I could open my own home daycare, but I've had parents who screwed me in paying but that's another story...
Posted by RTC on January 9, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Two caregivers at Gateway Academy were watching nearly three dozen children on the playground when the incident occurred. "Another child on the playground alerted (a caregiver) that the girl was hanging," according to state records. By the time the caregiver arrived, "the girl was unconscious and foaming at the mouth."
That ratio is way off. Two adults watching 36 kids this young? No way should that be the case.
Posted by klonjohnsisland on January 9, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The state ratio is 6 to 1 for children over 2, I believe. That ratio should be observed at all times. Even 6 2-year olds is a lot for one person. And yes, children do dumb things. The teacher is there to direct that creativity. To think that your child will never be hurt in daycare is not logical. From paper cuts to trips, these things cannot be erased from the daycare experience. But a hanging? Being left on the bus for hours? Or in my case, a broken arm? No, those cases should have never happened in the first place.
Posted by Girleygirl on January 9, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
RTC- I was thinking the same thing. I can barely handle my 2 year old niece when my sister needs a sitter so when 2 women handling 36 kids I have to ask what was the daycare thinking! If I was one of those workers I would have said heck no I'm not going outside with all of those dang ole kids and pop in a movie and have recess in the class. No daycare worker should put up with these conditions as well. Maybe if they speak up to the director some of these things would not happen.
Posted by Mom_of_1 on January 9, 2008 at 2:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FYI As of January 1, 2008, South Carolina ratios are as follows:
6 weeks-12 months 1:5
12 months-24 months 1:6
2 years-3 years 1:8
3 years-4 years 1:12
4 years-5 years 1:17
When the incident at Gateway occured, the state ratios were, for 5 year olds, 1:18. Therefore, a group of 3 dozen children were 'in ratio' with 2 teachers for 36 children.
These ratios are set by the state of South Carolina; not by the "money hungry people who hire cheap labor." Final thought, the state needs to re-evaluate the ratios to help make preschool a safer place for our children.
Posted by Girleygirl on January 9, 2008 at 3:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mom of one-
Those ratios are crazy especially if you are not in a controlled environment. Being in a classroom I would say okay cool but taking a whole bunch of kids outside to play, that's crazy!!! You got the swing set to the left. slides to the right, a merry go round in front and monkey bars behind you. That is too much to handle!! I do agree that the state should reevaluate those ratios!!!
Posted by Mom_of_1 on January 9, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The playgrounds that I am familiar with is a controlled environment, it not like taking a group of children to a public playground, they are "controlled". Not all playgrounds have merry go rounds, monkey bars, and slides. Once again this is something that the state should take into consideration when setting ratios and approving playground facilities. Keeping children inside all day is not going to solve any problems, just create more.
Posted by ajccharleston on January 9, 2008 at 7:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My children have been attending Gateway Academy since before this incident. I have nothing but good things to say about the staff and the management. Children can turn any common item into a hazard if they use it in the wrong way. Landscaping material is found everywhere. It's in many lowcountry backyards and I'm sure that it is used in schools as well. And let's not forget - a manager cannot be in all places at once. Lots of time and money are spent in training and background checks to ensure that the teachers who are directly responsible for the safety of children are qualified to do so. The bottom line is that the teachers who were on the playground failed in their job. If they were watching the children like they were supposed to be doing, this would never had happened. And as far as the amount of children that were on the playground, no one can blame Gateway. They were well within their legal ratio. The finger pointing that is going on two years after the fact needs to be directed towards DSS. They are the ones who said that three dozen children in the care of two adults was acceptable. Instead of crucifying the management at Gateway Academy, let's look more closely at the Department of Social Services.
Posted by lillady on January 9, 2008 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A similar thing happened to me years ago. I tied a rope on the merry go round. Tied it around my body...as the kids ran faster, I lost my grip, fell and you can just imagine. I didn't end up in as much trouble as this little girl did. There were MANY teachers on the playground and no one ever saw. If they are cited, they should fix it immediately. If not, fine them. Heavily. The part about low pay is true. I work in a daycare now and make $7 an hour. But the ratios are so low that most rooms for kids under 2 don't even pay to operate them. We are almost at the point where the cost of daycare is going to become impossible to pay or the daycares are going to go out of business. DSS needs to follow up more on issues like this AND the daycares need to stay within safe, legal standards.
Posted by momto4 on January 10, 2008 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ajccharleston: We are crucifying Gateway Academy because they failed to fix the problem with the hazards. Also, two adults circulating on the playground properly WOULD have noticed the children playing with this stuff before the incident occurred. The two adults on the playground were not paying attention to the kids, lets face it. That is why they were fired. Kudos to Gateway for that. But they certainly should have taken more steps to prevent another accident like this from occuring by properly removing the hazards. A child almost lost her life here!!!!!!!!!