North Philadelphia day care shut down after baby death

Katherine Scott Image
Friday, December 18, 2015
VIDEO: Day care shut down after baby death
A North Philadelphia day care that's at the center of an ongoing investigation has been shut down by authorities.

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A North Philadelphia day care that's at the center of an ongoing investigation has been shut down by authorities.

It was earlier this week when a 10-month-old girl died while at the Sisters Childcare Center, located in the 3500 block of Germantown Avenue.

On Friday morning, DHS officials went in and shut down the business.

Police say it was Wednesday when the baby girl was found unresponsive. A staff member tried to perform CPR on the baby on the way to nearby Temple University Hospital's Emergency Room, but never called 911.

The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital.

While other parents collected their children one by one Wednesday, an investigation was quickly launched into her death and the facility itself, which has had prior issues.

This past summer, a state inspection found the center was not in compliance with 24 regulations. Since then the day care corrected some of the items and provided a plan to correct others.

The center had been operating under a provisional certificate of compliance. But on Thursday the State Department of Human Services issued an emergency removal, which means they immediately closed the facility for the safety of the other children.

DHS spokesperson Kait Gillis released a statement saying in part: "Our hearts go out to the family on this profound loss, and our thoughts are with them."

At this point it is unclear how the baby girl died. The autopsy is pending.