Quebec City daycare accused of neglect and abuse warned it could lose licence
A Quebec City daycare accused of mistreating children and from which three toddlers escaped last month has received a government warning that it could lose its licence to operate.
Quebec's Family Ministry confirmed it gave the owners of Jardin Enchanté, Geneviève Côté and Richard Cazes, a notice of intent to revoke their licence.
"It appears from the ministry's examination of this file that the daycare breached the law several times," ministry spokesperson Bryan St-Louis told Radio-Canada.
The owners have 10 days from when the notice was issued to respond.
The ministry will then evaluate whether it deems their response satisfactory. If it doesn't, it will revoke their licence, St-Louis said.
The ministry says its goal is to act in the best interest of children.
"Our priority is to ensure the safety of the children there and that the ministry accompanies the families if the licence is later revoked," Quebec Family Minister Mathieu Lacombe told Radio-Canada in an email.
The daycare made headlines last month after three toddlers bolted out of the facility unnoticed and made their way to a nearby urban highway, before bystanders found them.
The day following the incident, the ministry conducted an inspection of the facility and opened an investigation alongside Quebec's youth protection authority, the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ).
A recent investigation by CBC/Radio-Canada found that the DPJ had also investigated the daycare last spring, after a parent said they witnessed a child being thrown at a wall.
The investigation shed light on a number of allegations of abuse and neglect by parents whose children attended the daycare.
The owners declined Radio-Canada's request for comment on Thursday, but said they might be open to speaking at a later date.
