Daycare death: Centre was ’not registered’

Mourners attend the memorial service of baby Ava Rose Barley, who died at daycare centre which has been found to be unregistered. Photo: Neil Baynes

Mourners attend the memorial service of baby Ava Rose Barley, who died at daycare centre which has been found to be unregistered. Photo: Neil Baynes

Published Oct 18, 2010

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The Cape Town daycare centre where an infant died last week was indeed unregistered, Western Cape social development minister Patricia de Lille said on Monday.

However it had applied for registration more than two and a half years ago.

She said these were findings of a departmental investigation into the status of Aunty Dawn's Day Care in Pinelands.

Five-month-old Ava Barley apparently fell from a bed at the centre on Thursday, and was later pronounced dead.

Police had opened an inquest docket.

De Lille said the owner of the centre applied for registration in January 2008.

Her department asked the City of Cape Town for a health clearance certificate for the facility, but never followed up.

“This means that for over two years the situation with this day care centre has remained unchanged,” De Lille said.

However, the owner should not have run the facility without registration.

On Wednesday department and city officials would meet to decide how the facility would be dealt with.

The department would also work towards publishing a list of all registered facilities and all those whose applications were being processed.

“Accidents can happen, whether a place is registered or not,” De Lille said.

“But a parent will have greater peace of mind if a facility is registered, because then at least you know it complies with certain norms and standards.” -

Sapa

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