Pinelands day care centre not registered

By Jurina Nkwazi
19 October 2010

Aunty Dawn's Day Care in Pinelands where a five-month old baby died last week was not registered.

Western Cape social development minister Patricia de Lille said, “These were our findings after a departmental investigation which started on Wednesday into the death of Ava Barley who apparently fell from a bed.”

The owner applied for registration in 2008 but her department failed to follow up after a health inspector had to visit the facility.

“Our social worker, the Environmental Health Practitioner and a representative from the fire department will meet on Wednesday to determine how the facility will be dealt with from here on,’ says De Lille.

‘I have also called an emergency departmental meeting with the Chief Director, Director and Deputy Director responsible, to look at how the Department can fast track the registration of unregistered partial care facilities,“ she said.

De Lille said, “Accidents can happen, whether a place is registered or not. However, the owner should not have operated without a registration certificate.”

Police have opened an inquest docket.