Of all the day care centers currently on probation across the state for violations of guidelines and standards, nearly a third are in Johnson County.
This week, a sixth Johnson County day care center was given a probationary license, meaning they could undergo additional inspections and visits from the state officials in the next three months.
Especially Kids, located at 560 N. Emerson Ave., was issued the probationary license after an inspection last month found two children unsupervised on the day care’s playground, according to state inspection reports.
Officials from the day care were not available Wednesday and Thursday.
Especially Kids is the sixth Johnson County day care to be put on probation by the state this year. Since the start of the year, four other day care centers and a preschool across the county have been put on probation.
Currently, 19 day care centers are on probation across the state, and 29 centers had been placed on probation between January and May, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration spokeswoman Marni Lemons said.
Statewide, including day cares inside homes, 72 day cares were put on probation between January and May, according to a state report.
Lemons said the number of local day care centers on probation is a coincidence, rather than evidence of a problem in the county.
The violations that have led to the probationary licenses have been different, including children being left unsupervised and not having enough caregivers to meet required child-to-staff ratios, she said.
The issues are also commonly cited during inspections of day cares, she said.
“These are issues we often find. It just so happens to be in your area,” Lemons said.
Johnson County also has a high number of day cares, especially day care centers, due to having a high number of working families and a higher population, she said.
According to the state report, Johnson County has 16 day care centers — the 10th highest in the state — and also has 28 home day cares, seven child care ministries and eight exempt providers.
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March
Rainbow Child Care Center, Center Grove area: Probationary license through August after state inspectors learned of seven violations at the daycare center since the beginning of the year, including one incident where preschool age children were unsupervised in the parking lot.
April
Canary Creek Head Start, Franklin: Probationary license through July after a child wandered from the playground and into the parking lot of a department store where a Franklin police officer found the child walking around. The toddler was gone for almost 15 minutes.
June
Country Kids Pre-School and Childcare, Trafalgar: Probationary license through Sept. 30 after state inspectors found five violations in June, including 21 children on the playground with one caregiver.
July
Building Bridges Early Learning Center, Greenwood: Probationary license until Sept. 30 after state inspections discovered a child was placed in a diaper changing room and left unsupervised with the door shut.
Childtime Learning Center, Whiteland: Probationary license until Sept. 30 after state inspectors discovered the day care had only one caregiver watching 19 pre-kindergaten-aged children. The maximum number of pre-kindergarten-aged children allowed to be watched by one caregiver is 12.
Especially Kids, Greenwood: Probationary license until Sept. 20 after inspectors found two children had been left alone on the playground.
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