Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

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Kiddie Academy of Riverhead has had its license suspended after being slapped with 79 violations of state child care law, the News-Review has learned.

The day care center’s violations range from numerous safety and fire hazard infractions to children being left without direct supervision, to not notifying the state that a child with a serious injury of infectious illness was at the facility. The citations also include violating the law which states “Methods of discipline, interaction or toilet training which frighten, demean or humiliate a child are prohibited.”

26 alleged violations were not corrected in the time allotted to address those issues, according to state records.

Kiddie Academy of Riverhead, owned by Krista Donnelly under JJC LI Enterprises, Inc., was visited by state inspectors on Aug. 26, Aug. 15, July 14, June 29, June 17, June 16, June 10 of this year, and Nov. 8, 2010. It was found with code violations on all those visits. The pre-school, located in the Kroemer Avenue complex that also houses Planet Fitness and Saf-T-Swim, was last inspected on Aug. 26 — and shut down.

Though part of a national chain of child care providers, the Riverhead location is independently owned and operated and not affiliated with neighboring Kiddie Academy centers, such as the one in Wading River.

A spokesperson for Kiddie Academy did not return calls seeking comment.

According to a database on the New York State Office of Children and Family Services website, the Riverhead facility was first issued a license in 2006 and has a capacity for 159 children.

A spokesperson for the Office of Children and Family Services, Pat Cantiello, said the proprietors were entitled to a hearing on the accusations, though they had not yet filed a formal appeal.

Ms. Cantiello said in 2006 the current owners took over the facility, which was already being run as a child care center.

The day care center provides programs for infants to school-age children and uses a curriculum called “Life Essentials,” which provides “opportunities for your child to learn, even while he or she is playing.”

“Our Academy will be like a second home for your children because we do everything in our power to ensure that their physical, emotional, social and educational needs are met every day,” Kiddie Academy of Riverhead states on its website. “Our days are filled with enriching activities, exciting learning experiences and wholesome meals and snacks.”
The location has 16 spots for infants, 41 for toddlers, 70 for preschool-age children and 32 for school-age children.

No one answered the phone at the preschool Tuesday and an email sent to the address listed on its website went unreturned.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

my 2 cents: I am not surprised!!! I know someone who went in there for a job and found that most of the people running the place were very under-qualified! She "got" the job, but declined it because she thought the place was run so badly. That's why I would never even entertain putting my kids there!

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

The one in Nesconset will be next. GERM central. I pulled ds from that one because during the 14 weeks he was there, we were in the ped 12 times. They said it was "only your son" who is sick. Met other parents and they were told the same thing. Switched to inhome and he was normal sick. Not daily/weekly sick.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

How sad for those poor kids who had to be subjected to that. I can't even imagine what is wrong with people who humiliate a child during potty training, people are crazy. I worked in daycare/owned a daycare later on and I've seen many centers employ people are were not qualified and had no business working with kids. I hope these kids find a nice place to go to.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Thank God they lost their license!
Thank God the state stepped in !

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

I find it so sad that these poor kids where not treated right and many of the parents probably trusted the facility and had no idea . I hope all day cares are randomly inspected to help prevent this from happening. I wonder if this place had cameras for the parents to watch the kids? I don't have any LO's in daycare but I always thought I'd feel much safer in a place with cameras I could watch.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Posted by Sparrow

I find it so sad that these poor kids where not treated right and many of the parents probably trusted the facility and had no idea . I hope all day cares are randomly inspected to help prevent this from happening. I wonder if this place had cameras for the parents to watch the kids? I don't have any LO's in daycare but I always thought I'd feel much safer in a place with cameras I could watch.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Posted by JennZ

Posted by Sparrow

I find it so sad that these poor kids where not treated right and many of the parents probably trusted the facility and had no idea . I hope all day cares are randomly inspected to help prevent this from happening. I wonder if this place had cameras for the parents to watch the kids? I don't have any LO's in daycare but I always thought I'd feel much safer in a place with cameras I could watch.

They do have cameras. They have them in the Nesconset location. So, im pretty sure its chain wide.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Posted by JennZ

Posted by Sparrow

I find it so sad that these poor kids where not treated right and many of the parents probably trusted the facility and had no idea . I hope all day cares are randomly inspected to help prevent this from happening. I wonder if this place had cameras for the parents to watch the kids? I don't have any LO's in daycare but I always thought I'd feel much safer in a place with cameras I could watch.

They do have cameras. They have them in the Nesconset location. So, im pretty sure its chain wide.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

uh oh DD is starting at the one in East Setauket in October.....should I be worried?!

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

I hate to say this, and feel free to disagree but I think the reason that a lot of daycares hire under qualified staff is because the people who are qualified to work there can't because the pay is peanuts, you can't possibly live off of that salary, American Eagle and other mall stores pay around the same and you don't need any experience or education to work at those places.

Some of my friends work at daycares because they all went to school for early childhood education and since it is super hard to get a teaching job here on the Island, had no other choice to work at these daycares making $9-$12 an hour. Needless to say, all of these friends are either living at home or married to husbands who pretty much support them while they wait for their careers to start.
I think all but 2 of my friends went to school for teaching and only one or two of them actually landed a teaching job, and I graduated college in 2006. One of my sorority sisters graduated in 2002 and JUST got a job. It's tough out there. A lot of them can't work at a daycare because of the pay and end up doing something not in the education field in order to survive.

I think in order to get more qualified teachers working in daycares they would need to pay them more and in order to pay them more they would have to raise rates and unfortunately a lot of parents wouldn't be able to afford that so I'm not sure what the solution would be.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

what a shame. My DD has been going to a Kiddie Academy in Nassau since she is 2 months old (she'll be 3 in a few weeks) and I've had nothing but wonderful experiences with the facility. I'm already sad at the thought of leaving there once DD graduates their preschool program. I feel truly lucky that my daughter is attending such a wonderful daycare/school. The teachers have become family.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

We used the Kiddie Academy in Syosset for almost 4 years and I have nothing but great things to say about that location.

I loved all of her teachers and felt that my older DD learned so much there. I was so upset to pull them out but it was too $$$ since I stopped working.

I still keep in touch with a few of the teachers there.

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Re: Kiddie Academy of Riverhead closes after license is revoked

Posted by DancinBarefoot

Posted by JennZ

Posted by Sparrow

I find it so sad that these poor kids where not treated right and many of the parents probably trusted the facility and had no idea . I hope all day cares are randomly inspected to help prevent this from happening. I wonder if this place had cameras for the parents to watch the kids? I don't have any LO's in daycare but I always thought I'd feel much safer in a place with cameras I could watch.

They do have cameras. They have them in the Nesconset location. So, im pretty sure its chain wide.

It's actually not chain wide. Nesconset is the only KA in Suffolk to have cameras.