Four children were hospitalized on Wednesday, February 12, after suffering suspected drug overdoses at an eastside Indianapolis in-home day care operated by Stephanie Gribble. Police arrested Gribble the next day and charged her with four counts of neglect of a dependent, one for each child.
A day later, the state ordered that Gribble’s unlicensed day care be shut down. State officials claim that Gribble was illegally operating her day care because she had more than five unrelated children in her care at a time, which is the limit for an unlicensed facility.
This is not the first time that Gribble has faced legal action arising out of her day care operations. The Indianapolis Star reports that the state has been trying to shut her down for years. Gribble has received multiple citations dating back to 2008 for operating illegal day cares around the city and in 2012 was ordered by a Marion Superior Court to close another day care for repeated violations of Indiana law.
Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a growing number of injuries sustained by children in the care of unlicensed Indianapolis-area day cares. To the parents out there, this story underscores the importance of doing your homework on the day care you have chosen to care for your child. For more information on how to better ensure your child’s safety, check out our blog article: Five Questions Every Parent Should Ask Before Selecting an In-Home Day Care.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Cohen & Malad LLP’s day-care attorneys– Greg Laker and Ned Mulligan.