WEST FORK (KFSM) -- The Arkansas Department of Human Services will be in West Fork Thursday (Sept. 10) to conduct an investigation after a three-year-old girl was left on preschool van for four hours on Wednesday.
Investigators will be at Growing God's Kingdom Preschool to look into the circumstances surrounding the incident, Kate Luck, DHS public information coordinator, said.
The girl was left in the van from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and was found to be okay after being checked out by EMS, Luck said. The preschool self-reported what happened, which they are required to do, according to Luck.
Luck said she believes the driver of the van has been terminated and the police department will conduct their own investigation into the incident.
Luck sent 5NEWS a list of transportation requirements for child care centers. The requirements are as follows:
- The child care facility has to maintain a roster listing the date, names and ages of all children being transported, as well as the name of the driver and any other staff member on the vehicle. The roster is to be used to check children on and off the vehicle when they are picked up and dropped off at home and the child care facility.
- To make sure no children are left on the vehicle, the driver or a staff members is required to walk through the vehicle and physically inspect each seat before leaving the vehicle. The person who checked the vehicle also has to sign the transportation roster to verify that there are no children on board.
- To make sure all children are at the child care facility, a designated person at the facility is required to check the transportation roster against attendance records and sign off on it.
- Any vehicles that transport more than seven passengers and one driver have to have an approved child safety alarm devices installed. The alarm system requires the driver to walk to the very back of the vehicle in order to be turned off.
State Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, is co-owner of Growing God's Kingdom Preschool, he released the following statement regarding the incident:
“It is the policy of Growing God’s Kingdom to follow all federal, state and local laws and regulations. The incident which occurred today is under an internal review to determine the facts and be sure that all staff members at Growing God’s Kingdom are complying with our policies and procedures. We take the physical safety of every child in our care very seriously and will take any steps necessary to be sure that all of our children are provided a safe and loving environment to learn."
