MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Oakhaven day care employee says she’s worried about the facility’s conditions and policies. The woman says the classes at Rainbow Kidz Learning Center are overcrowded and they don’t follow state rules.
She says she was fired after bringing these complaints to management and currently wants to remain anonymous.
“Children are my life; that’s what I do.”
She says when she started working at Rainbow Kidz last October, she instantly noticed red flags.
“Things I knew I was not supposed to be doing, I was forced to deal with it and put up with it every day.”
She says she taught a pre-K class of 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds, but she says her class size every day would be double what the state allows.
“On a typical day, I would have anywhere from 30 to 45 kids and they would just sit there on the floor, lay on the floor, roll on the floor, lick on the floor, fight each other, scratch each other, bite each other.”
A violation history with the state shows a child was hurt at the day care last year, and a staff member said it was because the classroom was understaffed and out of ratio.
In 2015, there were more ratio violation reports, and there are past reports of children not having appropriate supervision during lunch time.
“I believe a child is seriously going to get injured and anything could happen.”
WREG went to the day care to try to get their side of the story, but the workers outside quickly went in and closed the blinds.
We asked if the director was available, and the woman who spoke through the door to us didn’t want to comment.
“Well y’all need to move yourselves off the premises,” she said.
“Okay, so you don’t want to comment on any overcrowding or anything like that?” asked WREG’s Bridget Chapman.
“No.”
The former worker also had complaints about the day care being unsanitary. She said she’s in the process of getting all the complaints officially filed with the state.
The day care’s rating is also currently under review. The Tennessee Department of Human Services said it’s because the day care appealed its most recent assessment.