A Langley daycare was recently investigated by Fraser Health after a staffer allegedly threatened a child.
The Bright Angels Children’s Centre on Yeomans Crescent was the subject of a complaint in late October.
The Fraser Health complaint form included two allegations:
• A staff [sic] verbally threatened a child in care; and
• A staff raised their voice and verbally confronted another staff in front of children and parents.
A complaint summary released in February said that Fraser Health investigated the allegations, interviewing staff at Bright Angels.
“A review of the evidence determined a contravention related to character and skills,” the report said. A staff member did not demonstrate the “personality, ability, and temperament necessary to manage or work with children.”
The owner of Bright Angels told the Langley Advance Times Tuesday that the complaint was a false accusation.
“I let go of a staffer because of something she did that I was unhappy with,” said the owner, who would not give her full name. She suggested the worker then complained to Fraser Health after being dismissed.
The owner claimed the complaint made to Fraser Health was “not true.” But according to a Fraser Health spokesperson, only complaints “where there is a substantiated contravention of the legislation” are posted to the FHA website, as this one was.
According to Fraser Health’s website, if a daycare operator fails or refuses to deal with contraventions of the regulations, Fraser Health can cancel or suspend a daycare licence, or place conditions on it. Generally, the licenced owner is required to submit a plan to fix the issues.
In this case, Bright Angels was required to submit a corrective action plan, and Fraser Health was to review it and complete a follow-up inspection. There was no suspension or closure.
The daycare looks after approximately 25 children, aged three to five, and 25 school-aged kids, according to the owner.
“This is the very first time there has been a complaint like this,” the owner said.
She said she has personally talked to all of the centre’s parents and they have “no concerns.”
Fraser Health’s published report on complaints at B.C. daycares, published on the website in February, is 40 pages long.