NH Day Care's License Revoked For Multiple Violations

NEW HAMPTON, N.H. (CBS) --- A New Hampshire day care has had its license revoked after state officials found numerous violations during an unannounced visit.

Annie's Place-Children's Learning Center, which has been operating since 1999 in New Hampton, must shut down by the end of business on Friday.

State Documents: Official complaint and Notice of license revocation

Melissa Clement, the chief of New Hampshire's Child Care Licensing Unit, says the violations were so bad that kids were in danger.

"Based on what we found we felt that that was a possibility which is why we closed the program," said Clement.

Among the problems documented: the owner Ann Mitchell is accused of restraining children by wrapping them in sheets and tucking the sheets under a crib mattress so that the child was trapped underneath during nap time.

When confronted by staffers that she was suffocating and restraining the children, Mitchell said "I'm just training them to sleep."

These techniques puzzled investigators.

"Very surprised," said Clement. "We've never seen them before."

Other violations included yelling at children, being rough with them, restricting the day care's access to parents, using water from the diaper sink to thaw breast milk, and requiring all children of all ages to take a nap at the same time.

"The provider was asking children to all take a nap between the hours of 1 and 3 p.m. which is not developmentally appropriate for children," said Clement.

Mitchell can try to get her license back at a hearing in May.

The day care was cited in 2001 for restraining children with seat belts to chairs to keep them seated.

Nobody answered the door at the day care Thursday. It is run out of Mitchell's home.

A phone call has not been returned.