New Berlin death investigation, baby was unconscious at day care
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - New Berlin police are investigating the death of a baby who was unconscious and not breathing at an in-home day care on Tuesday, March 26.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, the day care was unlicensed.
The fire department was called to "CJ's Child Care" near 130th and Cleveland that afternoon. First responders attempted life-saving measures, and the 4-month-old boy was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
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A neighbor spoke to FOX6 News off camera on Thursday. She said she frequently helps at the day care and said the 4-month-old seemed fine the day before he died.
Police said families of children who were at the day care at the time have been made aware.
The Wisconsin DCF said it is illegal to care for four or more children under the age of 7 without a license, but there is an exception if the child is related to the provider. It is not clear how many children were being watched at the day care.
Information provided by DCF:
DCF has numerous resources available to help parents choose the best child care option to fit their family’s needs. Our Child Care Finder allows families to search for high-quality, regulated care in their community. Additionally, it includes the last few years of the following information for each provider:
- Health and safety requirements
- Licensing or regulatory requirements
- Any history of violations of requirements
- Any quality (voluntary) standards met
- The date the provider was last inspected
- License type
If families are having troubles finding care or need additional services for their child(ren), there are nine Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies across the state that can provide personalize assistance.
We also encourage parents visit programs they are interested in. You can tell a lot about a child care program by visiting the program before you enroll and by stopping in unexpectedly after your child is enrolled. Things to look for when visiting a program include noise levels; crying children; whether there are televisions turned on all the time; and whether children seem engaged in meaningful play activities or are wandering aimlessly. Check to see if the child care providers are interacting with the children or whether they are busy with other tasks.