Utah daycare loses license after child’s toes ‘severed’ by lawnmower

CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — A childcare center in southern Utah is losing its license and has been told to cease all services by Dec. 4 after a child’s toes were “severed” by a lawnmower in October, according to a notice from the Utah Department of Health & Human Services.

In a letter dated Nov. 21, 2024, Chandara Childcare LLC of Cedar City, Utah, was told its license was being revoked because it was “out of compliance” with six state administrative rules — including a rule that was meant to protect children from being endangered while in its care.

According to the letter from DHHS, on Oct. 15, 2024, 14 children — between the ages of 18 months and 5 years old — were present as a member of the staff used an electric lawnmower in the backyard.

“During this incident, a child was seriously injured, multiple toes were severed, and the child required emergency surgery,” the DHHS said following an Oct. 18 inspection.

The daycare did not follow an administrative rule to ensure sharp objects or other items inaccessible to the children in care, with the DHHS saying the electric lawnmower was used “in the presence of multiple children.”

The daycare was cited for not maintaining “active supervision” of each child (another administrative rule) with the DHHS saying the staff member was not actively supervising the children while mowing the lawn.

In addition to being out of compliance with rules related to the lawnmower incident, the DHHS said the daycare did not inform parents in writing when a child received minor injuries in an accident, which went against Utah Admin. Code R430-90-14(10)(a).

The DHHS inspection also found that the ratio of staff to children in their care was one staff member with up to 13 children throughout the day — while the administrative rule requires “one caregiver for up to eight children in care.”

The daycare did not have children sleeping in equipment that was “designed for sleep,” with several infants reportedly left to sleep in baby bouncer chairs (which are explicitly discouraged in Utah Admin. Code R430-90-24), according to the DHHS.

In the letter informing the daycare of its license being revoked, it was told it had the option to request an administrative hearing if there was “a disputed issue of fact,” the DHHS said in its letter.

Chandara Childcare was given 10 days to provide the names and addresses of the parents of each child who was enrolled at the daycare. All services were to be terminated by Dec. 4, 2024.