The mother of a deceased 14-month-old girl has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The child died after she was hidden from authorities during a monitoring visit at a day care center.
In August 2013, Family & Friends Home Day Care, located in West Garfield Park, was caring for the child when representatives of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) arrived for a monitoring visit. According to the lawsuit, there were more children present than regulations permitted, so the child was placed in a bedroom outside the facility to hide her from the DCFS authorities. While she was in the bedroom, she sustained injuries that led to her death.
According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, an autopsy conducted at the time of Carter’s death was inconclusive, and no determination has yet been made about the cause and manner of the child’s death.
The lawsuit claims that the facility and its owner were negligent in failing to place a care provider in the room where Carter was hidden, in failing to put her on proper sleeping equipment and in failing to monitor her breathing while she slept.
According to a DCFS spokeswoman, the owner of the facility was “indicated for neglect” and surrendered her day care license shortly after the incident.