Untimely and unfortunate deaths do not come with a notice period. They occur when and where it is least expected. Daycare facilities are meant to be a safe haven for children and a place of consolation for parents who can leave their children in trusted hands and go to work with an unhinged mind. Unfortunate unsupervised deaths in daycare facilities are nothing but a reflection of poor judgment and irresponsibility on the part of the caregivers.
People reported a double arrest featuring Nina Fathizadeh, 41, and her mother, Shahin Gheblehshenas, 64, who were charged with felony child endangerment and are expected to be arraigned on Dec. 6, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced in an Oct. 13 news release. Authorities responded to a 911 call from the daughter, Fathizadeh, who called at 9 a.m. on Oct. 2 to report a drowning. However, as soon as the authorities arrived, the situation was completely different from the emergency mentioned in the phone call.
People reported, “Authorities said no adults were watching three young children at the Happy Happy Daycare in San Jose when they fell or jumped into a backyard pool.” They also continued to report that the mother, Gheblehshenas, was at another daycare facility that happened to be unlicensed, invoking more charges against the 64-year-old. Reportedly, one daycare worker called in sick on October 2, which left four kids to be watched by one daycare owner, Fathizadeh. “While making breakfast, Fathizadeh reportedly put one child in a crib and allegedly let the other three children play unsupervised in the backyard patio play area.”
People gathered reports from authorities that when Fathizadeh went back out to check on the children, she witnessed an unconscious 2-year-old floating in the pool, and she performed CPR to revive her back. The child is currently recovering from the unfortunate incident and is reported to make a full recovery soon. Fathizadeh’s brother was called to the scene, where he saw two other children — 16 and 18-month-old girls — floating in the deep end. The authorities proclaimed the two toddlers dead.
Investigators reiterated, according to People reports, that none of the daycare owners sought to check the gate to the pool before leaving three toddlers unattended. District Attorney Jeff Rosen said via People, “There is a responsibility to watch over little children in your care like a hawk,” adding, “Now it is our responsibility to make sure that these defendants are held accountable for this avoidable and heartbreaking tragedy.”
Irresponsibility cost two tiny lives on October 2nd, and their families must be grief-stricken from their sudden, unexpected loss. Stricter protocols must be followed at daycare facilities to ensure such tragedies are avoided in the future.