State officials suspend Detroit child care facility's license

A Detroit child care facility's license has been suspended amid allegations a child sustained a second-degree burn there, state officials said.

They also said the facility didn't have enough caregivers at the time of the incident.

The Child Care Licensing Bureau of Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs said Thursday it has suspended and plans to revoke the child care license of Melissa Givens, who operates the facility at 16516 Roselawn near McNichols and Wyoming Avenue on the city's west side.

Givens received the state license for her child care facility in 2020 with capacity for 12 children, officials said.

Under a state order issued Friday, Givens is prohibited from operating a group child care home at any location, unable to accept children for care and required to inform all parents of children in her care her license has been suspended and she can no longer provide child care.

State officials said they began investigating Givens' facility last month after a mother reported she picked up her daughter from the child care center and found a large red mark on her right thigh as she put her in the car.

She went back and asked Givens about the mark. The mother said she was told the girl fell while playing outside, according to the licensing department.

Three days later, the mark started to blister, indicating the wound was a burn and not a bruise. The parent treated the wound for a couple of days more, but took her to a hospital when the skin came off and began discharging a liquid. Doctors diagnosed the wound as a second-degree burn.

On Sept. 23, the licensing agency sent an investigator to Givens' facility. Givens told the investigator the child fell while playing outside and did not see any injuries to her leg during diaper changes. She also denied knowing how the girl was burned during her care.

The investigator reviewed the facility's attendance record for the day of the incident and found Givens was the only caregiver on duty and that she had six children under her care, five of them under 30 months old. State regulations require child care centers to have one caregiver for every four children younger than 30 months. 

Givens has the right to appeal and ask for an administrative hearing.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez