INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced a court order Friday against an unlicensed child care business following the death of an infant last month at the Carmel-based in-home day care.
Zoeller represented the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's Division of Family Resources in filing legal action on Thursday in Hamilton County Circuit Court against Stacey Cox Child Care. The action sought an emergency restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunctions, and civil penalties against Stacey Cox Child Care, Stacey Cox, the company's owner and operator, Kirsten Phillips, a company employee and Cox's daughter, and any other workers or volunteers of the business.
Zoeller and the FSSA filed the action after the death of a five-month-old infant on January 24 at the unlicensed child care operating out of the Cox home. When the infant was found not breathing in a broken collapsible crib, Cox and Phillips, who were supposed to be watching the infant, allegedly tested positive for marijuana.
Stacey Cox Child Care allegedly operated illegally by caring for more than five children unrelated to the caretakers without a license, leaving sleeping children unattended in the home's basement and leaving space heaters and a gallon container of bleach on the floor within reach of young children.
Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Paul Felix granted the state's motion and ordered Stacey Cox Child Care to cease and desist from providing any child care for any children unrelated to them pending a hearing this week. The injunction hearing is set for Wednesday at 11 a.m.
"The facts of this case are disturbing and because of the danger, the state clearly had to act to protect other young children in the care of these individuals," Zoeller said. "The attorney general's office is working closely with our client FSSA in taking legal actions necessary to bring a halt to such violations."
Indiana AG gets court order against child care operator
