HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen announced a settlement Monday with a Branford daycare facility that closed its doors in June with little warning to parents who prepaid for services.
Precious Cargo Daycare abruptly closed in June, requiring parents to scramble for alternative childcare and ask for their deposits back. Under the terms of a proposed settlement, Precious Cargo will provide full consumer refunds to parents who lost deposits and prepaid tuition payments. The company's owners, John Giuliano, Kristine DeCarlo, Jake Giuliano and Jacqueline DiFusco, would be enjoined from owning, operating or participating in the marketing or management of a daycare for five years under the proposed agreement.
"My office received dozens of complaints when this daycare center shut down last summer with little warning," Jepsen said. "While some consumers were able to get money back through their credit card companies, other parents - many of whom paid by cash or check - were left in the lurch for their prepaid services. This settlement provides for full refunds for those parents, and I'm very pleased we were able to reach this resolution. I'm grateful to the commissioners and their staff for their partnership in this matter, which helped produce a positive outcome for the affected families as well as Connecticut's taxpayers."
Under the terms of the settlement, Precious Cargo and its owners would pay $55,000 in consumer restitution and $159,818 to the Department of Revenue Services to resolve outstanding claimed wage withholding tax liability. The agreement would also prohibit the owners from owning or operating a business where their names do not appear in the trade name of the company for five years.
The settlement must be approved by the court before it becomes final.
Conn. AG announces agreement with Branford daycare facility
