Loss of food contract may seal Whiz Kidz fate

The Arizona Department of Education has terminated its Child and Adult Food Care Program with Whiz Kidz child care center in Yuma, likely resulting in its closure, according to a state official.

"In our agreement with child care providers, there is a section that says that if a facility is terminated by the (ADE) Child and Adult Care Food Program, DES may terminate (the child care provider's) agreement with us," said Pat Harrington, assistant director of Arizona's Department of Economic Security - Employment and Rehabilitation.

"We have chosen to do that, and I suspect that is why they are closed. We notified them Thursday that we were going to withdraw the contract, effective at the end of the day on the 26th. We have notified them, and we are sending them a letter indicating that."

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) allows qualifying individuals and businesses to receive free or reduced rates on food and meals. The DES contracts with child care providers and the Department of Education to ensure meals are provided and monies are used correctly.

On Monday, Sept. 15, the Department of Education sent a copy of a letter to the DES that stated the CACFP contract with the owners of the Family Learning Center Corp. was being terminated because of "false or fraudulent claims," according to Harrington.

Harrington said he did not know details of the claims. Officials at the ADE could not be reached.

Whiz Kidz, 2600 W. 24th St., was closed Thursday. By Wednesday at 5 p.m., it had posted a letter on the main entrance informing the public of its planned closure. A listed phone number for the business had been disconnected.

Neither representatives from Whiz Kidz nor its parent company, Family Learning Center Corp., could be reached for comment Wednesday or Thursday. Whiz Kids Pre-School, located at 2332 S. Arizona Ave., was not involved in the citations.

The DES does not have the authority to revoke a child care provider's operating license, so Whiz Kidz was legally allowed to open. Power to revoke licenses lies with the Arizona Department of Health Services, and an ADHS representative said the agency has not taken Whiz Kidz's license.

The business does, however, remain under "enforcement review," according to ADHS public information officer Laura Oxley, for a series of infractions. The company and government agency are "communicating back and forth. They still have a license. We are determining which type of sanction is appropriate," she said.

Specific violations are not normally revealed prior to a full investigation. Whiz Kidz was cited three times between December 2005 and August 2007 for a variety of ADHS infractions, including failing to "ensure that a staff member does not use or permit a method of discipline that could cause harm to the health, safety, and welfare of an enrolled child," according to the ADHS' Aug. 16, 2007 report.

In all, Whiz Kidz was surveyed 28 times between Oct. 4, 2005 and Aug. 7, 2008, according to the ADHS, which took four enforcement actions against the child care center. Three are listed as civil penalties and one is listed as provisional. Of the other 52 Yuma-based child care centers listed by the ADHS, none has any infractions that have resulted in penalties.

The facility's closing has panicked some parents, according to Rebecca Nichols, Happy Trails Day-Care and Pre-School director.

"Between (Wednesday) afternoon and Thursday, there have been about at least 20," Nichols said of parents who have tried to enroll their children at Happy Trails. "We have had to turn some away because we are full in some age groups.

"We usually close at 6 p.m. and we have had to stay open later because of the people coming in. They are more than welcome and we will try to accommodate them if we can."

Other child care providers are experiencing similar problems. Kelland's Kiddie College, 2430 S. 1st Ave., has turned multiple parents away due to a full roster. Owner/director Melissa C. Zaja said she had a "very busy day" Thursday, and that parents were "very pressed, asking us to take their children. We have had to turn them away."

Mindy McClain, director of Children's Center Inc. at 1701 S. Avenue B, said the "timing on this is horrible." Her facility remains unopened after a June fire destroyed part of the building, and is expected to remain closed until at least late December.

"We're having a real child care crunch here," she said. "A lot of the children I had went to Whiz Kidz. Now I'm down, and I'm getting lots of calls from parents wanting to know when we will be open.

"Members of our staff are trying to take three or four kids to babysit, and we can do that. But any more than five and you have to install sprinkler systems in your home and all that. So we're doing what we can. It's a problem."

For a list of ADHS-licensed child care providers in the Yuma area, click here. Addresses and phone numbers are provided. Click on the name of a facility to see inspection reports.