Local daycares flooded with calls after suspension of Play Mountain Place

Daycares in Colorado Springs are reporting a high number of phone calls after the Colorado Department of Humans Services shut down a few local facilities after childcare violations.

Diane Price, the CEO of Early Connections Learning Centers, says their toddler daycare on Rio Grande has already enrolled 12 new children under the age of three years old.

"We got about 30 phone calls yesterday and we did back-to-back enrollment sessions with families all day yesterday," Price said. "I think this is evidence of how desperate the families are to find places. And not being able to find that care is tragic.

The state DHS released a report following its initial inspection Wednesday of Play Mountain Place daycare owned by 58-year-old Carla Faith.

The report states 26 toddlers were found in an unlicensed home basement adjacent to the formerly-licensed daycare. The children under the age of three were hiding in a small crawl space in the unlicensed basement behind a false wall.

Investigators say the children appeared "not to have had a diaper change, a nap or a sufficient meal." The report also says there were no records of the currently enrolled children at the daycare, with Faith claiming they had been destroyed in a water main break. There was also no record of employees, volunteers or substitutes work schedules at the home.

Price - who has been involved in childcare for more than 30 years - said the incident was unfortunate.

"This is not the norm," she said. "People who work in the field of early care and education don't get into this business to take advantage of families and children. We get into this business because we care about young children."

While Early Connections Learning Center is almost at capacity now, Price says parents should always look into a facility's certifications and read its online reviews. She also suggested parents check a daycare's rating on Colorado Shines, a rating program licensed by the state.

"I think more than anything use your gut," Price said. "Go in, visit, talk to teachers. See how long teachers have been there. Find out what their philosophy is about working with you. Is it an open door? Can you come in anytime anyway you want? If there are any hesitations about that then it's not the right place."

El Paso County's Early Childhood Council has also released additional resources for parents to find care for their children. You can find that information on the council's website.