Local infant death linked to illegal Reading day care home
Published on June 11th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - Reading police officials and the Middlesex County District Attorney's office are investigating an alleged illegal day care operation in Reading after a three month-old Stoneham baby was found unconscious at the unlicensed home business and later died at Children's Hospital.
"Investigators are treating this matter as a suspicious death," said Middlesex District Attorney spokesman Seth Horwitz.
Reading police and medical personnel were called to 16 Francis Drive, the home of Anne Power, at 12:39 p.m. on Thursday, June 5 for a 911 emergency, according to a press release issued by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office.
Upon arrival, police found a three-month old infant, McKenzie Rose Corrigan, of Stoneham, unconscious and unresponsive.
According to the Middlesex D.A., the baby was transported by ambulance to Winchester Hospital, and was transferred to Children's Hospital in Boston a short time later.
Corrigan was pronounced dead by physicians at Children's Hospital at 7:10 p.m.
"The case is under investigation and there won't be any further comment until we have the final results of the autopsy," said Reading Police Lt. Det. Kevin Patterson.
The Office of the State Medical Examiner (ME) conducted a primary autopsy on the afternoon of Friday, June 6, but, according to the Middlesex D.A, a final ruling on cause of death is not expected for several weeks.
According to a report obtained from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Office of Child Care Services, there was a current cease-and-desist order on the Francis Drive day care center.
According to the OFC Child Care Service spokesperson Jessica Hanley, Anne Power was a licensed day care provider from 1980-1994.
"In 1994, there were allegations of abuse and over-enrollment," said Hanley of allegations that "a two year-old was grabbed by the throat by the provider because the child wined too much."
According to the OFC report, Power was caring for between 9-10 infants and 9-10 older children during their visits in 1994.
"In family child care, you can have a maximum of six kids in your care," said Hanley, who added that Power was licensed to care for four children from 1980-1994. "The number depends on what your license says."
According to Hanley, there were 13 children ranging from three months-old to six years-old, including five infants, at the unlicensed day care on the afternoon of the medical emergency.
"It's not necessarily unheard of (to run an unlicensed day care operation), but it's uncommon for people to consciously and consistently ignore our orders," said Hanley, who gave three instances in 1995, 1997 and 1999 when OFC officials filed a cease-and-desist order on the Francis Drive day care center allegedly running outside of the law.
According to Hanley, Power was fined $250 in 1997 for the illegal operation, but several follow-up visits in 1999 found no children at the Reading home.
An unidentified man who picked up the phone at the Powers' Reading residence did not wish to address the allegations.
"We're all set," said the man, who didn't identify himself.
According to a Francis Drive site visit and report given on June 5 by the Office of Child Care, "Ms. Power may have contributed to the emergency condition of an infant which resulted in the infant experiencing respiratory distress. Ms. Power may have also delayed emergency medical treatment by not immediately contacting 911 but instead trying to revive the infant by splashing water under her armpits and attempting CPR."
According to the report, Power produced no evidence of a current first aid or CPR certificate, "which may have also contributed to exasperating the infant's condition."
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