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Family Photo via NBC 5
Benjamin Price, 3, is shown in a family photo.
Updated at 11:45 p.m. ET: Dallas Fire-Rescue and Dallas Police are investigating the death of a child left in a van outside a day care in Dallas.
Dallas Fire-Rescue said it received the call to just before 5:15 p.m. Friday.
Dallas police say the call came from Little T's Tiny Tot Daycare in the 2200 block of South Buckner Boulevard which is near Cordell Drive.
See the original report at NBCDFW.com
The child was given CPR as he was transported to Baylor Hospital, Dallas police said, but doctors there pronounced him dead.
Family members have gathered at the hospital and identified the child as 3-year-old Benjamin Price. A grieving family member originally told NBC 5 Price was 4.
Dallas police Lt. Scott Walton said the little boy was left in the van outside the day care after a field trip. The high at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was 105 degrees Friday.
Family members tell NBC 5 the day care didn't realize Price was still asleep in the van until his grandmother came to pick him up.
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"There was no place you wouldn't know he was there. He made his presence known wherever he was. So for them to not know Benjamin was there – I just don't see how," said Benjamin’s God Mother Kawanea Hines.
Family member Kisha Allen said she wants answers from the day care where Price had been going for more than a year.
"You know, a kid lost his life because of stupidity. This isn't even a matter of negligence. It's stupidity," said Allen. "It could have been as simple as counting the children as they left the room and counting the children when they got off the bus. Something as simple as counting. You were taught that in kindergarten."
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One of Benjamin's grandmothers said she knows the woman who owns the day care and although she has burning questions, she is choosing to forgive the employees.
"Well I can't hold her responsible because God has got this thing in control. It's God’s will, God's will," said Louria Washington. "The time that he gave us, the three years he gave us Benjamin, we just appreciate and thank God just for the three years."
When NBC 5 called the day care, the person who answered said "no comment" and hung up.
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Leave a Comment:
This Is Just Sick . Children Are Being Left In Cars && Killed Nowadays . Some Parents Need Too Keep Watch .
This was at a daycare. Did you see that? This wasn't about the parents...it was about daycare staff who let that child die:(
There is NO excuse for this!!!!
The caregiver was probably distracted by the 12 other screaming hyped up 4 year olds who had been on the field trip, and failed to notice one child was not in the count. I am sure she/he didn't leave the child in the van on purpose.
Now, if parents would stop wanting their child to be super entertained by daycare centers we wouldn't have this situation. Why do daycares need to take children on fieldtrips? Because parents can't take time to take lil Susie anywhere, so they expect daycare to do it. Daycares should provide a safe care center while parents work, not be expected to drag a group of children all over entertaining them.
I never use this, but... OMG!!!!
Daycare providers are supposed to protect your children, not kill them! Oh, his parents! I don't even want to imagine what they are going through!
I couldn't do it--entrust my child to a stranger. I just couldn't. I am so grateful I didn't have to! Yes, I know there are wonderful providers out there who love the kids they care for almost as much as their own parents do, but the thing is, how do you know?
To Benjamin's parents:
I am so sorry this terrible thing happened to your family! My heart hurts for you!
rnm,
There is no excuses for leaving a child in a vehicle unattended, either by the parent(s) or care-givers. My son was born in Fl. so the heat index is atrocious, I would carry my child wherever I had to. There is absolutely no excuses period. Don't condemn parents that have to put their child/children in day-care, 99% of those parents HAVE to work, no choice. Have a little empathy. What a horrible thing to face as a parent is loosing your child. What a nightmare. Your children are supposed to outlive you.
I don't use this either, but...
rnmanager,
Really? No, really?! You blame this on parents? And entertainment?
Whoa.
Whoever is responsible should be thrown in with Bubba, just like Sandusky. There's no excuse. Then we can figure out how Bubba got there to begin with. Maybe he was left alone in a hot van once too often.
...and others are agreeing with you?
Whoa.
Probably another person too attached to her cell phone to COUNT the kids to make sure none were left behind.A four year old is SUPPOSED to be in a child seat...wouldn't you THINK that a child care worker would CHECK to make sure ALL the kids were out of the vehicle????That is...as long as it doesn't deflect her from her cell phone.
rnmanager... You are making excuses for these people and you are a moron. If that rn in your user name stands for Registered Nurse Manager, I hope I never end up where you are!
I'd say shoot the proprietors of "Tiny Tots" in the head. But the likeliness of the bullet striking anything of value is minuscule.
Stories like this make me wonder how the human race has been able to place a man on the moon, and yet produces like those responsible for this tragedy.
Now I'm definitely not leaving my kids at a daycare EVER. I keep hearing worse and worse things about them.
Dominator~
I try to refrain from the personal attacks, but I must admit, I worry that the 'rn' stands for Registered Nurse, too. If so, it sounds to me like that person is as ill-suited to nursing as the daycare was to daycaring!
Simple policy: any time kids are taken anywhere in a vehicle by daycare staff, someone is in charge of taking a final walk out to the van and do a final check to make sure nobody was overlooked. I work in tech support for McD's and talk to McD's managers all day long. They are required to do walk-throughs of the store and surrounding area at scheduled intervals (and they're just looking for food safety, labor, and housekeeping issues). I'll bet they have the wash-your-hands-after-the-bathroom rule down fairly pat. This one is even more important.
I'm sure they'll have plenty to say in court
A simple nose count . . . how hard can that be?
A buddy system . . ."When you go out into the world, Watch out for traffic, Hold hands and stick together" Robert Fulgum "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten"
Those poor parents.
The buddy system is a bit hard to follow, when you might have been four years old for only a few days.
How can u say u never trust your kids to strangers ? If u leave them in school that's exactly what you're doing.
rnmanager, what in the world are you thinking? Like others here, I do hope your name does not indicate you manage nurses. This is not the parents fault and you obviously have no idea what child care is about at all. Field trips are used to entertain and educate children. Child care centers are not just about babysitting and have become an important step in preparing children for grade school by improving social skills, cognitive development, and emotional development.
This daycare and their workers are completely to blame and there is no excuse for what they have done. The owners and managers of the center are responsible for hiring the type of person who would leave the child on the bus and for not having the proper procedures in place for field trips. They are also responsible for not providing the proper training to the staff to keep this kind of thing from happening.
The staff member or members are ulitmately responsible because they are the ones who did not provide appropriate care for the child. There is no excuse for leaving a child anywhere. The children should be counted when they line up, counted as they get on the bus, counted as they get off the bus for the field trip, counted several times throughout the field trip, counted as they return to the bus, counted as they get off the bus, the bus should be checked from the front seat to the back and to the front again, and the children counted again when they return to their classroom. This is repetitive, but it is necessary. I worked in child care for 20 years and it is just part of the job. Not only that, but a teacher should know her children well enough to recognize when one is missing. I could never imagine not knowing one of the children in my class was not there.
Not only did the center I worked at do this type of check on offsite field trips, but we also did it just going out the door to the playground, several times while on the playground, and lining up to go back into the classroom. We also counted several times just while hanging out in the classroom.
Not all child care centers are bad and there are many who provide wonderful care for each individual child on a daily basis. There are many who have a staff that understand the importance of what they do and strive to provide amazing care. There are centers who read a story like this and look at their policies to see if there is way to improve policy or to strengthen it. All child care centers should not be judged by the mistakes of one such as this one.
In general if you walk into a facility and something doesn't feel right, then you should walk right out. I can't imagine the staff member who left a child in the van is someone I would consider high caliber and she probably gave off bad vibes all along.
I am so sorry for the parents and family of the child and my heart aches for them.
rkb~
I don't.
I thought counting heads anytime you go somewhere with a group of children was a no-brainer. Guess whoever was in charge of that trip doesn't have a brain.
This is so sad... imagine the heat in that vehicle and that poor scared little boy in there who obviously could not get out. I feel so sorry for the parents and the boy. I just cannot believe this happened. Head counts are usually done when they get on the bus at the day care and when they get back on the bus to leave their event. Apparently, one more head count was needed when they got off the bus back at the day care center. I'll bet the child was asleep in the seat when they got back to the day care center... the other kids, if the same age, wouldn't say anything about the boy sleeping. Oh my God... this is just horrible. Having lost a child myself, I know what this family is going through and will go through for years and years to come and it will take a long time before they can learn to live again.
ThissGirl, asshat it was at a daycare, read the article before talking.
My MIL was a school bus driver for years. That's one of the first things they teach you, when you park your bus you walk the aisle and make sure no one was left on board. There is no excuse for this to ever happen, just a lazy employee that wouldn't take 30 seconds to check the van. They ought to press criminal charges against the person responsible.
The mindset of our society, somebody is always at fault. Even if that fault should be shared by many. How can one forget a kid? Easy, miscount, get distracted, have a procedure interrupted, etc. And, was a procedure put in place to count kids every 15 minutes. Is 15 minutes even too long a period for a head count? How fast does a car heat up without ventilation or air conditioning? I know it is our instinct to castigate a parent or caregiver that makes the deadly error of forgetting a child in a closed vehicle but sometimes events conspire to make these things happen. I wish there were a technological fix for this all to common happening, but for now all we can do is yell and make a lot of noise so that the danger of this kind of manslaughter is foremost in our minds.
(how about requesting that auto manufactures make it so that a recorded message plays when you pull the keys from the ignition and suggests.... "Don't forget your Kids" )
corporate america want's the wages cheap so both parents have to work and draw food stamps...while the greedy CEO's can get those mega million dollar bonuses...to buy off the politician's so they will pass laws making it easier to off shore and drop wages and abuse worker's rights...while they live lavishly and destroy america with their greed...the kid's of the working poor pay the price...thank's for the NAFTA and green card programs...plain bob 2012...
Plain Bob, I will agree with you to a point. Also Americans need to remember that they don't have to live with all the "luxuries" or play toys. We need to learn to live a bit more simply.
rnmanager,
You're obviously not a parent. Your stupid comment makes me as sick as reading this article. You're clueless as to what it takes to raise children.
Poor kid died a death worse than slowly drowning. Oh man. WTF.
Rest in piece little guy and may God bless your soul.
I'm with Debora. Plain Bob is right. To a point. But Debora hit the nail on the head. How many households do both parents work so they can have the latest gadget or biggest tv on the block? Well and over providing, now, but have new cars, clothes, computers, phones, tv's....
Then again, how many households are single parent, too? These would require daycare. But with divorce rate at 50% then there will be a lot of single parent homes. That means that half of the weddings you have been to in your life were over before they started. What happened to sticking it out?
Thoughts with the family of this poor child. Thoughts with the workers, too, who as tragic as it is, did not intentionally do this and will have to live with this the rest of their lives too. All around, a bad, bad deal.
The child was forgotten because he wasn't their child. Don't expect anyone to protect your child as well as you. Fifty-five years ago I always got on the correct bus to and from kindergarten because I had a string with a small black card around my neck. Teachers handed me off to the driver who handed me off to my mom. No batteries, no lights, no noise. Just a piece of construction paper, but, it told everyone where I needed to go. With all the devices available today, including paper and pencil, they still forgot a child. And not even the driver thought to check and see that all had gotten off. It says volumes about our society today and with all the social media available, you'd think people would be more in tune to their fellow man/woman/child. Actually, we are more in tune to the gadget. I bet no phones were left in the heat.
Descrs, I'm so sorry to hear you lost a child. That little sentence woke me right up. I cannot imagine the pain you went through. Again, I'm so sorry.
First of all, my condolences to the family members. Now i must say...DEATH PENALTY, DEATH PENALTY!!!
Dumdazz doesn't have enough sense to head count the little ones. You start out with twelve, now i got 11..hmmm someones missing..Billy..HERE!! Suzy..HERE!! George..HERE!!!
Too dumb to be in daycare waching kids..
Condolences to the family and friends of little Benjamin. These types of accidents are difficult to explain.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
True, Creek Dog, but I am not a mother, and even I would never be so careless. I have a little niece and a little nephew, and when they are w/me I am always keeping close watch.
Now I know two kids are different than say 10 or 20, but there's no excuse.
RIP Little guy .... :-(
Where are Jesse, Al and Buck Obammy? Why aren't they shooting their mouths off?
This is tragic, but as horrible as it sounds, I agree with rnmanager.
Maybe the times have changed this much, but 'daycare' for me when I was being raised by a single working mother was being dropped off at the house of the person who asked for the least amount of money.
There weren't any field trips or play times or anything else. I sat on the end of a couch counting the seconds until I could get out of there.
Maybe parents need to learn how to be a little more reasonable. I'm sure that when you hear daycare takes kids on field trips, etc. you think that's fantastic (and they get more business that way), but maybe you need to stop and think -
1. Can I manage driving a dozen or so 3 and 4 years olds around.
2. Wouldn't it be safer and more stable to leave my kids in a single safe space that is well staffed and clean.
I'm not blaming the parents or anyone, it just seems a little ridiculous that 3/4 year old children are being taken on field trips. Kids take a lot of care and attention and this is not as unexpected as you would think when you really think about it.
More abysmal stupidity and criminality from homo sapiens ...
Welllll... I wouldn't put this on the whole species. It was the negligent dipshytes at the daycare center who did this, not humanity at large.
Yes God will save you --or was that "Allah" is great-------whatever
Big pay day coming. Well, they will go to bankruptcy, so good luck.
WorldTravel: don't be so sure about that pay day. Insurance coverage for Day Care facilities does not cover negligence for failing to supervise (or any other failure to supervise) and this is a gross failure. There isn't a company on the Earth that is going to cover a death for failing to supervise. If the normal limit of personal liability is 100,000.00 then that will hardly cover the court costs. Day care companies aren't 'worth' much money so it would be akin to squeezing blood from a turnip. Bankruptcy - most likely; big pay day - not likely.
And IMHO, it had to be a turnip that didn't 'clear' the van after the kids climbed out to make sure that no one was hiding on or under any of the seats. Prayers to the family after losing a small to this kind of stupidity. What a shame this happened.
Plain Bob, I will agree with you to a point. Also Americans need to remember that they don't have to live with all the "luxuries" or play toys. We need to learn to live a bit more simply.
I don't buy that. Whatever gets you through the night... but where is the logic in believing that a benevolent, loving god wants a little boy to die that way?
You get what you pay for. When my son was in daycare, I showed up unannounced at different times of the day, just to see how the school functioned. I ask about procedures, training,etc. Twenty years ago when I was proiding training for day care personnel in child abuse recognition, lo and behold I discovered thay many could not read. Poor pay, along with poorly educated personnel results in mishaps like this, however I have read many stories about rushed parents forgetting and leaving their children in cars all day. At the least, this person should be held for negligent manslaughter and sentenced to 10 yrs. community service.
hey kaybeetoys - if she can forgive why can't you? Why belittle the grandmother's beliefs, especially at this time? Do you have proof there is no God? I didn't think so. You ever think that God wants that little boy safe by his side, considering what this earthly place is turning into?
@kaybeetoys:
Luke 12: 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
God knows when we will be born and when we will die. My heart felt prayers go out to this family.
and in america, thanks to people like you, if you have enough wealth and community status, you can in fact "forget" your kid in a van and leave him in the van to cook and you won;t face a single charge, but of you're poor and/or a minority, they nail you to the wall.
Dick 1:1 "Suffer not the poor stupid individuals who believe God is responsible for everything for they live in their own misery from ignorance."
Stop blaming everything on God, he really is a nice guy!
"Well I can't hold her responsible because God has got this thing in control. It's God’s will, God's will," said Louria Washington.
So it was her gods will that a 3 year old child die a slow agonizing death from heat exhaustion/asphyxia?
While he was surely crying and banging on the windows and doors begging and pleading for help, her god watched indifferently thinking "he has got this thing under control". What a disgusting illusion she has. Leave the gods out of the tragedies and I will too. You bring this unwarranted lunacy into the dialogue and it must be adressed.
Dick-2100935
How do you know God is a he? Could be a she or something in between or everything in one!
Giving a supreme being a sex is no different than the Romans, Greeks or other "false" religions having a god for every emotion or purpose. Notice how those religions kind of disappeared with time. Will yours?
"Well I can't hold her responsible because God has got this thing in control. It's God’s will, God's will," said Louria Washington. "The time that he gave us, the three years he gave us Benjamin, we just appreciate and thank God just for the three years."
I feel for the family, just lost my father in law on wednesday....while not the same as a child, still a loss! That being said, I understand the pain the family is going through, and the need to feel that 'god' did this. However i always wonder, why is it twisted to feel that "god gave us three years", rather than 'god took away the next 70 years'. I guess it depends on how you look at it! I guess people need to feel that a person is going somewhere other tha the ground. If it help, its a great tool. But at the same time, its a form of childsplay. (i dont mean to sound demeaning..its just as clear as i can express it). My wife says the same thing,...that her father is with god...he died wednesday on his birthday...July 18...just turned 58. Of course, to console her, i agreed with her. But in truth, i know its not true...yes i know...because nothing "proves" otherwise! There are theories of hope...people have faith....but thats all it is...faith...hope...not proof! Its a crazy world, and while its nice to imagine such wonferful fantasies...there is nothing to show otherwise. I feel for the family, because of "stupidity" this child is gone! I cant imagine her forgiving so quickly....i have two daughter, and i would be devastated...forever...or at least until i die!
Ok I won't throw the quote up again ... how about we put the blame where it belongs, on the individual who failed to ensure this child was accounted for and left him asleep in the van. Or will we find out later there is another reason he was in the van ... what ever the reason, the day care providers failed to take care of a child in their custody ...
Sorry, but a poor education doesn't make one inadequate at childcare.
It's called common sense.
I hope, dear Louria, that you find a good lawyer who can talk you out of such nonsense.
Annette: Get a life.
In quoting the Bible the writer pointed out that God offered us everlasting life or spiritual death. This wonderful verse is saying: "Do not be afraid of bodily death, but fear spiritual death." This young child suffered bodily death because of sheer stupidity and/or laziness of his caregiver . However this child has everlasting life for he had no knowledge of sin. My sincere condolences go out to his family.
Sorry about assigning gender, it was meant to be neutral just because of the sensitive people that may read the post. However we all know that God is a man, big, strong, heavily bearded just like all pictures that portray Zeus. However his image has to be distorted In a more equal world. We need to see him as multi-gender, race,sexual preference etc. but I hold him to his historical image.
Well all I can say about that is read what has been written.
Dick 1:2, "Religions will come and go yet there is one light that will always shine. The true light that only Dick can shine. All others will fade and their worshipers will be cast into a serpent filled hell for eternity. Repent now and worship Dick to be saved."
From my memory of school field trips, all heads were accounted for going on and coming off the bus.
I can't imagine having to go through that and really feel sorry for the family. Heck, everyone involved. No one wants that to happen and no one wants that to happen to them. Very sad news.
As for all the God arguments here, they're kind of pointless and don't add anything. It'd be nice if we could keep God and Politics out of our conversations on these boards.
I think this week's message might be: Be thankful for the safety of your loved ones.
I agree with the many comments made here about how there is no excuse to have left a child in a vehicle. I have worked in childcare for a long time and they are required to do head checks, especially during a field trip. This was the workers negligence, still it was not purposeful and they will have to live with it for the rest of their lives. I don't think that the grandmother needs to be put down about her faith in God. If that is helping her to get through this then everyone has their own way of dealing with tragedy.
Most childcare centers have a list of each child in the class, they are required by licensing to do a hourly check. What kind of person would not check to make sure each of their students were still accounted for, a lazy person. So if blame is to be shifted it is the fault of the adults on the van specifically the teacher(s) of that particular class.
I have spent a lot of time in childcare, even now, as a sitter for 4 children, whenever we go out, I always count them and there are only 4. children in childcare have to be counted. this is common sense. the other day we went to the movies. I counted them when we got in the van, made sure they were all there throughout the movie, and then counted again when we got in the van to leave. Its common sense! especially in a childcare setting.
Mozzie... I love you. There is no need for me to type a lot of words when you are here. Thank you. ;)
This is an unfortunate death due to human negligence, stupidity or both. Nothing to do with any god....sheesh!
iam sad that yet another young life;has been taking by neglagence.. if it had been the parents they would be locked up. charged with verious crimes. and if they had any other children in there custody. social services would have taken them away.. all adutls involde should not be aloud to care for any child. and all should be charged;;;; my prayers for the family..........
There is "bodily death" (as the current phraseology goes, since there is no such thing as "death"--but we seem to need to refer to cessation of life as something that happened); but especially, there could not be spiritual death for the reason that the spirit never dies. It's just energy, and nothing can kill energy - it just recycles itself.
@Siobhan: My pleasure.
Mozzie,
Giving opinion meaning to someone else's biblical post is what was important to me. Your opinion is appreciated. Thanks,
justme-1425428
you said -
""hey kaybeetoys - if she can forgive why can't you? Why belittle the grandmother's beliefs, especially at this time? Do you have proof there is no God? I didn't think so. You ever think that God wants that little boy safe by his side, considering what this earthly place is turning into?""
to, Justme-
i thought this Forum was a place to comment on the story, There was No Belittling, you turned a differing Belief into an opportunity to rant and admonish someone else, with the arrogance of someone who is in a position to Judge,.. and of course the rest of us are out of line, no matter what we say. so as usual, its ok for you to insult the sensabilities of others, in the usual pious manner... By Doing, what you do not want others to do to you. It Just Amazes Me that you believe you are the only one who is entitled...
R.I.P. Benjamin Price...
(whoops, sorry for the repost,.. bad doggie !)
How hard is it to make sure the children you're transporting are all out of the vehicle? This is inexcusable.
The first thing you learn when taking care of kids or teaching them is to COUNT!!! You count before you go, you count when you are there, you count before you drive off, and you count when you come into the building. Inexcusable.
Agree, Ram-762581. My second thought on this was maybe the poor little guy fell asleep on the way back from the trip and they didn't do the "head count" immediately entering the building to realize the child was missing until it was too late. Definitely no excuse, just trying to wrap my head around this. Such a horrible tragedy.
My heart goes out the the family. You never get over the loss of a child.
My deepest condolences to the family and relatives. The teacher or aide should be held accountable for this one.
Many people are asking that same question, just count heads. Better yet after all kids are in the day care center ONE person should be tasked with checking EVERY van or bus in the parking lot one last time before it leaves for another location or is closed up for that round of trips where the driver and usually an assistant are in charge.
Was the heat of the day so intense that the adults couldn't spend another second outside? Not even to save a child's life? How selfish of these employees.
AGAIN!!!!!! This is just beyond the pale, ESPECIALLY for a "day care provider". Some of the places should not be entrusted to take care of an animal, let alone a child. Poor baby, dying in a car inthe Texas heat! The license should be pulled and the person who was responsible for the child's death should be prosecuted to the FULLEST extent. This is the job of a day care provider, the MAIN job and when that is not done, this tragedy is a possibility. To those people in nedd of daycare, please look to your family members first, if at all possible. Strangers are just not as invested.
But Ram, I can see how the children might be moving around, making it difficult to count them.
Cassandra... I hope that is sarcasm or you are just as much as a moron as rnmanager!
I was a summer camp counselor for 3 years, a Sgt. for 6 years, a baseball and softball coach for 21 years and you ALWAYS do a head count (if for no other reason than, it narrows down the search area).
I am a teacher in a large child care facility. We don't participate in field trips, however, we track the children by documentation as well as visually. We also have attendance documentation. We track children no matter where we go...onto the playground, back into the classroom, to another classroom, on a nature walk,and when they enter and depart the facility. The parents also check their child in/out by computer. It may sound excessive, but I would have it no other way. When it comes to children there is NO room for error. I can't IMAGINE not checking that van more than once before I was satisfied all little ones were accounted for! God Bless that baby...seeing his photo I just wanted to wrap my arms around him. My heart goes out to his family
Sandie: I can understand your distrust BUT some family members are WORSE than what day care can provide. My dad used to drop me off at Uncle Angus' ranch every day before he went to work when I was between 8-10 years old. Now, my uncle was quite the drinker (most in the South counties of England usually are and Devonshire is definitely no exception) so I learned to drink and hold my liquor when I was only nine. If my dad knew that I was drunk nearly every day before noon I KNOW that he would not have kept dropping me off there. And me? Hells, I thought that was a fine thing getting away with doing what the adults were doing: I didn't like throwing up at 1300 hours or so almost everyday, but normally I wasn't doing too bad by the time he picked me up before supper (not that I was hungry -because I wasn't). He just assumed that my uncle had fed me supper, which he hadn't. So for nearly a year, I survived strictly on lunch as my only meal and lots of booze every day in between. And if you don't know that is going on as a parent - well, you just don't know. My dad came by after lunch one day because he had the rest of the day off (due to an equipment failure).... ....and the rest is a tale for some other time besides this post. Point is, you'd better be certain your family member has what it takes to raise children, or at least keep up with your kids, before you put upon them.
It could be that the problem with Day Care establishments is that they take on too many kids. They get paid by the head, so perhaps there is incentive to take on more kids than can be supervised properly. There is little incentive to keep the numbers within reason at most places (kudos to the ones that limit the numbers to small batches - but their fees are normally MUCH higher as well). If one of your helpers calls in sick then there is automatically less supervision for the same number of kids unless you can get an on-call help to come in.
Which begs the question: there have been studies that tell me that if I eat a 32 foot trailer load of turkey everyday for twenty years, I could develop carcinigens in my stomach (okay, that's fair I suppose - worthless study really, but fair). Has anyone done any studies on the number of children per helpers at a day care and what a 'proper balance' is? What is the number of "unmanageable" v pairs of eyes and distractions and what can be done if your personnel are missing for the day? Should there be some policy changes before a state will register or certify a day care center host? Just wondering....
I'm very sorry that you experienced such things, Alex. That's terrible! I know that sometimes family members are sometimes just as bad or worse, as inept daycare providers, that is why I included the phrase "if at all possible." Kids that young need eyes on them all the time. These children who die from being left in cars......all of those deaths were preventable. I simply do not and never will understand how a child could be forgotten about in this manner. One places a child or a number of children into a vehicle, said child or children should be removed from the vehicle. These kids are dead from stupidity. And that is not a reason for anyone to die. Sorry for the rant but this is a topic that ticks me off.
two babies left in the car by there parents not long ago , one dead and one lived and now another one dead. this is the craziest thing to leave a child in a car or van. now its a day care. makes me so sad and mad at the same time. as you said Sandie , i can not understand how a child could be forgotten.
I have a small daycare and I still do head counts !! Im sorry grandma, this is NOT GOD's will this is STUPIDITY !! That employee of the group and the van driver needs fired ! Poor lil boy is gone and had a whole life to fulfill and he's gone because of someones negligence. .SMH :(
Are you kidding?? There is more abuse and neglect by family members than all the days cares combined.
I worked in day care for years, i drove the van many times, and "justme-1425428" toni is not kidding. it was stupidity on the part of the driver and other attendants. it was very poor organization, it is the fault of the daycare, it needs to be shut down. there is no excuse for leaving a child unattended, ever. i did not leave that van i drove untill i had walked the isle 3 times, once a general scan of the seats, once looking under the seats, once from back to front under and in every possible small space a child could be. no reason for this to happen, none, period. this is not ecceptable, not in any mind, on any planet, including yours.
Dear Alextheblade, what you went through was highly inappropriate, but you had your dad who never forgot about you. Yes his and your trust was violated, the uncle, well, blessem, was sick himself and to take on a child was not wise, but you were his family and people in that world take care of there own. and from what i just read you have grown to be a strong, intelligent, and good man. yes family violence and neglect can be much more damaging then most daycare situations and we do here about only the bad ones, there are many excellent daycares out there.
there are laws in place governing the ratio of children per care giver. but that is no good if it is not implemented and backed up with head counts, name rosters and cross checks, these sound intense but really take only seconds. that's why and incedant like this is so unexceptable.
Alex...there are laws in place that specify how many adults are needed for children in each age group. Say 1 to 4 for infants - age one, 1 to 6 for ages two - three, etc. I know each state sets their own limits and most day care centers have either an extra person or an on call person for when someone calls in sick. I have worked at many day care centers in different states and we ALWAYS counted the kids. When I drove the van I checked like the poster above - many times, many angles. Even school bus drivers are supposed to check their busses after each school run...so sad and completely avoidable.
My thoughts and prayers go out to this child and the family...
Why do kids have to be die terrible deaths at the hands of those given responsibility for their care. Whether it was the parent or the actual day care, the kid literally baked while restrained in the van. A slow painful death. Inches from outside conditions that would have allowed his survival. But strapped in a child seat he was unable to manuver out of and at four would have basic understanding of his situation. He sat their questioning why those who profess love would allow this to happen. I would have no problems seeing those who forgot this kid die the same horrible death they subjected the child to. But no, the court will say it was just a child and people make mistakes. Slap them on the wrist and release them. Why?
how do you know what the courts will say? you some sort of psychic? if so, why didnt YOU do something about this situation last week? dont get outraged at your own made up conclusions. invest in the facts.
MTB,
I don't think Texas is going to let the negligent party get away with anything. In these instances I've never heard or read of a mear slap on the wrist. Geez.
A bit bloodthirsty, aren't you? Frying someone in the backseat of a car is called torture, and for good reason. Courts would never allow that, you're right.
Left in the van all day at the daycare and dies...... Probably forgot all about him. It's like putting your coffee cup in the microwave for a warm-up, and forgetting all about the cup left in the micro that evening. That's really cold-hearted. Or they really accidently forgot. But why don't they have a check-up on the kids through out the day to see who is present and not. I mean, every hour, take a head count! This is a horrifying accident and God bless the parents, siblings and grandparents and so sorry. It feels like it could be my little boy. And this should NOT have happened. Change the law with daycare. A change must come. This was a wasted, senseless and negligent activity by whomever is responsible. All centers should bemandatory testing the "guardians" as part of criterion to getting daycare license. WHY was this child forgotten? I mean, it seems so easy to remember, if you were indeed doing your job and watching over the kids. How did this child slip through. I guess, I'm just so mad because here is another child dead through negligence of the caretaker. It's a real shame.
That poor child is resting in the arms of the Lord. It is his family that now needs our prayers. May God give them peace.
The child is dead and his family will never see him again.
That poor child is resting in a morgue. It is his family that needs closure. May a .45 give them peace!
An eye for eye, a tooth for a tooth.
dominiator, all right tough guy, ill give you the .45, unless you already have one, and you go ahead and take care business.
oh, you mean you just "talk" tough. enough with all these macho knee jerk internet tough guys and their feigned outrage. this child is dead, in REAL LIFE. stop using that as an occasion to show off you would "hypothetically""theoretically" deal with the situation.
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is not a good thing to practice. It keeps on making anger and hate build until all people involved even remotely are hurt. Forgiveness is better to practice. It takes a large load from people's shoulders. You don't have to forget, and sometimes it's near impossible, but just practicing forgiveness is good.
HShaver is correct: we are WELL beyond the Code of Hammurabi who instigated the 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' code (1700's - as in BCE). That code actually still survives to this day in many areas of the region: so if you're trying to put your finger on one reason why the Middle East is like it is, em.....
You know, its truly amazing how FAST that Bedouin can actually move on those mounts - my heart felt as if it were in my mouth and I will NEVER forget it.
adc...maybe, but I am sure his family wanted him around a little longer, and DEFINITELY not to suffer so much as he died.
I believe in God, but I cannot understand how He would allow a child to suffer...his brain literally cooked in his head...
God is clear in the bible. He differentiated between murder and accidental death. So God allows for accidental death and this child's death was accidental not premeditated.
When my daughter was in daycare, one of the kids pulled the fire alarm. They grabbed the kids and ran out of the building with the sign in book. My daughter had hidden in a large box that one of the paren't had brought in for the kids to play with. They counted the kids and counted the signatures, but my daughter was forgotten because one of the parent's had forgotten to sign in their kid. So...counting doesn't work. They need to match the names up with the kids. Thank God it wasn't a real fire and that she was okay. It did however make them change their procedures. Her teacher was beside herself thinking about the "what-ifs." I feel for this family, and also for the daycare. I believe we need to look at intent and I would find it hard to believe that the daycare intentionally left him in the van. It is a terrible tragedy and was a stupid mistake, but unfortunately we live in an imperfect world and tragedies and accident's happen. I hope this family and everyone involved will recover. And I think it's beautiful that the grandma can lean on her faith and run toward God for comfort when many would run from Him during this time. We don't always understand why things like this happen, but we can certainly learn from the mistakes made. They should've matched the names up with the kids.
Very little information to determine who is at fault. I can say the result of someone's negligence is truly tragic, that poor kid. I hope they find the moron responsible and make them spend a very long time behind bars, even though I don't think that's enough anymore. They should be fined heavily and that money should to towards charities for children. Nothing teaches faster like losing money these days.
They should be fined AND their business closed down AND never allowed another child care permit again AND required to never be around children without supervision. Then they'll learn their lesson and more importantly the rest of the day care facilities will learn the lesson as well.
Jail time would be nice.
People do not learn by fines or jail. People learn by example. The person responsible should be put to death as an example. Anyone responsible for a death should be put to death. Only then would people start to wake up!
im sure this was a mistake. a tragic accident that the responsible person will deeply regret for their entire life. enough with the knee jerk death sentences. this isnt the 1600's.
Anthony~
I'm not sure a fine is the appropriate penalty. The first and foremost duty of everyone working at that daycare was to care for the children; keep them safe and free from harm while their parents worked. Failing to get ALL of the children out of the vehicle resulted in a failure of the highest degree to perform that duty--Benjamin died.
That seems criminally negligent to me. It's not like you can just apologize and have it be OK. That's just bizarre.
Let's have the people responsible do many hours of community service. That way there is some good that comes out of this.
COMMUNITY SERVICE??????? for a child left in a van???? THATS CRAZY. THE POOR CHILD WAS ROASTED TO DEATH.
HShaver...are you serious? This is neglect...manslaughter...a child died...
What a senseless death.. The person responsible needs to pay. Theres no excuse possible for leaving a child in a car by themselves, at all. And especially in the heat.
Can they not count heads?? How damn stupid is what they have done!!!
RIP little one,the USA is going down hill fast anway,you would have to work and pay taxes to help the crooks in control. Stupid HUMANS,MAKE ME SICK. We have too many of them too.dumbasses,,there I said it.
NIce to use this tragedy as a segue to your poliitical bull@!$%#...NOT COOL...
seriously olen? @!$%# you.
seriously texman,i do not know what the signs u wrote mean,but Olen was correctly correct!My heart and my prayers go out to the whole family.
yeah krinkle? you agree with olen that its better that the child died instead of pay taxes and work? do stupid humans make you sick too? you think that a childs death is the perfect opportunity to spout off a bunch of political bull @!$%#?
if so the @!$%# you too.
Olen, think before you speak. Too many humans? Who made you judge here? You sound hateful, even if you aren't. If there's too many humans, though, you know what to do to make one less . . . (sarcasm)
another conspiracy going on...good that idiots use a child's death to spout off about politics...
Olen... "The crooks in control?" "People get the government they deserve." Alexis de Tocqueville
You know... "Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas."
RIP little Benjamin Price. My condolences go out to his parents. I'll bet this little boy was a joy, most likely didn't complain or act up. He probably sat there patiently waiting, thinking someone would soon come and get him. Stories like this just break my heart. When did the world get SO busy that people can't remember a child in a vehicle?
Too sad............ Day Care People Need To Be Indicted For Child Homocide Neglect
Maybe one of the Lucky Ones Not Having To Go Through Nuclear WWIII Coming Soon To The World.
lucky m'boy....tell me more about WWlll...????
wtf is wrong w/you?
a lot.
shut the hell up luckyboy
Lucky,
Are you hunkered down in your bunker. What nonsense to post that here. Off your meds?
lucky--
Get off your soapbox, pick it up, and carry it away. Your comments are inappropriate for this discussion.
luckyboy...my guess is if someone wanted you to go down to the local homelss shelter, or the local animal shelter, you couldn't do either because any other living thing is of no importance to you...no matter how much help they need.
Luckyboy...
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Albert Einstein
This story just breaks my heart. Poor, poor little baby! And all the daycare provider has to say is "no comment"?
My thoughts too, Lee. How incredibly lame was that?! They couldn't even express some sorrow and regret, some sympathy for the parents?
The people at fault are facing a lawsuit, and can't in all reality go around saying anything. To say you're sorry is to admit guilt. They don't want to do that, and really shouldn't speak until they find a good lawyer.
Poor little guy, just my grandson's age. Sounds like criminal negligence by the daycare, unless there is something not yet told. My heart goes out to his family.
I still don't understand how people can forget that a child is a car or van. If I can remember that my cat is outside and needs to come in, a parent or guardian should be able to remember that a child needs to come in from a car!
...and groceries left in the car. If I can remember that I sure would remember a kid needs to come in from a car. We seriously need to slow down a bit and get rid of this "multi-tasking" lifestyle. It is slowly turning us into walking zombies. We are doing everything, yet can't remember anything.
zach, get off your high horse, you do realize where you are making this idiotic comment right?
I can't equate the idea of groceries in a vehicle or a child in a vehicle, what's with that. Stop with condemning people whom can do more than walk and chew gum. We just had one here in Fl., woman left her 2 little ones in a casino parking lot, one child died and the other possible brain damage. I don't think multi-tasking has anything to do with it, just sheer selfishness.
Medication may have something to do with it. I'm not saying it did, but if it did, people should understand medication can make people do wierd things.
I'm on medication and was for years and i watched my kids. i wish i could go back to work but can not. i had people on my block were i used to live years ago , come up to me and tell me , you sure keep a eye on them kids and there were at least four or five of them that told me that in different ways. if i had to go in the house and use the bath room i made them come back in with me. I'm not bragging that i done this but it was just me , I'm a stay at home dad and my kids are my life. its sad that a child can be left in a car in heat and be forgotten. medication can make people do weird things? are you talking about illegal ones or the ones docs give you?
When I read stories like this I can't help but think how the child suffered...and you know the parents are feeling it many times worse...so terribly sad. Makes me glad I don't have children.
Having children isn't a burden if you have the right one. I was a foster parent, and one or two kids I fostered I would have loved for my own. Children make you reexamine many things when they are around, and can be fun.
Well, HShaver, I have nieces and a nephew that I spoil...and yes, they have made me reexamine a lot in my lfe.
What in the fuk is wrong with this society. NEVER LEAVE A FUKIN CHILD IN A CAR... PERIOD. HOW HARD IS THAT?
Lock the driver in that van however long that kid was, see if he / she gets the f'ing point
That is murder. And it's torture. Neither of these things is palatable to me.
The parents have to be vigilant today. They need to know where their children are and with whom and if they are in good hands. It has gottent to the point that you need to check out a day care center and interview the owners to make sure their kids will be with caring people who practice common sense and are able to take care of them responsibly.
The person who left that child in the van to die needs to pay dearly. The day care center should be fined and closed down.
I clicked on this story because of how terrible what happened is. As a father of five children, seven grandchildren and a wife who works in a preschool, I'm appalled and my heart goes out to this child's parents. But I am also appalled at the horrid writing and lack of journalistic skill of whoever wrote this piece. Lousy journalism, lousy writing, lousy editing ... was this done by a grade school kid? Did NBC actually pay someone to write this piece?
May the child rest in peace and sympathies to the family for the loss of their child.
Nicely said, nice to read comments from someone with heart. What else is there to say? It's a true tragedy.
I read this story and sat here crying for the child and his family, I have 6 grandkids and if they need day care I do my best to be there for them and look after them. I feel for the child care worker who allowed this to happen but not the same way I do for the child and his parents. R.I.P. little man and may your family find peace.
Wow! The people at the day care have nothing to say but "no comment" Really?
They leave a child in a van to die of heat exhaustion and they say, "no comment"
Scum Bag Mother "F"ers! I hope they get the same thing!
I have 4 children whonoften fall asleep in the car and i have never once forgotten them in the car. I hope justice is served and their license is revoked. There is absolutely no good reason or excuse for this stupidly disorganized negligent day care to leave tat sweet boy in the van. My only hope is the other parents remove teir children permanenly from the daycare. My prayers are with the family. and as for the family members who forgave because the day care is a friend - that is worse. The day care killed your grand child not a gold fish!
Posh mom, I agree totally, quite often my grandkids fell asleep in the car but I would always carry them into the house and their beds before anything else and if not kept a good eye on them. There is no good reason to leave them there or" forget them" for any reason and being child care they should do the job of head counting.
I agree with you! It's not like the daycare had a greyhound bus full of kids and there was a miscount which would have been bad enough. But this little boy was in a VAN, you know, a little bigger than a car!!! How in the world could they not know this child was still in there? And even after they got the children out of the van and took them inside, how could they not know that child was missing? Is this an indication as to how little they pay attention to the children in their care?
This is so sad . Prayers to the family. I imagine he was asleep and they were going to come back and get him BUT they got busy and forgot..I think they should of had a head count as the children got on and off the van..I just wish everyone would slow down and these terrible things would stop happening.
Funny that you said that because that is exactly what I said before reading your comment. We need to slow down and stop the madness of multitasking.
at 4yrs old i would think he would have just gotten outta the van when it got to hot.
At 4 years old, they are still straped into car seats.
I kind of thought the same thing. At 4 years old the kid should have been able to get out of the car seat and open the van door. Not excusing the mistake that the day care workers made but considering what most of them make salary wise you're not getting rocket scientists to begin with.
my child is grown so i don't know about todays car seats. is it impossible for a 4yr old to unbuckle themeselves?
My grandson was 1and1/2 and getting out of his car seat .. I think this child was asleep and they were going to get him last and forgot..The story does not give the details. It is just like the story all over the news about the theater shooting it keeps changing
A good car seat is meant to keep a child INSIDE of it. Now lets supposed that he was in such a seat. Well if he got out, then how was he too get out of the van? The van probably had child locks, which they engage so that the kids can't open the doors while the van is moving. So no the little boy would not have been able to get out even if he was able to get out of the seat.
I agree that whomever left the child in the van needs to be locked into a van that they cannot get out of on one of the worst days weather wise in Texas history. This was incompetence at it's highest level. How do you not do a head count and make sure that you have all of the children.
This best explains what I think of this topic, of barely-turned 4 year olds being able to save themselves from a van:
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/duty_calls.png
Children don't sometimes do that. They're not adults, and can't think like them. Their brains are still growing. And maybe by the time he wanted to he couldn't.
I see a lot of people asking why the child did not release himself from the restraints and try to escape. He was asleep when they arrived at the Daycare center, and he did not wake up until sometime after everyone was gone. Depending on the amount of time that passed, he could have been asleep for hours before the heat made him uncomfortable enough to wake up. A fully developed adult only takes a couple of hours in heat to dehydrate and quickly become delusional and suffer heat stroke or other related effects. A child would not take nearly half as much time to suffer the same effects, especially in an enclosed area. Had he been awake when they arrived I'm sure he might have been able to escape or try to, but imagine waking up dehydrated, hot, and tired all while trying to figure out where you are, what's going on, and not being able to breathe from the unsufferable heat. Now imagine that while being restrained. Even if he did know how to release the restraints, his weakened state would have added to the difficulty of the whole process. Hopefully he passed out from heat exhaustion and died in his sleep, rather than suffocating and fighting for his life. Try to remember that children are not as mentally, physically, or psychologically developed as most adults are, and in a panicked state will not be able to thinkor act outside of their basic, untrained instincts.
It truly is a tragedy, and most likely the day care will be stripped of their license and closed down and the people responsible will be charged, as they should. But to say that ALL day cares are irresponsible is crap. That's like saying you get off the phone with one bad secretary who hates her job and isn't helpful at all and then saying ALL secretaries are crappy at their jobs. There are are thousands of dedicated early childhood workers who truly love working with children and follow protocol very closely and have great relationships with parents and their children. Let's try not to blame ALL daycares for the faults of ONE. Child care is an essential service. If you care for your own children, that's great. How fortunate you are to not require child care. But for those who do, they put their trust in people who have shown that they are responsible enough to have it. So don't go saying that 'people should stay at home and raise their kids' or 'have family members watch their kids'. That;s unrealistic. Most people don't have this option. That's why there are responsible centres who will watch their children so they can go make a living and not worry about their children's safety. Remember, this was a tragedy, not the norm.
Most likely it is the terrible mistake of one employee..Unless the day care does not have a protocol in place then it will fall on the day care.You are right what a tragedy..
This is very sad and my heart and prayers go out to this family. I do want to mention that I do not believe it is God's will to allow people to die and am saddened when Christians are misguided on this. Yes, God knows what will happen but he also gave us free will. God is love and life. Sin and Satan are death. The wages of sin is death not It is or is not God's will for us to die. We all are sinners as as you know, we all die. It is only through Jesus that God has reclaimed the keys of death from Satan to give us everlasting life. This is my humble view and I speak it with great humility and reverence. Much love to this family who is suffering.
what a shame. this didn't need to happen and i agree with others it's not God's will for bad things to happen. If you believe in God, then you believe in Satan and he is to blame for all wickedness and suffering. Day cares are usually split up into age groups. was this daycare that full that the care takers didn't notice this little boy was missing?!? that shows they didn't personally show real care or interest in each child like most day cares claim. they should have def been more cautious and did headcounts esp in that hot weather.My sympathy goes out to the family grieving.
Whateverz well stated!
My heart goes out to the Little Angel left in the Car...The torture he went through in a HOT summer day in DALLAS!
Neglect! Irresponsible Child Care Murderers!
This Day Care should shut down Immediately! I'd pull my kid out of there in a MINUTE!
Frying children in CARS is Torture!
Honestly...there Heads must have been up their A$$E$$.
Aye por Favor gente!