(FOX 2) – A child care center in Detroit had its license suspended after spoiled food, no working hot water, noxious smells, dead bugs, and other unpleasant conditions were observed by a consultant from the state’s Child Care Licensing Bureau.

A complaint against Martin Luther King Jr. Day Care was received by the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential in January and an inspection was conducted a week later.

As of Jan. 29, the facility is not allowed to operate a child care center. 

The backstory:

Two weeks before having its license suspended, a consultant from the state visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Care center on Appoline Street after a complaint was filed on Jan. 16.

A teacher told FOX 2 at the time there was no working heat in the building and parents were pulling their kids from the preschool due to the freezing temperatures.

School officials pushed back, saying the heat had been inspected and was working. The Wayne Regional Education Service Agency, which funds the facility, said they were working to verify if the heat was on. 

Around the same time, MiLEAP’s child care bureau was notified of unsafe conditions within the center, as well as an “obnoxious smell” from the basement kitchen, no cleaning supplies in the building, rotten food, and spoiled milk being serviced to children.

The child care center is operated by the Antioch Church of God in Christ at 16827 Appoline in Detroit. It first received a license in 1989.

What they’re saying:

Six days after receiving the complaint, a licensing consultant conducted an onsite inspection of the center, as well as interviews with staff at the program.

The consultant’s Jan. 23 visit uncovered several concerning elements, including:

• Missing required postings including emergency preparedness, crisis management plans, and menus
• Napping area for infants that had not been pre-approved
• Damaged cribs for toddlers to sleep in
• Spaces used by children and classrooms with a “strong, cold draft”
• Expired food and an “unknown liquid substance” in refrigerators, yellow-stained water from a dispenser, and raw chicken served for lunch

In interviews with staff, one told the inspector that children had gotten sick from drinking milk served to them, while another pointed out a towel they had placed in the front of the door to stop a sewage odor from seeping into the classroom.

Children also had to wear winter coats in one classroom due to the cold temperatures inside.

When the inspector returned to the facility a day later, none of the expired food in the kitchen had been removed.

Black mold and dead bugs were also found in the kitchen.

What’s next:

The child care bureau found the public health, safety, and welfare of those at the child care center required “emergency action” and a suspension of the facility’s license was needed.

The suspension went into effect Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. and the licensee was responsible for informing parents that they could no longer provide care.

A hearing before an administrative law judge will take place while the Antioch Church of God in Christ is allowed to appeal the suspension.