No heating, a dirty cot, power cables on the floor and children inappropriately dressed: an illegal day care center in the Villeray sector had to be evacuated urgently last October. Conditions at the Palace of Angels have been potentially dangerous and the government plans to close the facility.
Posted at 2:43pm
Mayssa Ferah La Press
The Palace of Angels changed premises last winter, according to court documents. The owner of the facility, Khadidja Bensalem, had a daycare license at the old location. However, it does not hold a daycare or CPE license for the premises on Rue Jarry Est, the court documents said.
The Palace of Angels daycare is not safe for children, the Department of Family Affairs found during an October 11-12 inspection, according to an application for a restraining order filed this week.
Detectives broke into an area with no heating, no wall-mounted thermostat, and exposed electrical wiring.
Some children were barefoot and improperly dressed even though it was chilly outside.
Several floor lamps clog the toddlers’ movement areas in the middle of the changing room and near the bathroom.
There is a dirty crib on the desk and extension cords on the floor.
The place was therefore urgently evacuated on October 14. “Risks to the health and safety of children represent irreparable harm.”
Miguel Martinez took his children to the Palace of Angels every day for about a month and a half. “I found some things a little suspicious,” he explains in an interview.
In the second week of kindergarten, her children fell ill. “It’s normal, but I was wondering why they have cold hands and feet. »
The children, who were supposed to have three meals, were often hungry, he said. “The eldest told me that she had hardly eaten anything. The staff told me she had her three meals. »
The landlord was difficult to reach by phone. “I had questions but never answers. He even asked for a return visit to the daycare several times, to no avail.
Ms. Bensalem had not responded to our interview request at the time of writing this article.
parents in trouble
Despite the inspection and clearing of the square, some parents regret the closure of the daycare center.
Célia Aboul, mother of a baby registered in the Palace of Angels, is in a bad situation. “It’s fine to shut it down but we were warned at the last minute. It’s a real shame because the kids loved this place. »
The student in the DEP in the secretariat has had to stay away from certain courses since the closure in order to be able to be at home with her little one.
Franchesco Alexandre, the parent of another child, is saddened by the closure of the daycare. “I have visited several times. Everything was clean. Children are looked after under optimal conditions. »
He even goes so far as to denounce the “abrupt” path taken by the Ministry of Family Affairs in closing the kindergarten, with no alternatives for parents.
“We work with my wife and I. We can’t do without the day care center. »