California daycare remains open after children test positive for drugs, investigation finds

In May 2024, 2 young girls came location from their Winnetka daycare exhibiting abnormal behavior. After trips to the hospital, some girls tested affirmative for drugs, starring to a authorities probe into the facility. But 2 years later, it remains unfastened with respective parents unaware of the findings.

A California Department of Social Services probe successful July 2024 recovered that an worker had "placed a tiny container (containing meth) successful a bath cubby." The CDSS added that 3 children were "exposed to and allowed to ingest substances containing amphetamine and/or methamphetamine."

In the aftermath of the investigation, Tampe Management, which owns Rainbow Early Learning Center, reached an statement successful February 2026 with CDSS that included the revocation of the facility's license, but CBS California Investigates learned that enactment has been enactment connected clasp for 3 years portion the institution operates nether probationary conditions.

CBS California Investigates visited Rainbow Early Learning Center successful April, but a pistillate closed the gross and refused to reply immoderate questions. About fractional a twelve parents told CBS California Investigates they had not been informed of the probationary status, adjacent though the authorities requires the installation to pass each existent and prospective parents of the status.

On May 30, 2024, Jose Aguilar said his 4-year-old girl came location from daycare vomiting and incapable to slumber for 2 days. He added that she wouldn't eat, kept talking perpetually and struggled to enactment still.

Jose Aguilar said his past 4-year-old girl was incapable to beryllium inactive and had trouble sleeping astatine night.  Aguilar family

Aguilar and his woman took their girl to the hospital, wherever her humor tests revealed she had tested "positive for amphetamine." Around the aforesaid time, Shorouq Bekir's 2-year-old daughter, who attended the aforesaid daycare arsenic Aguilar's, tested affirmative for methamphetamine, which is simply a benignant of amphetamine. 

Ese Omofoa represents the Bekir household successful a suit against the daycare. Even though helium doesn't correspond the Aguilar family, helium said the children didn't person immoderate household interaction and didn't walk clip with each different extracurricular of daycare.

"There were symptoms that these children were exposed to unsafe drugs, and you know, staff, nary 1 truly took it seriously," Omofoa said. "Parents weren't notified. Medical unit wasn't contacted to look into this."

During a telephone call, the school's manager told CBS California Investigates the worker had been fired and CDSS added that she is prohibited from employment in, beingness in, and interaction with clients of immoderate installation licensed by them.

Dominic Gamali, whose girl attends the daycare, said, "Under nary circumstances should radical beryllium capable to get disconnected easy. I consciousness these establishments should beryllium wholly unopen down."

CBS California Investigates obtained information from CDSS that showed, betwixt 2020 and 2025, 393 childcare centers and household childcare homes crossed the authorities were placed connected probationary presumption for failing to comply with wellness and information regulations. That includes:

• 132 successful LA County
• 19 successful Orange County
• 23 successful Riverside County
• 26 successful San Bernardino County

Data obtained from the California Department of Social Services showed that betwixt 2020 and 2025, showed that 200 childcare centers and household childcare homes were placed connected probationary presumption for failing to comply with wellness and information regulations. CBS LA

CDSS said the names and addresses of the facilities "are exempt" from a CBS LA Public Records Act request. In addition, information for the "date of order" is unavailable owed to strategy limitations. CBS California Investigates asked for the crushed for probation, but CDSS said the petition "exceeds the scope of the Department's responsibilities nether the Public Records Act."

Both Bekir and Aguilar's daughters are present astatine antithetic schools. Aguilar said his girl inactive struggles to absorption successful people and astatine home, and helium and his woman person acceptable up a furniture for the present 6-year-old successful their room. Aguilar explained that she can't get done the nighttime connected her own.

"It's truly hard for me. We don't slumber the aforesaid similar mean earlier due to the fact that I person to cheque my girl each day," Aguilar said.

CDSS besides said it's investigating different Tampe Management installation successful the state, aft a suit alleged that the daycare near a kid successful a locked conveyance for astir an hour. CBS California Investigates went to that daycare, but the unit declined to comment.

The CDSS has a search tool where parents and caregivers tin hunt whether a kid attraction installation is connected probation.