Owner of illegal Virginia Beach daycare to serve 10 days in jail

Are you kidding me?? She gets off with only 10 days in jail...and she gets to serve it on weekends? Makes you wonder who she knows in the Virginia Beach city government. This is truly scary. Just think, in a few weeks, she will be opening up another in-home daycare, lying about her credentials, and more children will be passing away in her hands. Shame on the court system for such a light sentence. My prayers are with the family of the little angel who died in her care..

I would like to point out that the mother and father of that child forgot to mention to the daycare provider that their other two children also had health problems. The childs death was concluded as SIDS so maybe you should do some more research before you go ahead and point fingers. Also, how come this daycare provider is put to shame when the mothers very own daughter stopped breathing in her crib under the mothers watch not to long ago while the mom was only watching her ONE other child. I guess the number of children really has nothing to do with the way things play out. I dont think that anyone who wasnt personally involved or affected by this matter should be able to place blame. I have sympathy for the parents but they should have looked farther into the licensing had it had so much influence on their daycare search. All of the blame should not be placed on this daycare provider. You obviously dont understand the toll it takes on both parties.

Can i also point out that the court case itself took over an hour and this article only consists of about 5 seconds of the case. I am also a mom in virginia beach and not only that but i am a mom of one of the children who attended this so called criminals daycare. On top of being a mother of a child who attended her daycare I,myself, attended her daycare as a child. I have known her for years and every mother who took there child there knew that she was unlicensed. And every mother thats child attended that daycare will tell you that they would trust noone but her with their children. I am absolutely disgusted with the way that you put down this woman when the only thing you know is the two second article that you just read. As a mother yourself you should know that daycare is the most important thing. My child was always safe there and i know that for a fact. Please dont voice an opinion where one isnt asked for or needed. thank you

I am a mother who brought my two children to Deborah Blaney's daycare. She cared for my children for 3 years. When i interviewed Ms.Blaney one of the first things she told me was that she did not have a license. Considering that she has cared for children for 42 years with a completely impecable record, I trusted her with my children. She cared for my daughter, who was premature, since she was 4 weeks old until the age of 2 and my son from the age of 3 to 6. She was the best daycare provider i have ever had. I testified on behalf of Ms. Blaney along with several other mothers who are devestated by this and trust this woman with the lives of their children to this day. I am truely sorry for the Bales loss but maybe they should have told this daycare provider that their daughter had stopped breathing while in her mothers care and that the other child had a heart condition. Nobody truely knows what has happened unless directly involved in this. It's really a sad thing that someone can just try and ruin this womans name when she had nothing to do with the death of this child and the autopsy concluded that this was a SIDS death which would have happened regardless of who was watching the child at the time. It is a terrible thing that this baby died but maybe some of you should put yourself in Ms. Blaney's shoes before trying to put down an absolutely wonderful and caring daycare provider. Thank you!!

I assume that reporter was not in the courtroom. I was told by someone who was that Blaney was NOT given weekends, she was allowed a delayed report to this Friday and that this was apparently done after she indicated she was appealing the case to Circuit Court and was going to be on the same bond.

well a good point to bring up as well would have to be that this case had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the death of the baby. Come on people!

Maybe if people would stop being selfish and trying to juggle children and a career incidents like this wouldn't happen. Many people pawn their children off on virtual strangers and expect the providers to adhere to the same standards as they would themselves. Like many other situations, sometimes if you want something done right, do it yourself. Incidentally I have to comment on the dead child's mother's statement that the provider being licensed was 'extremely important' to them yet they simply took the provider's word for it that they had one. If it was THAT important, wouldn't it make sense to ask to see it? Isn't it like most business licenses where it is required it be posted in a easily visible area? Shame on both sides for expecting each other to do the other's job.

Honestly, if licensing were crucially important to me -- re: ANY business -- I'd demand to see the license. If the person/business didn't provide it, I'd go elsewhere.(I wouldn't even bother to get info from the state, since the business's reluctance would be a bad sign.) And even if I *saw* the license, I'd check to see that it was both real and still valid.

So the parents are using the excuse that the child care provider 'told them she had a license', well, it's apparent that they were not too concerned, since you can go on line as well as check with the department of human services to verify this information. Does anyone know how many unlicensed child care providers are out there? Again, do your research and homework, before you leave your child with someone. I'm pretty sure they researched the salaries and job requirements before they accepted their latest jobs. They researched before they signed on the line to accept a mortgage or lease, but I gusee the child care was not that important. How can you blame someone when a child dies from SIDS? It's not right, if we are to blame someone, let's either blame the parents for not verifying, if the license issue was really that important to them, let's blame them for putting several thing before the welfare of their child - low cost, good hours and a woman who apparently cared for their child as well as several others (and loved the majority of them also), let's blame the parents for not keeping thier own baby and wanting to get out there and work. Let's thank the child care provider for taking care of the child, providing the parents with the time to work and save money. Netter yet, let's not blame anyone, because SIDS is no one's fault!!!

when my kids were small, we looked for daycare. one had all the right papers and way more kids than the law allows. 2 adults and 20+. It was organised by age. SCARED ME TO DEATH. the state is "Required" to inspect state run daycares. The death of a child in your care (there are exceptions) is 100% on the adult on the sceen. She was driving this "BUS", and she is at fault. 10 days does not send the message. They are daycares that make 2K an month more, all cash(no taxes).

"Her attorney Larry Slippow said all she really failed to do was to pay for a state license."

This is an appalling statement. She lied about having a license. If she hadn't lied to the parents they would never have left their son in her care. Isn't that criminal negligence?

I wonder if any of Blaney's supporters stopped long enough to consider how they would feel if their child had died in her care.

Carol,

I had both of my children in her care and would have my children in her care today if I could and I am unemployed. She is a outstanding person and was an incredible daycare provider. The Bales signed the same contract that I signed that states she is not licensed. The contract also has a spot for medical conditions which the Bales failed to tell anyone about. The part the reporter decided to leave out (among other things) is that one minute Megan was pretending to cry and the next minute turning around making goofy faces at her friends. I feel bad for that Finny is gone but to attack a woman with a spotless record is not only ignorant but completely uncalled for. Deborah NEVER claimed to have a license and the Bales lied about more than that.....Get your facts right before you speak out of turn!!!!!!!!!!

Angry Mother,

It is obvious you are not a doctor and an idiot. SIDS is not something the Bale's could have put in the contract for medical conditions. SIDS is sudden infant death sydrome, which means you don't know when it's coming or if your baby has it. If she was such an outstanding daycare provider, why didnt she have a license. Blaney is very lucky all she got was 10 days, could have been worse.

Ok so maybe there was nothing that Ms. Blaney could have done to prevent this child's death. But look at the facts! She was still running an illegal daycare and had too many children in her home. It may not have been directly her fault but she was negligent. I hope that all of the moms out there read this article and think twice about who they take their children to. Make sure they are licensed, check them out with the state, do a little more research. You cannot blame the mom in this situation. The only one to blame is Ms. Blaney. She deserves a much tougher sentence. Send a message to all of those unlicensed providers out there.

As one of 14 children, and a former day care provider (with as many as 12 children at a time) I can attest to not only the possibility, but the reality of how a caring, nurturing, organized day care provider can affectively run and operate a business like Debi had. She may have neglected to have the piece of paper on her record, which admittedly was a costly oversight, but whether it was there or not would not, unfortunately, have prevented the tragedy that took place in January.

angry mother wrote:

Carol,
I had both of my children in her care and would have my children in her care today if I could and I am unemployed. She is a outstanding person and was an incredible daycare provider. The Bales signed the same contract that I signed that states she is not licensed. The contract also has a spot for medical conditions which the Bales failed to tell anyone about. The part the reporter decided to leave out (among other things) is that one minute Megan was pretending to cry and the next minute turning around making goofy faces at her friends. I feel bad for that Finny is gone but to attack a woman with a spotless record is not only ignorant but completely uncalled for. Deborah NEVER claimed to have a license and the Bales lied about more than that.....Get your facts right before you speak out of turn!!!!!!!!!!

so you dont have a job but you would put your kids in her care again if given the chance so you dont have to watch them your self is basically what the first part of your comment says.... by the way the "s" in SIDS means sudden. its not a medical condition..... how can that get put on the paper work if its unknown....maybe the one who should be thinking before they speak is you...

angry mother wrote:

Carol,
I had both of my children in her care and would have my children in her care today if I could and I am unemployed. She is a outstanding person and was an incredible daycare provider. The Bales signed the same contract that I signed that states she is not licensed. The contract also has a spot for medical conditions which the Bales failed to tell anyone about. The part the reporter decided to leave out (among other things) is that one minute Megan was pretending to cry and the next minute turning around making goofy faces at her friends. I feel bad for that Finny is gone but to attack a woman with a spotless record is not only ignorant but completely uncalled for. Deborah NEVER claimed to have a license and the Bales lied about more than that.....Get your facts right before you speak out of turn!!!!!!!!!!

Guess what retard, if she wasn't licensed the contract you signed was not valed and would not hold up in court.

I to am a mom whose child was in the custody and care of ms debbie. my daughter started going to her when she was only 4mths old and remainend until this incident. People really shouldnt comment on things they know nothing about. First of all, the piece of paper you people are talking about has know bearing on how finn died. It was sids, this incident would have occured at a licensed providers daycare as well. this woman has watched children and those childerns , children for 40+ years without one incident. again like stated in previous statements if licensing is that important its the parents obligation to verify the licensing. if u were so concerned for the wealthfare of ur children why was there countless days u left them past the time to be picked up. Im truly sorry for your loss i couldnt imagine what you are going through, but there is no blame for what happen to your son. also to the people who do not know this woman, you have know idea what this incident has done to her. STOP JUDGING ON SOMETHING U KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!!!!!!!!

I wonder how long before Blaney is back in the saddle watching kids again. The slap on the wrist she got was nothing.

Wow, a slap on the wrist? That judge SHOULD BE THROWN OFF THE BENCH!