Sperenza day camp suspended due to supervision issues, says child care board
Laura Chapin | CBC News | Posted: August 10, 2016 8:00 PM | Last Updated: August 10, 2016
Sperenza says it's appealed the 5-day suspension and looks forward to setting the record straight
The P.E.I. Child Care Facilities Board has suspended the license of Sperenza Sport for five days due to what the board says are supervision issues.
Board chair Bobby Cameron told CBC News the day camp's license was suspended for the week starting Monday after several complaints were investigated.
Cameron said the five-day suspension was given to Sperenza for not meeting a number of license requirements, but he wouldn't give specifics.
We decided that we had to provide Sperenza enough time to correct their practices and policies, so that was what the suspension was for. - Bobby Cameron, P.E.I. Child Care Facilities Board
"There were issues with respect to supervision and a number of other issues as articulated in the Child Care Facilities Act and regulations," he said.
Cameron said the five-day suspension was to allow the camp time to fix the problems.
"We decided that we had to provide Sperenza enough time to correct their practices and policies, so that was what the suspension was for."
Sperenza continued to operate, says board
Cameron said Sperenza is now also being investigated for continuing to operate during the suspension.
Cameron confirmed Sperenza violated the order to not to operate this week, something he said the board is "very concerned" about.
"The board is now aware and concerned with any type of violation of the order," said Cameron.
"Our inspectors will be following up and continuing to work with Sperenza to ensure that the child care facilities are safe."
Parents have been notified
All parents with children at the camp were informed by the board's inspectors that Sperenza is operating under a suspended license, said Cameron, giving the parents the option to find other child care.
The board investigates any complaints it receives about child care facilities which it licenses.
We have appealed the suspension, it is now with our lawyer, we look forward to a reversal and the record being set straight. - Sperenza Sport
It investigated an incident last month after a young boy attending the Sperenza day camp nearly drowned at a pool. Cameron told CBC News the current investigation is "beyond" that case.
"The investigation is ongoing. So it's happening now. The Child Care Facilities Board will be following this until we can ensure that facilities which are licensed are operating in a safe way and delivering quality child care services."
Cameron doesn't know how long the investigation will take.
Sperenza Sport emailed a response to CBC News.
"We have appealed the suspension, it is now with our lawyer, we look forward to a reversal and the record being set straight."
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