Two toddlers, both aged 1, tragically lost their lives in a swimming pool accident at the Happy Happy Home Daycare in San Jose, California, this past Monday.
“It’s every parent’s nightmare to receive such news,” conveyed Steven Aponte, a representative from the San Jose Police Department, the following day.
Emergency services were alerted to the daycare in San Jose’s Almaden area shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday due to concerns regarding three children who had fallen into the swimming pool. Upon arrival, two children were found in critical condition.
All three children were rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, the two young girls didn’t survive. The third child was treated for minor injuries.
State records reveal that the daycare had been flagged six times by state officials since its licensing in 2021. During initial inspections, potential risks of children accessing the pool were noted.
The ongoing investigation is spearheaded by the San Jose Police Department’s homicide unit and is expected to continue for several months. Records from the California Department of Social Services indicate that during inspections in 2020 and 2021, concerns were voiced about inadequacies in the pool’s fencing. However, a license was approved in January 2021 after corrective measures were taken.
A recent assessment in January confirmed the pool area was surrounded by a fence made of durable mesh material. The report mentioned that the fence was at least five feet tall and did not obstruct the view of the pool.
Drowning remains the primary cause of death for children aged 1-4, with swimming pools being the main site, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The circumstances allowing the children’s access to the pool remain unclear. Aponte commented, “The specifics of how and when they got to the pool are still under investigation.”
Details regarding the daycare owners, Nina Fathizadeh and Shanin Shenas, and whether they have been detained, haven’t been disclosed by Aponte. The decision on any charges against the daycare staff is pending as the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office reviews the case.
Fathizadeh and Shenas had applied for a state license for their daycare in 2020. They didn’t respond to media outreach for comments.
The daycare, which has a license for eight children and a limit of four infants, received five citations during a January inspection. Notably, one citation highlighted that they had five infants, surpassing their limit. The inspection also noted other issues like missing disaster drills, inadequate monitoring of sleeping infants, and a failure to check the criminal record of an assistant.
The California Department of Social Services refrained from commenting.
Concluding, Aponte stressed the importance of parents nationwide being vigilant and thoroughly vetting daycare facilities for their children’s saf