Daycare to Close in Cedar City After Toe-Severing Lawnmower Accident

A child daycare in Cedar City has been told to close its doors by December 4 due to several health and safety violations, including a lawnmower accident that resulted in an injured child. 

Our news partners at ABC4 Utah reported on the closure through an article written by Trevor Myers. 

Myers wrote, “In a letter dated Nov. 21, 2024, Chandara Childcare LLC of Cedar City, Utah, was told its license was being revoked because it was “out of compliance” with six state administrative rules — including a rule that was meant to protect children from being endangered while in its care.” 

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services sited an accident in October where a child was run over by a lawnmower, severing several of the child’s toes. 

Myers wrote “The daycare did not follow an administrative rule to ensure sharp objects or other items inaccessible to the children in care, with the DHHS saying the electric lawnmower was used ‘in the presence of multiple children.’ The daycare was cited for not maintaining ‘active supervision’ of each child (another administrative rule) with the DHHS saying the staff member was not actively supervising the children while mowing the lawn.” 

Other violations include the staff to child ratio at the daycare which is supposed to be one staff member for every eight children, but the daycare had one staff member for every 13 children. There were also issues when it came to children sleeping at the daycare. 

Myers wrote, “The daycare did not have children sleeping in equipment that was ‘designed for sleep,’ with several infants reportedly left to sleep in baby bouncer chairs (which are explicitly discouraged in Utah Admin. Code R430-90-24), according to the DHHS.” 

Chandara Childcare was given 10 days to give the names and addresses of the parents of each child at the daycare with all services to be terminated by Dec. 4.