In the days following a mid-March peaceful protest outside the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services building following the death of 4-year-old Aniya Day-Garrett, records show someone from inside the building sent two complaints to the state.
Those complaints prompted state investigations into whether Harbor Crest Childcare Academy and Get Ready Set Grow Childcare Center properly reported suspicions that Aniya was being abused.
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A county spokeswoman said CFS was legally obligated to make those complaints to the state. However, attorneys for Get Ready Set Grow allege CFS is merely trying to cover its tracks.
The truth is CFS should have been aware that Harbor Crest had reportedly failed to report the abuse more than a year before the complaint was made.
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The complaint that prompted the state investigation into Ready Set Grow was brief and somewhat vague. It said, "One day in January, the child just stopped being able to walk and the parent started to carry her in." The complaint also does not specify what Aniya's injuries were.
The owner of Get Ready Set Grow said Aniya's mother once worked at the daycare, and if they suspected she was abusing her daughter, they would have terminated her immediately in order to protect other children and the business.
Aniya's mother, Sierra Day, along with her boyfriend, Deonte Lewis, have been charged with aggravated murder in connection with Aniya's death.
In their official response to the state's findings, the owners of Get Ready Set Grow were clear. They said this did not happen at their facility and they are appealing.
The daycare owner also said the facility didn't have incident reports on file, because there haven't been any incidents. The daycare's attorneys said no appeal date has been set, and they are still exploring whether or not to take additional legal action.
