North Little Rock daycare will remain open as it appeals license revocation, agency says

A daycare operating at a church in North Little Rock is appealing the revocation of its license, officials said Tuesday.

In January, the Arkansas Department of Human Services ordered Lil Angels at Levy Baptist Church, 3501 Pike Ave., to shut down by Feb. 6, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

The agency's investigation into the child-care center revealed the employment of a person with a criminal record, improper medication labeling and an employee's use of marijuana, according to its notice of adverse action.

Tanya Ward, the daycare's 49-year-old owner and director, previously declined to comment on the details of the investigation but said the revocation "seems very harsh for a first-time violation."

The business's Facebook page shows multiple posts with words of encouragement and praise from clients.

The daycare is allowed to remain open through the appeals process, DHS spokesman Marci Manley said, though the agency performs unannounced monitoring visits to the center every week.

The appeals hearing is scheduled for March 27.

The child-care center was also sued in January by the parents of a 2-year-old who alleged that workers gave their daughter allergy medication to get her to fall asleep, then lied about what happened.

Lil Angels is one of at least two central Arkansas daycares investigated by DHS in the last month. Another is Kid's Academy in Bryant, which most recently received a complaint about its staff member-to-child ratio, Arkansas Online previously reported.

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