"THEY ARE GETTING PAID BY YOU TO
WATCH YOUR KIDS I THINK THEY
SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR
THEIR ACTIONS IN ANY WAY
SHAPE OR FORM."
CONCERNS OVER A LOCAL CHILD
CARE FACILITY.. AFTER A TEACHER
FORGOT ABOUT A 4-YEAR-OLD KID
LEFT ALONE IN A HOT VAN FOR A
HALF HOUR.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.. MIKE HAS
THE NIGHT OFF. LIL' BLOOMERS IN
SOUTH FARGO WAS FORCED TO NOTIFY
PARENTS
YESTERDAY ABOUT A DANGEROUS
SITUATION LAST MONTH AFTER
CASS COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES
LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION.
THEY SAY A 4- YEAR-OLD WAS LEFT
ALONE IN VAN WHILE THE OTHER
KIDS WERE AT THE DAVIES POOL FOR
SWIMMING LESSONS... AND NO
ONE SAID ANYTHING UNTIL THE KID
TOLD THEIR PARENTS!
WE BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE AFTER A
PARENT CONTACTED OUR
WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE... GIVING
US A COPY OF A LETTER SENT
HOME FROM LIL' BLOOMERS. VALLEY
NEWS TEAM'S CRIME AND
SAFETY REPORTER "NICOLE JOHNSON"
INVESTIGATES.
"I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW THAT
POOR KID FELT." IN AUGUST LIL'
BLOOMERS FIRED
THE EMPLOYEE THEY SAY LEFT A
4-YEAR-OLD IN A HOT VAN.
A LETTER TO PARENTS SAYS "WE ARE
THANKFUL THAT THE CHILD IS
OKAY AND WAS NOT HURT." LIL'
BLOOMERS TELLS US THEY
CAN'T COMMENT BEYOND THIS
LETTER.
WHICH SAYS "THE PARENTS
APPRECIATED THE WAY WE HANDLED
THE INCIDENT."
OTHER PARENTS, STILL HAVE
QUESTIONS, SAYING WHY DID IT
TAKE SO LONG TO TELL OTHERS WHAT
HAPPENED?
AND SOCIAL SERVICES SAYS THIS
ISN'T LIL' BLOOMERS FIRST
RUN-IN.
"IF YOU'RE PAYING TOP DOLLAR,
YOU WANT TO
MAKE SURE YOUR KIDS ARE TAKEN
CARE OF AND
AS A PARENT I AM VERY PICKY
ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WATCH MY
KID."
SADIE WALTERS STOPPED BRINGING
HER 7- YEAR-OLD TO LIL'
BLOOMERS LAST YEAR. "MY LITTLE
GIRL WAS SITTING IN A VAN FOR 20
MINUTES, HOW DO YOU THINK SHE
FELT? ARE
YOU KIDDING."
SHE SAYS THEY FORGOT ABOUT
HER DAUGHTER WHILE THE OTHERS
WENT TO PLAY AT THE PARK.
"PEOPLE BREAK WINDOWS OVER A DOG
BEING IN A CAR FOR 10 MINUTES,
PUT A CHILD IN
A CAR FOR 25 MINUTES TO A HALF
AN HOUR ON
AN 80 DEGREE DAY THAT CAR GETS
PRETTY HOT
PRETTY QUICK, AND IF YOU'RE
GOING TO BREAK
A WINDOW OVER A DOG, WHY WOULD
YOU NOT
TAKE THE SAME PRECAUTIONS OVER A
CHILD."
WALTERS SAYS SHE'S LEARNED A
LESSON... PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO
WHO'S WATCHING YOUR
CHILD.
"A COUPLE SECONDS THAT'S ONE
THING, IT'S
ANOTHER THING TO LEAVE THEM IN
THERE FOR A
LENGTH OF TIME BY THEMSELVES."
AS FAR AS LIL' BLOOMERS... THEY
SAY "WE ARE TAKING EVERY
PRECAUTION NECESSARY TO
PREVENT AN INCIDENT OF THIS
NATURE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN."
NICOLE JOHNSON VALLEY NEWS LIVE.
AS FAR AS THE EMPLOYEE WHO WAS
FIRED... CHILD PROTECTIVE
SERVICES TELLS US THEY CAN'T
RELEASE A NAME... AND THEY'RE
NOT
TAKING FURTHER ACTION ON THAT
PERSON.
MEANWHILE... LIL' BLOOMERS
LETTER SAYS THE TEACHER HAS BEEN
CHARGED WITH CHILD
NEGLIGENCE, AND WON'T BE ABLE TO
WORK IN ANY CHILD-RELATED
FIELD.
FARGO POLICE TELL US BEFORE
WE CALLED... THEY WERE NOT AWARE
OF THE SITUATION, AND SAY NO
CRIMINAL CHARGES HAVE BEEN
FILED.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ THE
LETTER.. GO TO VALLEY NEWS
LIVE.COM AND CLICK ON THIS
STORY.
IF YOU NEED HELP UNCOVERING
FRAUD AND CORRUPTION IN YOUR
COMMUNITY, CALL OUR
WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINE AT 701-
237-6576 AND LEAVE YOUR TIP.
A MEMBER OF OUR INVESTIGATIVE
TEAM WILL GET ON THE CASE... AND
