Finding 86 children in a Goshen-area home with just three adults is what apparently prompted a lawsuit this week.
Court documents say a search of the home was conducted Monday, after the state’s Division of Family Resources suspected it was operating as an unlicensed childcare home. During the search, DFR staff say they found 66 kids in the basement, 17 children in two rooms on the ground floor, and three infants strapped into car seats in dark closets.
Now, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is asking the court to stop the childcare home from operating.
The lawsuit says licensing consultants began inspecting the home in December, in response to complaints. One of its operators allegedly made conflicting statements, at one point calling the home a “bus stop,” where parents could let their children stay free of charge. Another time, she reportedly said it was licensed for “emergency placements,” which the state denies.
The FSSA says it sent them a cease-and-desist letter in April, but they continued operating, prompting the DFR to seek a search warrant.
