LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Inspectors with Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services showed up at Kayfield Academy II in east Louisville on Jan. 5 in direct response to the death of 13-month-old Shivani Jishnu.
In December, the child was found unresponsive at the child care center on Nelson Miller Parkway and was rushed to the hospital, but died weeks later. There was an emergency suspension of its license dated two days later.
According to Cabinet records WDRB obtained, the daycare exceeded the minimum staff to child ratio in three different rooms, including the one where Jishnu was found unresponsive.
“I don’t think the ratio issue necessarily is a Kayfield problem, but it’s definitely a problem Kayfield’s been facing,” said Terry Goodspeed, the attorney representing Jishnu's family.
Shivani Jishnu
Another problem on that day was the music, according to inspectors. It was being played excessively loud in two rooms.
Inspectors suggested potential staff wouldn’t be able to hear a child crying or in distress.
“I think the state was very concerned about that because in the citation that the state had made, they specially referenced the incident with Shivani just a couple weeks before,” said Goodspeed who mentions doctors telling Jishnu's parents their little girl went more than 20 minutes without oxygen Dec. 16.
State records do not indicate why, but state Jishnu stayed in the ICU on life support for weeks before she died.
“Accidents may happen but if there properly supervised and you have a correct ratio — the idea behind that is you can prevent the vast majority of incidents from happening,” said Goodspeed.
A records search shows there have been at least five other state investigations at the facility since 2020.
It included two incidents resulting in child injury that the daycare was not cited for.
WDRB reached out to its director and attorney and did not receive a response.
“Our investigation right now is ongoing," added Goodspeed. "We’re very thankful for the folks out there who have information that have reached out to us. We’ve been getting a lot of interesting information.”
The state recently issued Kayfield a corrective action plan and allowed it to reopen on Jan. 24.
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