Disposition: Substantiated

On April 19, 2024, three complaints regarding the Family Child Care Home of Antoinette Gordy, located at 339 Hackberry Drive, New Castle, DE 19710 were called into the Child Abuse and Neglect Report Line and accepted for investigation by the Institutional Abuse Unit (IAU). The complaints were sent to the Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) and accepted for investigation on April 19, 2024, regarding concerns of lack of supervision. On April 19, 2024, Licensing Specialist Rukiya Davis and Licensing Supervisor Laurie Bailey delivered a Suspension Order to Ms. Gordy and began investigating this complaint. This complaint is substantiated for lack of supervision based on medical records, police records including the arrest of Substitute #1, information provided by IAU Investigator Mike Zuka, and an interview with Ms. Gordy. Medical documentation states Child #1 arrived at Nemours Children s Health Emergency Department hypothermic with signs of near-drowning, including aspiration of liquid into the lungs. Police records state Child #1 was found by Substitute #1 face down on a water-filled tarp draped over Ms. Gordy s above-ground swimming pool and stated Substitute #1 left multiple children unsupervised in Ms. Gordy s backyard while Ms. Gordy was running an errand. Ms. Gordy stated Substitute #1 was caring for the children while she went to the grocery store, and Substitute #1 came into the home to check on Child #2, who was sleeping in a pack-n-play and began preparing lunch. Ms. Gordy stated Substitute #1 left the remaining children in the backyard, and after a couple of minutes, Substitute #1 saw Child #1 s legs hanging over the edge of the swimming pool in the backyard. Ms. Gordy stated Substitute #1 retrieved Child #1 from the pool and called emergency services. Substitute #1 was arrested on April 23, 2024, and was charged with endangering the welfare of a child under the age of 18 causing injury. Additional concerns noted during this investigation include t he use of Substitute #1 in a non-emergency situation without the required trainings. Going to the grocery store or use on a regular basis requires an adult to be trained as a non-emergency substitute. Substitute #1 was listed as an emergency-only substitute and does not have the trainings or orientation forms required by OCCL to be used in non-emergency situations. An additional concern noted was Child #2, an infant, was left indoors unsupervised when Substitute #1 took the remaining children outside to play.

Disposition: Substantiated