North Carolina — A North Carolina toddler was put down for a nap on her first day of day care on Monday, and her mother received the call that no parent ever wants to hear.
According to a GoFundMe page started by a family friend, the 16-month-old girl, identified only as “Maddy,” was dropped off at the day care on Monday by her mother on what was reportedly a “heartbreaking, nerve-wracking” day.
According to local CBS affiliate WBTV, the mother, whose name was not released to the public, received updates on Maddy and another of her children while they were at the Creative Beginnings day care center in Lenoir, North Carolina. Then she received another call informing her that Maddy had not woken up from her nap.
Emergency medical services arrived at Creative Beginnings and attempted to save Maddy’s life, which they continued to do as she was transported to the hospital. She was pronounced dead upon her arrival.
According to WBTV, the Lenoir Police Department launched an investigation into Maddy’s death immediately. The county medical examiner conducted an autopsy, prompting police to investigate Maddy’s death as a crime.
On Wednesday, police charged Alexandra Coffey, 29, a Creative Beginnings employee, with involuntary manslaughter.
She was arrested without incident and placed in custody at the Caldwell County Detention Center on a $500,000 secured bond. Coffey was supposed to appear in court on Thursday, according to local news radio station WHKY.
According to WBTV, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has suspended Creative Beginnings’ license as well.
In the order requiring the center to close by the end of business on Wednesday, the agency stated that the suspension was necessary “based on the agency’s findings that the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action.”
According to WBTV, Creative Beginnings was cited for CPR and first aid violations three times during unscheduled inspections before correcting the issues in September 2024.
At the time of Maddy’s death, Creative Beginnings’ license was rated five stars. Police stated that the day care center was cooperating with the investigation.
