12 day care center licenses revoked by state

Associated Press - November 3, 2009 4:54 PM ET

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Twelve day care centers have lost their state operating licenses because of safety concerns.

That's according to the state Department of Social Services, which announced Tuesday that it had revoked the licenses.

The move comes as the department wrapped up a new round of inspections of day care centers around the state that had previously revoked licenses or recorded deficiencies.

DSS Secretary Kristy Nichols says the 12 centers that lost their licenses failed to correct past violations and posed "a serious threat to the safety of the children." The centers won't be able to reapply for a new license for two years.

The department is revamping its safety and licensing regulations for the centers, with the new regulations planned to be in place by the start of the 2010 school year.