Little Honors - Somerset NJ Child Care Center

We used Little Honors for 3 weeks about a year ago my son was 4 yrs. old. We had no issue then; however, this year on 8/17/23 we had an alarming drowning incident involving our son that occurred at a private resident pool located 1.5 miles away from daycare premises. The pool facility name was called "Swimply". I researched Swimply and read the owner rents his back yard out to the public. On his website he specifies there is cameras recording at all times, swimmers swim at their own risk because no lifeguards. Little Honors should have certified lifeguards and certified CPR staff on premises to ensure the safety of children attending Little Honors, but they don't. They did not disclose this to us, that was a red flag of alarm.
We needed another 3 weeks' worth of care this current year before my son started school. On his 4th day of attending Little Honors, we allowed him to go to a pool "trip" we paid $15 extra. My fiancé asked how they would arrive to pool, and Little Honors response was that they did not provide transportation for children. Instead, they walked the children 1.5 miles to and from this private residence on a high heat advisory week. A total of 3 miles for small children crossing major and busy roads. I am not against exercise but after a long walk arriving and swimming on a humid 100-degree day, the walk back is not justifiable as exercise. My husband asked for the address of pool location to pick him up himself because of our concern for our sons' safety. My husband assumed it was an official pool facility with changing rooms. Upon arriving to address provided by staff he entered a private resident backyard; he observed 4 staff members. One of the 1 staff member was pregnant so technically she cannot be reliable as someone who can jump in the pool to save children. The ratio was 3 staff members, 1 pregnant staff member to 22 kids. My son along with 2 other kids told my husband that our son had drowned. My son said a little girl in his class had gotten on top of him and held him under water for unknown time. My son told his dad that a "teacher jumped in to save him, swam my son to the steps of the pool and told him to breath in and out". My husband was understandably upset and asked who was a certified lifeguard? The staff responded that no one was certified. In addition, the residence had a porter potty, Little Honors had the children not only use that as a bathroom but also using it as a changing area. That is unsanitary and disgusting. My husband went to facility to speak to owner/management, we need immediate answers, and no one was available. The owner was on vacation. We sent an email for management to address this and explain what exactly happened. The owner called us back 3 hours later and still took no accountability and said she still needed to get facts. It is 8/25/2023 and we have yet to hear from Little Honors. A professional daycare facility would answer parents concern before end of business day. Little Honors is shady and untruthful. We escalated this to the Franklin Park Police, and they turned their investigation over to State DCF. The owner of pool residence has yet to provide video footage of the pool drowning that occurred 8/17/23. The state showed up to interview staff and children and investigation is still ongoing. Little Honors also canceled a scheduled meeting we had with them that day. The owner of Swimply pool residence also declined to come to this meeting. Little Honors told Law Enforcement they met with us and that is a flat out lie. They tried to say that all children had floaties and that was a lie. As Swimply website stated that they had recording cameras on site at all times, yet the owner is withholding the video. Until law enforcement sees that video, Little Honors is a danger for all children attending. Do not send your children to Little Honors they dont have CPR certifications either. If they did we would not be hear warning all of the parents seeking daycare.

Little Honors should answer and explain what happens to our children when drownings occur within the same business day.
Little honors need to be certified lifeguards and CPR certified if they intend to keep taking children off site to swim at Swimply that is a personal residence. They should be professional and careful by providing transportation for little kids on heat advisory weeks.
Little Honors need a suitable changing area for children after pool use. A porter potty is not acceptable, safe or sanitary.
Little Honors has lied to investigators and until that video shows different they are wrong and dangerous to all children.

Very bad control of the facility. Director and head teacher hide a lot of mistakes and treat employees badly. Will not be taking my child there again. Staff doesn’t seem to be trained and not take care of children well.