Owner fighting state over closure of day care facility

ORLANDO, Fla. — A day care facility in Orange County has been shut down by the state. But the owner is challenging the state's action.

Florida Department of Children and Families documents show that in the last year, the Beatrice Guardian Angel Daycare has racked up eight serious violations.

The state said that the facility has had as many as 75 children in its care.

The DCF document that denied the renewal of the day care's license stated, "According to the department's investigation, what was believed to be a bag of cocaine had been found in the facility on two separate occasions."

The document went on to state that Debra Giles said she believed the substance that was found was cocaine and that she believed it belonged to her daughter, Alexis Anderson.

According to the DCF document, Anderson, "a known drug abuser," lacked the required background screening to be present at the facility or to work at the facility supervising children.

"It's really serious when the state strips you of your license," WFTV reporter Kenneth Craig said to Giles.

"The state takes whatever information it wants and runs with it," said Giles. "If they can make it sound horrible, they will make it sound horrible. They never found anything. I disclosed that."

The documents also show Giles allowed her husband to be at the facility. The DCF document said that Pervis Giles had an offense that meant he wasn't allowed to be present at the day care.

Debra Giles said DCF has it all wrong, and she is taking her fight to court.

"I took care of these kids, and these kids was well taken care of. That's why so many parents are fighting for me to get my license back," said Giles.

WFTV