No heating, a dirty crib, electric wires on the floor and children dressed improperly: an illegal daycare center in the Villeray sector had to be evacuated urgently last October. The conditions at the Palace of Angels were potentially dangerous, according to the government, while the owner deplores “false attacks. »
Updated yesterday at 6:41 p.m.
The Palace of Angels changed location last winter, court documents show. The owner of the establishment, Khadidja Bensalem, held a daycare license at the old location. However, it does not hold any daycare or CPE license for the premises located rue Jarry Est, the court documents state.
The Palace of Angels daycare center was not safe for children, the Ministry of Family found during an inspection on October 11 and 12, according to a request for an injunction filed this week.
Detectives broke into an area with no heat, no thermostat attached to the wall, and exposed electrical wires.
Some children were without shoes and not properly dressed, even though it was chilly outside.
Several floor lamps clutter the toddlers’ circulation spaces in the middle of the locker room and near the toilets.
There is a dirty crib on the desk and extension cords lying on the floor.
The place was therefore urgently evacuated on October 14th. “Risks to the health and safety of children constitute irreparable harm. »
“False Attacks”
“Our services are exceptional to the point where parents refuse to see us close in the face of these false attacks,” said Khadidja Bensalem, joined by The Press.
The establishment is equipped with a video surveillance system. She invites the ministry to view these filmed sequences. “They will see that everything was perfect and that the parents are happy. »
She explains the state of the daycare during the visit of the inspectors by a power outage. “In October it was hot that day. We didn’t need heating,” she continues.
Miguel Martinez had been bringing his children to the Palace of the Angels every day for about a month and a half. “I found several things a little suspicious,” he explains in an interview.
In their second week at daycare, her children fell ill. “It’s normal, but I was wondering why they had cold hands and feet. »
The children, who were supposed to receive three meals, were often hungry, he said. “The oldest told me that she had barely eaten. The employees told me that she had had her three meals. »
The owner was difficult to reach by phone. “I had questions, but never answers. He even asked several times to revisit daycare, without success.
Parents in trouble
Despite the inspection and the evacuation of the place, several parents deplore the decision to close the daycare.
Célia Aboul, mother of a baby registered at the Palace of the Angels, finds herself in a bad way. “It’s fine to close it, but we were warned at the last minute. It’s really a shame, because the children loved this place. »
The student with the DEP in secretariat must be absent from certain courses to be able to be at home with his daughter since the closing.
Franchesco Alexandre, another child’s parent, is saddened by the closure of the daycare. “I have visited several times. Everything was clean. Children are taken care of in optimal conditions. »
He even goes so far as to denounce the “abrupt” way in which the Ministry of the Family has shown itself by closing the nursery, with no alternative options for the parents.
“We work, me and my wife. We can’t do without daycare. »