Unlicensed B.C. child-care provider who left kids outside nail salon under investigation

Children are seen outside a nail salon in Maple Ridge, B.C., on Aug. 20, 2024.

An unlicensed child-care provider who left several young children outside a nail salon in B.C.'s Lower Mainland this week was later investigated by health officials – and found to have too many kids in her care.

An image showing seven children standing on the sidewalk along Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge went viral on social media this week, raising eyebrows among many local parents.

Facebook user Ash Isa, who took the picture Tuesday morning shortly before noon, told CTV News there was at least one additional child in a stroller.

Isa said she was alarmed by what she saw, and went into the salon to find the daycare operator sitting at a table with her back to the children.

"I said to her, 'You can't just be leaving kids on the street like this, it's not safe,'" Isa told CTV News in a phone interview Thursday.

"There was no remorse or anything, no sorry. She was just like, 'Yeah, I know.' And I thought that was a wild response."

On top of sharing a warning to the community on Facebook, Isa reported the incident to the RCMP.

"I feel bad because I know it's going to impact her livelihood," Isa said. "But if it was my kid, I would really want to know."

Ridge Meadows RCMP said the complaint was investigated but officers determined it was not criminal in nature, instead passing along the details to Fraser Health, which conducts inspections of child-care facilities in the region.

In an email, the detachment said surveillance video showed the woman entering the salon but leaving "promptly," within three minutes.

"The children outside the nail salon were in the line of sight of the daycare provider for that time," the RCMP added. "Police have determined that there was no risk to the children."

Fraser Health told CTV News licensing officers visited the woman's daycare on Wednesday and found her with six children who weren't related to her by blood or marriage, a violation of provincial rules.

Unlicensed providers can only care for "up to two children (or a sibling group) who are not related to them," according to a government website explaining the differences between types of child-care services.

Licensing officers told the woman to reduce the number of kids in her care immediately. Officers will be performing follow-up inspections to make sure she’s in compliance, Fraser Health said.

The health authority confirmed the same child-care provider was also the subject of a previous “unrelated investigation,” after which she promised to comply with all provincial regulations.

B.C.'s Ministry of Education and Child Care noted that because the child-care provider is unlicensed, she is not eligible for provincial funding – but she's also not subject to routine monitoring or inspections.

"High-quality child care allows parents to work, go to school or pursue other opportunities, and gives parents peace of mind knowing their children are safe," the ministry said in an email. "No parent should experience a situation like this."