Child-Restraint Violations, Unqualified Staff Led to Preschool Closure

The California Departent of Social Services is looking to revoke Universal Preschool LCC's ability to operate after investigations found several state-licensing violations.

The childcare center, formally known as The Sunnyside Infant and Preschool, did not comply with state codes for child restraints, exceeded the amount of children the school is licensed to care for and also staffed an unqualified employee to care for infants, according to a complaint filed with the state department.

State officials on Friday shut down the facility with help from Livermore police.

The childcare center's director, Lida Sharaf, and an employee, Nazila Sharaf, are also named in the complaint. Authorities are looking to ban them from working at any childcare centers licensed by CDSS.

Officials began an investigation on Universal Preschool LCC after it received a complaint earlier this month.

During a March 12 visit, officials discovered infants at the childcare were being swaddled — a child-restraint violation. Furthermore, an infant was found sleeping on a high chair and another infant was sleeping in a car seat, according to the complaint.

A next-day visit found 13 infants being cared for at the preschool, which surpassed the maximum amount of 12 infants the center is licensed to have on site, the complaint said.

A third visit on Friday, March 15, revealed the preschool still had infants swaddled despite the previous violation. In addition, the complaint report shows two infants had bottles propped up on them as they slept in cribs.

Another violation was discovered that day prior to the preschool being shut down. Officials found an employee, who did not have a criminal record clearance, working in the infant room and caring for children. The center's director also told the employee to say she was someone else to licensing staff and police because she did not have a clearance on file, the complaint said.

An incident last August where a staff member made a false statement to officials during an investigation also played a factor in the department of social services' decision to shut down the school.

Further details in a staff report provided in the complaint:

While here investigating a question of commingling and teacher qualification, I asked a staff member if a certain staff member has ever been left alone with infants (this person has not completed an infant class, which was the issue). The staff member said no, this has never happened, and all the infants arrive after she does. However, parents I called and the unqualified infant teacher all told me otherwise. (They did not say it does not happen all the time).

Universal Preschool LCC, Lida Sharaf and Nazila Sharaf have 15 days to file an appeal, officials said.

For further information, view the attached complaint.