Woman Defends Her Home Daycare

A Broken Arrow child care provider is defending her home daycare after DHS orders it to close. It's a story The News On 6 first told you about over the weekend. Now parents of the children who stay at her home say DHS is out of line.

Krina Hendricks has been running a daycare out of her home for four years.

"My husband passed away in '98 and they're like my family," said Krina Hendricks, daycare owner.

In that time, she says, she has never had a complaint. Instead, she has received several commendations, including one from DHS. But, that changed six months ago during the December ice storm.

Hendricks says when she learned her power was out she called all of the parents, telling them she would have to be closed. That news was not well-received by the parents.

"At home it was the same. We asked her to take our kids. It was no different cause we had to take care of work," said parent, John Woods.

So, Hendricks made a decision she now calls a mistake: she agreed to stay open. Because she didn't have electricity she kept a gallon of milk and a gallon of fruit punch in her front porch that, she says, is constantly cold in the winter. She used her oven to warm the house.

"I would turn it on at 4:30 in the morning. I turned it off when the kids came. Intermittently when it would cool off I would turn it back on," said Hendricks.

But, DHS says that violates the rules and in April they ordered her daycare to close. Hendricks appealed and a court document dated June 18th shows a Wagoner County judge ruled DHS's decision to revoke her license should be stayed until a July hearing. But, one week later, Hendricks got an Emergency Order of Closure from DHS saying she had to shut down immediately. Hendricks says this proves DHS is violating a direct court order.

"They should not be able to do whatever they want to like I was told," said Hendricks.

Meanwhile, Hendricks is still open and her parents say they have no problem leaving their kids with her.

"I definitely will keep sending my child there," said Woods.

DHS says it took six months to close the daycare because it didn't consider the situation to be life-threatening. A spokesman also tells us DHS has not been officially served with the court that allows Hendricks to stay open. Her next hearing is in three weeks.