Broken Windows, Mold, BB Gun Found in Alleged Unlicensed Day Care

Apr 3

*The Woodbury home where an alleged unlicensed daycare was operating.* ***Via Google Streetview***

A Woodbury woman allegedly operated a filthy unlicensed day care facility and refused authorities’ attempts to bring her into compliance.

Law enforcement was called to a residence on the 1400 block of Surrey Lane in Woodbury on the morning of October 16, 2024, after receiving a report that a child care program was being run without proper licensing.

According to the criminal complaint, officers met with community services staff who observed four separate individuals dropping off children at the home. All confirmed that the home served as their regular day care provider.

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The woman operating the day care—identified in court documents as 61-year-old Catherine Starr Kirby—allegedly admitted she was unlicensed and said she was caring for five children at the time. Kirby also acknowledged she did not hold a current CPR certification and after refusing to allow officials inside the home, a search warrant was obtained by police.

Once inside the home, authorities reported discovering two children present and a number of concerning conditions including a broken window covered in a black substance that appeared to be mold, a stairway blocked by cardboard and a room filled with so much debris that it was largely inaccessible. A BB gun was located upstairs and its ammunition was found near children's toys, with the basement described as littered with cat feces and urine, visible mouse traps placed on the stairs and large bags of trash blocking the exit door of the home.

Officials noted that Kirby admitted to sometimes taking children into the basement area. She has been summoned to appear in court in May and faces up to 90 days in jail for the charge.

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