Day care owner gets 6 years for hiding 26 kids in basement

A Colorado day care owner convicted of keeping 26 children hidden in the basement of her business two years ago has been sentenced to six years in prison after parents said some of the children suffered trauma including sleeping problems and anxiety.

Faith was only licensed to care for up to six children at her Colorado Springs private day care and only two of them were allowed to be under the age of 2.

But police who went to her Mountain Play Place day care in November 2019 after receiving reports there were more children than allowed found 25 children in the basement, including 12 children under age 2, prosecutors said.

There were two adult employees supervising them in the basement and one of them, Valerie Fresquez, accepted a plea deal and testified at Faith's trial, KRDO-TV reported. The 26th child who had been in the basement was picked up by a parent while police were at the day care, authorities said.



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