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Parents with children at the U-Gro in Springettsbury Township, York County, must find a new daycare center after the Department of Human Services shut down the facility.
DHS visited the York County daycare on July 16, following an incident two days prior where a one-year-old child was left outside in 99-degree weather. Officials spoke to daycare staff and confirmed that the child was left unsupervised in the outdoor playground area.
U-Gro’s corporate office has not commented, but lists the 1321 N. Sherman Street, Springettsbury Township, location as closed on its website.
According to the report shared with PennLive, the child’s parents arrived at 3:40 p.m. for pickup, and staff could not find the child. The one-year-old’s parent spotted their child in the outdoor space and found them crying with “red cheeks and a fully soiled diaper.”
The child was left outside for approximately four to six minutes.
DHS immediately called for the facility to be shut down starting on July 17. The center had also received multiple other violations on the day of inspection and prior to that.
During the July 16 visit, DHS officials asked one of the staff members how many children were in the room, to which the staff member said, “I don’t know,” and was also unable to name multiple children they were responsible for looking after. The facility received a violation related to “supervision” for this, amongst many others.
Many of the facility’s issues concerned supervision, hygiene, and staff-to-child ratios. Multiple staff members lacked CPR or fire safety training, the daycare had no emergency plan in place, many staff lacked childcare experience, and some did not have FBI clearances on record.
Staff were also accused of using harsh language toward children.
During a May 18, 2026, visit, DHS officials watched a staff member lie across a child to keep them on their cot during naptime, and watched another staff member “forcefully grab a child by their wrist” to lead them across the classroom.
The report also cites another incident back in April 2026, where staff left the stove on unattended, as well as an “infestation” of ants in packages of food and on the kitchen counter.
DHS also shared a statement regarding the closure and said it is their top priority to keep children safe and protected.
“The PA Department of Human Services (PA DHS) will not hesitate to take action to protect children in licensed child care facilities, and is committed to ensuring providers are held accountable when they repeatedly fail to meet the state’s expectations,” the statement reads. “ Our staff works to ensure that any allegations and potential violations that put people at risk are investigated and handled urgently. PA DHS issued an Emergency Removal Order to U-Gro Learning Centers on July 17 due to several safety, supervisory, and other regulatory violations. Facilities are not permitted to operate during an appeal following the execution of an Emergency Removal Order.”
Following the closure, parents were provided with a list of options and ways to find other means of care for their children. DHS asks parents to contact the Early Learning Resource Center of York County at 717-854-2273 or 800-864-4925 to find alternative childcare.
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