A memorial for nineteen-month-old Faith Phillips is quickly growing just one day after her death at a day care center in Wasilla. Police say she was strangled by a piece of playground equipment at Illuminations Child Care and Educational Center on Thursday September 6.
Monday, September 10th, the facility was closed and staff was not commenting on the incident.
Questions about how Faith died are still unanswered but what the family does know is…it wasn't necessary.
“Just trying to get through it just one day at a time,” said Faith’s grandmother Amy Thomas.
Thomas says the family is exhausted after this tragic weekend.
Thomas say she wants to give the police the time they need to do their job so the investigation is thorough.
Around 11 a.m., police say they received a call that a small child was not breathing. When they arrived, staff was providing CPR.
Police don't know how many people on staff that day were CPR certified but according to State Department of Health and Social Services there only needs to be one CPR and First aid trained person at the facility at all times.
"You can't tell me that one person is responsible for the lives of all the children,” said Thomas. “That's not fair.”
The state enforces regulations on safety with annual announced and unannounced visits. Illuminations Child Care and Educational Center is currently licensed until December 2014.
Both the state and Wasilla police will conduct their own investigations.
Police have removed the playground equipment Faith was strangled on, along with video surveillance. However, police say the footage does not capture Faith's accident; she was in a blind spot.
Police say the harshest charges the facility here could face would be child negligence. Department of Health and Social Services, which issues childcare licenses, say the facility could see a license suspension or revocation.
