WAUKESHA — A woman in Waukesha could face criminal charges after allegedly running an unlicensed daycare operation from her home.
The charges come after an infant died at the home under Amy Quakkelaar's care. The death is still being investigated and doesn't appear to be due to negligence or abuse. However, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) tells TMJ4 News they have been investigating the home since 2018 and issued several orders for Quakkelaar to stop operating in 2021.
Lighthouse reporter Ryan Jenkins visited the home and spoke with Quakkelaar to better understand what happened to the baby and why she ignored warnings from DCF to shut down her alleged childcare operation.
Watch: Alleged unlicensed childcare operator being investigated after infant death
Amy Quakkelaar: "I actually had told them that I can't watch the kids anymore and they asked me to just hang out for a little longer. The kids love me, they call me grandma, they've known me since before they were born and they weren't in a position to go anywhere else and I didn't want to do that to them so, I continued because they were my friends."
Ryan Jenkins: "And you continued even though you received orders to stop?"
Amy Quakkelaar: "Correct. And they knew that too. They knew that as well."
Amy said the baby who passed away at her home in October was the child of a close family friend.
"There was no trauma, there was no choking, we don't know (what happened). I'm assuming SIDS," she said when Jenkins asked how the baby died.
While Amy said the cause of the death remains unknown, she did know the child wasn't supposed to be there in the first place.
Ryan Jenkins: "If the DCF came out and ordered you to stop operating, why didn't you go through the process to get licensed to continue to help these families?"
Amy Quakkelaar: "That was actually a next step," she said. "Ultimately we decided it was a lot and I didn't want to continue. I wanted to stop doing this."
As the Medical Examiner now works to learn what caused the baby's death, DCF has now referred charges to the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office, which confirmed over the phone that charges for "operating a child care center without a license" are under review. A decision could take months.
When asked if she wishes she would've said "no" to watching the baby in hindsight, Amy said she did consider it but would feel guilty regardless if something happened outside of her care.
As the investigation plays out, Amy said she was only trying to help her friends. She said news stories about child abuse combined with the cost of daycare put her friends in a desperate situation.
"I know it sounds absurd because he didn't live but I wanted to make sure they (the kids) were safe and they were (safe) here," she said.
The woman wanting to provide a safe place for kids is now under investigation yet again for ignoring regulations meant to protect those very children.
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