Mexico Busts 7 Officials in Daycare Fire

(AP) - A fast-moving fire killed 29 children in a day care center in northern Mexico yesterday despite the desperate attempts of firefighters who punched through walls to rescue babies, toddlers and others trapped inside. At least 25 children and five employees were hospitalized after the fire at ABC day care in Hermosillo, the cause of which is still unknown. More»

Police investigate whether operator had gone shopping beforehand

(NEWSER) - A fourth child died today after a day care fire in Houston last week, as police investigate whether the woman who operated it out of her home left the kids unsupervised while she went shopping, reports KTRK-TV. Three other toddlers were injured, and two of them remain hospitalized. "There's no question she went shopping," a law enforcement source tells the Houston Chronicle . "They're trying to determine exactly when she returned, although it was a very close proximity (in time) to the fire." More»

Girl seriously injured elderly woman while racing bike

(NEWSER) - A 4-year-old girl who seriously injured an elderly woman in a bicycle accident was old enough to know better and can thereby be sued for negligence, a Manhattan judge decided yesterday. The 87-year-old woman fractured her hip after being hit by the girl and a friend who were racing bikes with training wheels on a city sidewalk. The woman died three weeks later, and her estate filed a lawsuit against the children and their parents. The judge didn't determine liability in the case—only that the girl can be sued. More»

New fuel for mommy wars

(NEWSER) - Teenagers who spent long hours in day-care as toddlers are more likely to take risks and act impulsively than peers who spent those years at home, finds the largest and longest study of child-care in America. The findings—sure to stir controversy among parents and policy makers—found that teens rated themselves 16% more impulsive for every extra 10 hours they spent per week in day-care as toddlers. More»

Cops make arrests after raids in Maywood, Ill

(NEWSER) - Chicago police raided an Illinois day-care center that apparently doubled as a brutal dogfighting operation. Ten children were being watched at the private home at the time of the raid. A swing set used by the kids was only 10 feet from a bloody garage where a “vicious” pit bull was found, said the county sheriff. Three people were arrested and nine abused dogs recovered. More»