Pocono News Section

Former Workers Protesting Daycare Center

Former Workers Protesting Daycare Center - Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 5:12PM EST

Reported by: Mike Trim
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2008 @ 05:12pm EST
KINGSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY- A Luzerne County daycare is under fire from some of its former employees, and a state agency says its license might be pulled. We're talking about Little Steps Daycare in Kingston and Wilkes-Barre.

Outside Little Steps in Kingston, Danielle Lewis and Erica Wrubel's held signs saying they were employees not paid. Lewis says, “We're not trying to get back at them, we just, all we wanted was our money and this wouldn't have happened."

Lewis says her last paycheck, more than $400, bounced. Wrubel says hers for more than $200 did the same.

The state Department of Labor says 5 wage complaints filed against Little Steps this year. 11 wage complaints were filed last year. Wrubel says she’s, "Mad because i wish we could just get our money. I mean we're just two college students who are like trying to pay for gas and school and books and things like that and we can't when we don't have a reliable check every week."

The state Department of Public Welfare is not renewing little steps daycare license at it's second location in Wilkes-Barre. That's due to too many violations, which weren't clear at the time of this story.

The Department of Welfare also says the heat has been shut off at the Kingston daycare. That won't be a violation until cold weather arrives.

Wrubel and Lewis just hope their money arrives. They've been picketing for three days. They were supposed to be using to get ready for college.

Eyewitness News tried reaching little steps daycare management today. They were not at both daycares when we visited, and our calls were not returned.