Following the death of a toddler who was left in a hot car by a day care worker, Education Is The Key Children’s Center forfeited its license May 23 and is now closed. 

The incident at the day care center, 975 St. Street in North Memphis, occurred May 19. The 1-year-old was found in the day care vehicle during the afternoon after being left in the vehicle that morning.

The child was rushed to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in critical condition but later died, the Memphis Police Department said.

Temperatures that day reached 91 degrees. According to researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, temperatures in a car can increase by 40 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour, regardless of ambient temperature. This would put the internal temperature of the daycare vehicle at around 130 degrees. 

The license forfeiture was submitted to the Tennessee Department of Human Services May 23 by owner Dessie Currie-X.

“The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is aware of the incident involving Education is the Key Children’s Learning Center,” Marcia McShane, assistant commissioner of the public information office at TDHS, said. “We are saddened and our thoughts go out to the family during this difficult time.”

McShane said the TDHS Child Care Licensing Team immediately launched an investigation of the situation and is partnering with others to “further investigate as needed.” 

So far during its investigation, TDHS has found that, although the child care center was authorized for transportation through the use of pre-approved vehicles and the person involved in the incident was approved for transport, the specific vehicle involved was not. 

The day care center was licensed in February 2017 and had received no violations since opening, McShane said. 

MPD said the investigation of the incident is ongoing.