NORCO — A joint effort of the Louisiana Department of Education and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office resulted in the discovery of an underground childcare operation in St. Charles Parish, officials report.

The discovery comes after the LED launched its Registry of Individuals Prohibited from Operating Unlicensed Early Learning Centers and notified Louisiana’s sheriffs and police chiefs about these individuals and the court orders and injunctions filed against them.

On July 7, prompted by the LED letter notifying law enforcement of people on the registry, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s deputies investigated Kristy Jones for possibly operating an unlicensed childcare center in Norco.

In February 2012, the Department of Children and Family Services found Jones operating without a license and caring for nine unrelated children in her home. Prior to an April 2012 hearing, Jones agreed to and signed a court order halting her operation of her unlicensed childcare facility.

When deputies arrived at Jones’s address in the injunction, they found she no longer lived there. Further investigation led them to a home on Barrecca Street in Norco.

On July 8, deputies arrived at the home and knocked on the door, at which time they could hear the voices and cries of several children, which soon quieted down. According to deputies, they knocked on the door several times before Jones’s husband allowed them inside, where they found Jones and 10 children huddled in the laundry room. Deputies say a total of 12 children, including two belonging to Jones, were being cared for inside the home.

Officials said LED will make follow up visits to Jones’s home and intends to file a Motion for Contempt against Jones with the cooperation of the Sheriff’s deputies. Licensing staff will continue to visit Jones’s home periodically to ensure she doesn’t resume care for more than six unrelated children. Because violations of licensing regulations are not criminal offenses, law enforcement authorities cannot take action against the operator of the illegal child care.

“The underground childcare program run by Kristy Jones is another example of an illegal business operating in the shadows,” State Superintendent John White said. “As a state, we must address this. We need criminal penalties in Louisiana for this kind of deceit and endangerment. Someone must pay the price for running illegal, underground childcares.”

Jones is one of close to 50 individuals listed on the Department’s registry. The Department launched the registry last month, with the intention of shining a spotlight on individuals who are forbidden by courts from operating an unlicensed childcare center in Louisiana.

If you know of, or have concerns about, a possible unlicensed child care in operation, please contact the Louisiana Department of Education’s Licensing Division at LDELicensing@la.gov or by calling 225-342-9905 or 1-877-453-2721.