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Mother of infant found dead in van outside of Jacksonville day care speaks out on social media

QUICK FACTS: 
  • Brooklyn is the 4-month-old girl who was left in a day care van at the Ewing's Love & Hope Preschool & Academy for nearly 5 hours Wednesday.
  • Brooklyn was found in a car seat in the back of a day care van not breathing.
  • Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives and Florida Department of Children and Families are at the day care investigating.
  • The day care was shut down by DCF Wednesday.
  • Lancia Issac started a GoFundMe to help raise money for her daughter's funeral.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — STAY UPDATED: Download the Action News Jax app for live updates on this breaking story

A mother is grieving over the death of her 4-month-old baby, who died after being left for hours in a transport van at day care.

A friend of the family told Action News Jax Reporter Ryan Nelson the child’s mother was having trouble eating.

The child died after police say she was left in a van at the Ewing's Love & Hope Preschool & Academy for about five hours under the Florida sun on Wednesday.

DCF tells us the day care was not licensed to transport children. We asked if inspectors noticed the clearly marked van on the property.

A DCF spokesperson responded to this question, and others, in the following statement:

"… child care licensing standards require any provider transporting children to notify DCF to ensure that the facility is monitored for transportation standards. DCF was not notified that the facility was transporting children. All child care facility inspections are unannounced, with no prior notification to the facility…"

State Sen. Audrey Gibson tells Action News Jax she asked DCF similar questions but got more detailed answers.

“According to notes, apparently, the van was actually in the driveway, but the inspector was told that the van was inoperable…” Gibson said.

The co-owner of the facility is in the Duval County jail, facing a child neglect charge, and being hold on $75,000 bond.

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