Two classrooms at Petits Poussins, a French-language preschool on the Upper East Side, were temporarily shuttered after staff left a child unattended during a class outing to John Jay Park on May 6. The child was located and reunited with school staff, and the school says it is cooperating with a city inspection. Parents were notified, and some said they were alarmed by the lapse in supervision. The partial closure affects only two preschool classrooms, while other infant and toddler rooms at the site remain open.
How the shutdown unfolded
As reported by PIX11, the Department of Health launched an investigation after staff failed to account for one child when teachers returned from the park. City inspectors then ordered the temporary suspension of two preschool classrooms while they review the center’s supervision practices. Officials say the child was quickly reunited with staff and no injuries were reported.
School response and parent reaction
Vanessa Handal-Ghenania, the founder of the Petits Poussins chain, told Patch the school is "cooperating fully" with the Health Department and has begun retraining staff on what she described as active supervision. The school said its infant and toddler classrooms remain open and that it expects to resume full operations once inspectors approve corrective steps.
Neighbors and some parents said they were relieved the child was found quickly but want clearer communication on how oversight broke down and what concrete changes the center will make so it does not happen again.
Why the city can close classrooms
City rules allow the Health Department to suspend or close a child care program if its operation "may give rise to an imminent health hazard" or otherwise endanger children. As outlined by NYC Rules, inspectors can order immediate closures while a program completes required corrective actions or submits an approved plan to reopen. That authority is meant to force rapid fixes when inspectors find problems with supervision or safety.
Wider context
Temporary shutdowns are a familiar part of the Health Department’s enforcement toolbox and have been used in previous cases where officials identified compliance issues at child care centers. For instance, vaccine-related compliance and recordkeeping problems have led to closures in other neighborhoods, according to reporting by 1010 WINS. Advocates say such closures help protect children but urge the city to provide families with timely, specific information about what went wrong and how it is being fixed.
What happens next
The school says it is putting stricter supervision protocols in place and expects the affected classrooms to reopen once the Health Department gives final approval. Parents looking for updates have been advised to watch for messages from the center and city agencies as inspectors complete their review. We will update this story if the Department of Health posts a public notice or the center announces a reopening.
