Former Katie's Kids Pre-School Centers Proprietor Kathryn Muhammad Praises Palm Beach County for Approving Law Mandating Day-Care Van Alarms and Announces Plans to Plant 1000 Trees in Haile's Name

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kathryn Muhammad, proprietor of Katie's Kids Pre-School Centers where Haile, 2, was found dead in the day-care's van last year, praised Senator Sachs for supporting the Haile Brockington Bill and bringing it one step closer to reality.

Palm Beach County is taking steps towards becoming the first in the state to require day-care centers to install safety alarms in vehicles used to transport children. This is something Muhammad did following Haile's death, which occurred while Muhammad was away on vacation.  The day-care centers she operated successfully for seven years prior to the tragedy have since closed.  She blames negligent employees who didn't follow her safety rules.  

"We are all still devastated by Haile's death and my hope is to keep her memory alive," said Muhammad, who is partnering with Seed Our Future (www.seedourfuture.org) to plant 1000 trees in deforested nations around the world in honor of Haile.

Muhammad is a relentless advocate for the bill, a piece of legislature that was defeated in the Florida House in May of this year. The bill would have required all Florida day care centers to equip each van or bus with a special alarm system to prevent leaving a child behind.

"This tragedy should never have happened and we are fighting to make sure it never happens again," said Muhammad tearfully. "We must make sure the entire community never forgets this poor child's needless death because a few people failed to follow rules and protocol that they were trained to observe, including investigating the vans thoroughly before and after trips.  And that didn't happen while I was away, which had tragic consequences," she added.  

According to The Palm Beach Post, during the past 10 years in the U.S., about 450 youngsters locked in cars have died from hyperthermia.

Contact: Louise Canuto
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SOURCE Kathryn Muhammad