Vigil Held, Justice Sought For Baby Who Died at Daycare in North Philadelphia

The family of the ten month old baby who police say died after being found unresponsive at her daycare last week spoke only to FOX 29 Saturday night.

Loved ones of Jacera Counts say they won't stop fighting until they know what happened to the infant girl.

Saturday, they gathered at a vigil outside Sister's Child Care center, where the grieving family demanded answers from state officials as to why the center on Germantown Avenue was allowed to remain open despite two dozen noncompliance issues.

Those issues were the result of a summer department of human services inspection. Officials say Sister's was cooperating with the state to continue fixing those issues at the time of Jacera's death, which has been described as suspicious by police.

The Counts family says workers did not call 911 when the child was found, and allege she was not taken to the hospital right away.

Instead Jacera's grandmother says it was the baby's uncle who happened upon daycare workers standing with the baby on the street. Realizing she was in distress he ran with Jacera in his arms to the hospital, just a block away.

It was too late. She was pronounced dead a short time later.

"I just don't understand how the state knew all this was out here. I mean all these violations and not once did you check. You left the doors open," said Jacera's grandmother Thomasa Counts, "There is going to be justice for Jacie. There's going to be no stone left unturned until I figure out what happened."

Jacera's cause of death is still pending. The special victims unit is investigating. Neither the daycare nor the Department of Human Services which regulates daycares in the state responded to our requests for comment regarding the family's concerns. You can find a link to a GoFundMe site set up to help with Jacera's funeral expenses.