A West Des Moines couple were convicted of four counts each of child endangerment Thursday for overfilling the daycare facility they operated in 2023.
Steven John Koster, 55, of 8246 Mercato Court, West Des Moines, was convicted on four counts of child endangerment in Dallas County District Court.
Michelle Lee Koster, 51, of 8246 Mercato Court, West Des Moines, was convicted on four counts of child endangerment in Dallas County District Court.
The incident began Nov. 9, 2023, at about 9:15 a.m., when the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (IDHHS) conducted an unannounced visit to the Learning Zone, an in-home daycare center operated by the Kosters at 8246 Mercato Court in West Des Moines.
According to court records, the IDHHS workers found 31 children in the center, including eight toddlers or newborns under the age of 2, even though Kosters “knew” they were licensed “to have a total of 14 children.”
When the Kosters learned the inspectors were on site, they directed their staff members “to move the children around, take them outside via the egress window and put some of the children to sleep to make it harder for IDHHS workers to count the number of children present,” according to court records.
By operating with “an excessive number of children,” the Kosters “knowingly acted and created a substantial risk” to the “physical, mental or emotional health or safety” of the children in their care, according to court records.
The Kosters were originally charged with eight counts of child endangerment each. Four counts each were later dismissed by Judge Virginia Cobb, who sentenced the couple Thursday to two years of probation.
