MANDEVILLE - The Louisiana Department of Education revoked the license of an early learning center in St. Tammany Parish after a child wandered into traffic.

According to the department, Kidzone Preschool on Highway 59 in Mandeville was inspected on Mar. 17 after receiving a complaint from a driver that he was forced to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting a three-year-old running in the street. The child was three blocks away from the preschool facility.

The driver stopped, picked up the child and waited to see if anyone from the preschool was coming to get the child. However, after no one appeared, the driver went to the preschool and asked if a child was missing.

According to the department, staff had not noticed the child was gone and did not report the incident. When a site visit was conducted, the department says the director acted as if she was not aware of the incident, until later when she stated that there had been "an occurrence." However, the director did not state that a child had been missing and further mentioned that she did not realize she had to report it since the child was not "lost."

The department says the child's mother arrived to pick him up during the site visit. When the specialist interviewed the mother, it was learned that she was not given all of the details of the incident involving her child.

Public funding through the Child Care Assistance Program has been terminated for the preschool. The department has alerted the families of the preschool and is working closely with them to identify alternative options.

According to the department, Kidzone Preschool has 15 calendar days from the receipt of the notice to appeal the department's decision.