A police investigation earlier this year at a child care home in Merrillville, where officers recovered guns, knives and alcohol, was a shocking revelation for the town’s public officials, who in the summer adopted new ordinances to regulate such businesses more strictly.
The allegations against Tawana Cole, operator of three child care homes in Lake County, raised questions about whether the hundreds of child care homes in Northwest Indiana were being properly inspected to ensure compliance with state regulations.