Olathe daycare operator charged in child’s death writes book about how to run a daycare

When Johnson County prosecutors charged her in the April 2009 death

of a child at the daycare she ran out of her Olathe home, Jeanette L. Lawrence was writing a book about how to run a daycare.

Prosecutors have charged Lawrence with involuntary

manslaughter and aggravated child endangerment in the death of 18-month-old Ava Patrick.

Authorities believed the girl pushed a chair to a fence separating toddlers and babies at

the daycare, stood on the chair and then fell, getting her neck stuck between

the fence slats and strangling to death. A complaint filed

with the state accuses Lawrence of operating a daycare with more

children than her license allowed. KMBC

Channel 9 cited state records that showed that Lawrence was caring for

14 children — when she should only have been caring for six — at the time of Ava’s death. Fox 4 reported that

Lawrence was operating on a suspended license.

Meanwhile, Amazon.com lists a recently released book titled Your Child’s Daycare: Everything you need to know from start to finish by Jeanette Lawrence. A paperback copy will set you back $18.99.

Lawrence’s attorney, John Gerstle, says he was aware that his client was writing a book about daycare, but he

wasn’t certain the book on Amazon.com was the one Lawrence was writing.

The Pitch tried to reach Lawrence by phone, but her number has been disconnected.