A private daycare center in Pingtung has been hit with the maximum penalties after a 3-month-old baby in its care died during a nap, a harsh outcome for the center but a signal that regulators are cracking down on unsafe childcare.

• The baby lost its heartbeat during a nap on August 5 and could not be saved.
• Pingtung County ruled three caregivers put the infant to sleep face-down, let a baby too young to hold a bottle feed itself, and left the care area unattended for long stretches.
• The lead caregiver was fined the maximum and banned from working in child welfare for 30 years; two others got smaller fines and 15-year bans.
• The center itself was fined the maximum, ordered to close for a year, and will have its name and owner's name made public.
• The shutdown starts two months from now so other families have time to move, with weekly inspections until then and one-on-one help finding new places.

Outlook: The center's name will be released when the penalty is formally issued, and the criminal investigation is still running alongside the fines.