By Kathryn Reed

A final decision is expected in April as to whether Kindertown will remain open as a day care facility in South Lake Tahoe.

El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Steve Bailey met in his chambers on Wednesday with Kindertown owner Maria Barrows-Crist, her attorney Mike McLaughlin, and Brenda Ray with the state Attorney General’s Office. Ray spoke by telephone.

The judge finally has the transcripts of last summer’s three-day hearing that led the Department of Social Services to want to close the local center. The $3,300 for the documents came out of Barrows-Crist’s pocket.

A slew of allegations are in the final 28-page report. Bailey told Ray he expects her to be able to provide evidence to the charges.

In the mean time, Kindertown is slowly increasing the number of children it cares for. Before the trouble began there were 120 kids, it dropped to 35 and is now at 83.

“-Some are coming back, but I have a lot of new kids and a lot of new staff. It is so great,” Barrows-Crist told Lake Tahoe News.