Kindertown owner wins small financial relief from state

By Kathryn Reed

Maria Barrows-Crist was back in court Oct. 15. This time the owner of Kindertown day care was trying to recoup attorney fees.

Although the judge said no to that request, the state will be reimbursing her $3,600 for the cost of purchasing transcripts.

Maria Barrows-Crist

The state Department of Social Services had spent nearly a year trying to shut down the South Lake Tahoe facility. El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Steve Bailey in August ruled in favor of Barrows-Crist.

The other financial burden Barrows-Crist has been contending with is California not having a state budget until earlier this month. She is owed about $150,000, which she expects to get in the next few weeks.

In the mean time, she said she is scraping by with the help of friends and understanding creditors.