A childminder who is facing jail over the death of a toddler that she left home alone has been banned from operating again.A Department of Health spokeswoman said Jennifer Franks had her registration as a day care provider suspended after the death of Nasir Burgess in September 2011, and it will not be renewed.“She is no longer considered fit and proper to provide day care and cannot be re-registered,” she said.Supreme Court heard on Monday how Franks left 18-month-old Nasir in a playpen close to an electrical cord dangling from an air conditioning unit.He got it wrapped around his neck, leading him to die of strangulation, when Franks left him unattended at her Pembroke home while she went to fetch her daughter from work.Franks, 57, who had been working as a carer for 20 years according to her lawyer, pleaded guilty to endangering the lives of Nasir and two other babies who she also left on their own.She could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison. A date for her sentencing has yet to be set.Prosecutor Carrington Mahoney told the court that Franks was only licensed to look after up to three children, but had five on the date of the incident on September 9, 2011.The Royal Gazette asked the Department of Health after the case what was being done prior to Nasir’s death to check she was sticking to the rules, and what will happen now.In response, the spokeswoman said: “On behalf of the Ministry of Health, we would like to begin by offering our sincere condolences to the family of Nasir Burgess for their tragic loss.“Jennifer Franks has been registered as a day care provider since 2004 to care for three children from her home. The registration is renewed annually every January based on an inspection and a fee of $9.“On the renewal application she only declared three children and the Department was unaware that she was in non compliance with the adult to child ratios. It was only discovered in the course of the investigation that Mrs Franks was caring for additional children.”The spokeswoman explained that in the case of each childcare provider, the Department verifies that the premises are safe, sanitary and have adequate space.“A typical inspection will ensure that children do not have access to the kitchen, stairs or chemical hazards and that the day care area is free of other hazards,” she said.The Royal Gazette asked whether the cord that strangled Nasir was next to his playpen at the time of the last inspection but no reply was forthcoming.According to the spokeswoman, applicants for day care licences must be vetted by the police and Child and Family Services, and the Child Development Programme is also notified of the application.Franks was one of around 110 child day care providers registered with the Department of Health.Four years ago, another day care provider, Betty Jean Steede, was convicted at Supreme Court of grievous bodily harm, after a baby suffered a broken leg.It emerged during the trial that although Steede was only registered to care for up to three children, she was actually looking after up to seven. Despite the licensing process requiring a criminal-background check, Health Department files did not list her previous convictions for importing heroin and obstructing police under the Misuse of Drugs Act.