According to CNN Chile, the Contraloría Regional de Antofagasta (the regional office of Chile's comptroller and audit body) found multiple deficiencies in the control and administration of medications at the Residencia de Protección para Lactantes y Preescolares Antay, a protective care home for infants and preschoolers. The facility is run by Fundación Creeser.
The findings are part of On-Site Inspection Report No. 452 of 2026. Inspectors reviewed the residence in May. Oversight of the facility falls to the Regional Directorate of the Servicio Nacional de Protección Especializada a la Niñez y Adolescencia (Chile's national child and adolescent protection service), known as Mejor Niñez.
The report concludes that the residence did not have a clear, up-to-date system for controlling the children's medications, including doses and schedules. The comptroller described the situation as being of "particular seriousness".
That assessment stems from incidents that took place during 2026. One child was hospitalized after an overdose of risperidone, an antipsychotic, and another resident went without treatment for two consecutive days.
The inspection also recorded the case of a child with chickenpox who did not receive the treatment prescribed by an emergency service. When the inspectors arrived, that prescription had still not been followed. The child was later taken to a health facility, where he was reassessed and prescribed a different treatment.
In addition, there was a delay in referring another resident who had injured a finger and needed medical care. For the Contraloría, these cases show shortcomings in the procedures meant to ensure timely access to health care.
Regarding staff, the residence did not meet the required minimum number of caregivers. The files of 13 employees with direct and regular contact with the children lacked documentation proving their suitability for the job. Nor was there any record that those requirements had been checked before they were hired.
The Contraloría confirmed that none of those workers was barred from working with minors or had relevant sanctions for abuse at the time of the inspection. Even so, the report states that the residence did not prove it had carried out the checks required by regulations in a timely manner.
Overcrowding was another finding. The residence was caring for 21 children and adolescents with only 15 authorized places, and some slept in small beds placed at floor level. According to the report, this affected the residents' rest, movement and care.
In education, one child went 145 consecutive days without enrollment or access to classes. He arrived at the residence on March 11 and was only placed in a hospital classroom on August 3.
The food service was operating without health authorization. The indoor gas installations also lacked the Certificado de Inspección Periódica con Sello Verde (Chile's periodic gas safety inspection certificate), an issue Mejor Niñez had already flagged.
The report carries no statements from Fundación Creeser or Mejor Niñez, nor any deadlines for correcting the issues. As a concrete measure, the Antofagasta Regional Directorate of Mejor Niñez must open a disciplinary proceeding to determine any administrative responsibility.
