The Office of Child Care Licensing (OCCL) received a complaint on April 25, 2023, regarding incorrect staff-to-child ratios, staff not providing an incident report, and staff not following policies in the parent handbook. Additional allegations were received on May 8, 2023, regarding the building smelling like marijuana and staff gossiping about children and families. An investigation began on May 2, 2023, and concluded on May 16, 2023. Based on interviews with staff and documentation received, this complaint is substantiated for incorrect staff-to-child ratios, exceeding maximum group size, and requirements regarding incident reports. According to the attendance documentation reviewed, there were 18 children including at least one infant, and three teachers signed into the Infant/Toddler opening/closing room on May 12, 2023. Attendance documentation for the Preschool opening/closing room on May 12, 2023, showed there were two children present with no staff members signed in. The incident report regarding Child #1 being bitten on November 8, 2021, did not have a parent's signature. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for not following the handbook policies regarding parents permission to view classroom video based on interviews with staff and a review of the written policies. There is no evidence to substantiate the complaint for a smell of marijuana in the facility, as this was not detected at the visit or during other visits conducted by this LS. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for staff gossiping about children or families, as this was denied by all staff who were interviewed. There is no evidence to substantiate a parent not receiving an accident report, as the injury report for April 25, 2023, was signed by Parent #1 on April 26, 2023. Additional concerns noted at the visit included attendance documentation reviewed showed children were signed into the wrong classrooms, and it was not documented clearly when children were mo ved from one classroom or area to a different area.

Disposition: Substantiated

On January 25, 2023, the Office of Child Care Licensing received a complaint regarding unqualified staff alone with children, incorrect staff-to-child ratios, safe sleep violations, infant care and feeding violations, providing false information to another agency, not following exclusion policy for illness, lack of supervision, and altering video documentation. An investigation was conducted on February 3, 2023. Based on the results of this investigation this complaint is substantiated for unqualified staff alone with children and staff-to-child ratios because attendance documentation from December 5, 2022, shows Staff #1 and Staff #3 were both left alone with children before being determined eligible by a comprehensive background check. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for infant safe sleep violations because the center administrator and Staff #2 both denied this, and the specialists observed the infant classroom and did not observe any safe sleep violations. There is no evidence to substantiate that the center does not follow its own exclusion policy for illness because the center administrator provided the specialists with copies of notifications sent home to parents regarding hand foot and mouth disease at the center. There is no evidence to substantiate there is not a trash can for diapers in the infant classroom because the specialists observed a diaper trash can in the infant classroom. There is no evidence to substantiate this complaint for infant feeding violations because the center administrator provided this specialist with copies of the signed monthly infant feeding schedules for each infant enrolled. There is no evidence to substantiate there is a lack of supervision in the indoor gym area because all staff interviewed denied this allegation. There is no evidence to substantiate the center alters video footage because all staff interviewed denied altering video footage. There is no evidence to substantiate the indoor gym is out of ra tio after 5:00 pm because the attendance records provided did not document children as present in the indoor gym, so the specialist was unable to determine if ratio was maintained. A concern noted was children and staff attendance records from February 2, 2023, were inaccurate because they do not show the classrooms combine in the indoor gym at the end of the day as stated by the staff.

Disposition: Substantiated

On January 9, 2023, OCCL received a complaint regarding staff qualifications, lack of supervision, improper discipline, unqualified staff alone with children, incomplete staff file requirements, appropriate outdoor play, unsafe indoor areas, notification to a parent of a serious child injury, failure to notify the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Hotline of an allegation of abuse, and alteration of video footage. An investigation was conducted on January 13, 2023. Based on the results of this investigation this complaint is substantiated for failure to immediately notify a parent of a serious injury because the incident report from January 5, 2023, indicates Child #1 s parent was not notified of a head injury until four hours after it had occurred. This complaint is also substantiated for unqualified staff alone with children because attendance records from January 3, 2023, through January 5, 2023, show that Staff #1 was alone with children from 5:00 pm until 5:30 pm on those days. Staff #1 is qualified as an Early Childhood Intern who had not been employed by the center for at least one month, therefore was not permitted to be alone with children. Other concerns from the visit include the center administrator stating Staff #2 used improper discipline with a child. There is no evidence to substantiate a lack of supervision because the center administrator and Staff #2 both stated children are always supervised on the playground. There is no evidence to substantiate the indoor gym is unsafe because LS Flowers observed the gym to be safe for children. There is no evidence to substantiate for lack of appropriate outdoor play time because Ms. Godwin and Staff #3 both stated children go outside two times per day when weather permits. Ms. Godwin and Staff #3 stated the center uses the indoor play area when they cannot go outside. There is no evidence to substantiate incomplete staff files requirements because LS Flowers reviewed Staff #1 s file and observed an orientatio n record and a job description for Staff #1 which was signed at the time of Staff #1 s hire. There is no evidence to substantiate the center alters video footage because all staff interviewed denied altering video footage. There is also no evidence to substantiate the center did not notify the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Hotline of an allegation of abuse because all staff interviewed stated they have never witnessed abuse of a child and video footage reviewed by LS Flowers did not show inappropriate behavior or improper discipline by a staff member.

Disposition: Substantiated