591-1-1-.03(9) · Rule 591-1-1-.03(9) requires center staff to refrain from engaging in, or allowing children or other adults to engage in, activities that could be detrimental to a child’s health or well-being, such as but not limited to, horse play, rough play, wrestling, and picking up a child in a manner that could cause injury.

During an investigation, it was determined that on April 30, 2025, three staff members and 23 children aged 2-years- old and 3-years old were utilizing the gym due to the playground being wet. The staff allowed the children to engage in a variety of activities without taking steps to mitigate the potential for injury. Some children were observed to be riding tricycles at a fast pace and in a variety of directions, other children were observed to be running around, and other children were playing with bouncy balls as they also ran around the gym. Staff did not designate areas for the various activities to take place and as a result children that were running were observed to run into children that were riding tricycles, and one child was observed to hold on to the back of a tricycle that a child was riding and dragged the child behind the tricycle. Additionally, an adult was bouncing a basketball and throwing the basketball into the full-size basketball hoop as the children rode tricycles and ran around the area of the basketball hoop. As the children ran throughout the gym throwing balls and other items two children were observed to be running in different directions and collided, causing a 2-year-old child to sustain an injury to their neck. Professional medical attention was required for the injury.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Open / not marked corrected.

591-1-1-.32(4) · Rule 591-1-1-.32(4) requires that children under three years old be housed in separate physical areas from older children and cannot be mixed with older children except at specified times and circumstances.