Candyland Child Care/Adrian

R 400.8125 · R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. .......................................... ............. ............................................................................................................................................................................ (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.

On March 24, 2023, I made an unannounced onsite inspection to the child care center. I spoke to the program director Candy Higgins. Ms. Higgins was aware that there were some problems with Child Care Staff Member (CCSM) 3 and her interactions with the child care children. Ms. Higgins stated that CCSM 3 was having some personal problems, which caused her to be impatient and sometimes speak harshly to the children. Ms. Higgins spoke CCSM 3 about her behavior and so did the lead caregiver, they monitored her with the children. On March 3, 2023, CCSM 3 spoke inappropriately to a child and was asked to leave the center for the day because she was being impatient and clearly wasn't in the right mood to care for children. On March 4, 2023, CCSM 3 came in and resigned from her position. Ms. Higgins stated that the allegation that CCSM 3 was aggressive with the children is not true. CCSM 3 has picked up the children by their shirts sometimes when they were playing, but never angrily or as a form of discipline. It is also false that Ms. Higgins has to keep Child D away from the smaller children. Child D is an enrolled child care child who comes after school and sometimes plays with the smaller children, but there have been no incidents of rough behavior. Ms. Higgins follows the required child care staff member to child ratios when Child D is present. During the onsite inspection I interviewed CCSM 1. CCSM 1 stated she has been working at the center since October 2022. I made CCSM 1 aware of the allegations in the complaint. CCSM 1 stated that the allegations were "slightly accurate." CCSM 1 went on to explain that right before CCSM 3 quit, she was aggressive and impatient with the children. CCSM 1 stated that she witnessed CCSM 3 say to a crying child, "you just cry in the carpet because no one wants to hear that noise." CCSM 3 pulled the child to the carpet as she said that to her. CCSM 1 stated that she intervened and told CCSM 3 that she needed to go home, because she was being inappropriate. CCSM 3 came in the following day turned in her keys and quit her job. CCSM 1 stated pulling the child to the carpet was the only physical aggression she saw; the other two incidents involved her yelling at the children. I asked CCSM 1 about the allegation regarding Ms. Higgins picking the children up by their shirts. CCSM 1 stated that she has seen Ms. Higgins pick the children up by 3 their shirts, the kids think it's funny and they are laughing and playing when she does it, she has never seen Ms. Higgins be aggressive towards the child care children. CCSM 1 then stated that she also remembered Ms. Higgins grabbing a child by their shirt tail to prevent them from running out the door. CCSM 1 stated there have never been any problems with Child D in the center. Child D only comes after school and is always supervised when she comes into the classroom to help or play with the children. During the onsite inspection I interviewed CCSM 2. CCSM 2 stated that CCSM 3 was fine when she first stared at the center, but over time she saw her "distancing and growing cold." She never saw her become physically aggressive with the child care children, but she yelled at the children and became impatient. CCSM 2 stated that she has never seen Ms. Higgins act aggressively or speak harshly to the child care children. She has never seen Child D play roughly with the children, "she is a teddy bear and all of the kids like to play with her." On March 24, 2023, I called Timothy Swope, Child Care Licensing Consultant to discuss the complaint allegations with him. Mr. Swope stated that Ms. Higgins is honest when she makes a mistake, she owns up to it. He has not had any previous complaints regarding Ms. Higgins being aggressive and has never act inappropriately with the child care children at the center or when he worked with her at her home child care. On March 24, 2023, I called Candy Higgins and completed an exit conference. I explained that she handled things approp

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R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (1) Positive methods of discipline that encourage self- control, self-direction, self-esteem, and cooperation must be used.

CCSM 3 was heard yelling at the child care children and stated to a child care child that she could "cry in the carpet, because no one wanted to hear her crying." This does not encourage positive self-direction or self-control.

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R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (a) Hitting, spanking, shaking, biting, pinching, or inflicting other forms of corporal punishment. 5

Ms. Higgins did not use corporal punishment with the child care children.

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