Loading
Loading facility…
Pulling inspections, violations, and complaints.
Loading
Pulling inspections, violations, and complaints.
Home › MI › Alanson › Lauren Alexander
State records list this provider as Closed. Review the inspection and enforcement history below, and confirm the current status on the official state source before enrolling.
Alanson MI 49706 · License #DG240387082 · Home-based · Group Home
Not published by the state. Owners can add hours via profile claim.
When they operate
Ages served
Ages not published.
R 400.1914 · R 400.1914 Daily activity program. (3) All of the following developmentally appropriate opportunities must be provided daily: F (b) Indoor and outdoor play, except during inclement or extreme weather, or unless otherwise ordered by a health care provider.
On February 17, 2023, a complaint was made that children do not go outside, and the last known time children went outside to play was in September. On February 21, 2023, I completed an unannounced onsite visit at the facility. I spoke to Lauren Alexander, the licensee of the facility, regarding the allegation. Ms. Alexander confirmed they do not go outside to play every day, depending on the weather. I asked Ms. Alexander if they went outside at all the previous week, and she thought they went out one of the days. She said one of the problems is that parents don't send appropriate outdoor weather gear for the children and that prevents them from taking children out to play. I also interviewed child care staff member 1 (CCSM 1). CCSM 1 agreed that she and Ms. Alexander don't take children out every day. She didn't think they took children outside at all the previous week.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: health medication. Open / not marked corrected.
Children do not go outside.
Disposition: Substantiated
On 01/2412023, Ms. Lauren Alexander sprayed Child AU , male) in the face with water from a water bottle as a form of Iscip ine. inspection at s. Lauren Alexander's group child care home. Upon entering the home, I observed a spray bottle in Ms. Alexander's hand. Minor Household Member (MHM) 3's male) hair was wet around his face. No other children appeared to bewe . explained the allegations to Ms. Alexander. Ms. Alexander stated that she uses the spray bottle on children's hair when she styles it and that it cuts down on static. She does not spray children with water as a form of discipline. For discipline, she talks to older children and has them take a break that she calls "think time." With younger children, she redirects them, and talks to them about using nice touches and gentle hands. Sometimes she mists children with 3 water as a play thing" because they ask for it. They see that MHM 3 enjoys being sprayed, so they ask her to do it to them. When this happens, the spray bottle is always on mist, not on the stream. On 01/24/2023, Child A was accidently sprayed when he walked in front of MHM 3 as lbs. Alexander was spraying him. Child A was upset when it happened. Child A's Mother walked in just after it happened and saw that Child A was wet and upset from being sprayed with water, Child A's Mother did not see Ms. Alexander spray Child A. She apologized to Child A's Mother and told her that she did not mean to sp ray him. Child A's Mother did not seem upset about it at the time. asked to see the spray bottle Ms, Lauren Alexander was using when we walked in. As she handed the bottle to him, he noted that she turned the nozzle from stream to mist. Ms. Alexander was asked about her policy for early and late parent arrivals. She stated that she has always had a policy of charging parents if they arrive early or late. Early arrivals disrupt their schedule because staff do not know when children will be leaving. Parents provide a 15 minute window for pick up. If they arrive early or late, they have to pay a fee, There were several times when Child A's Mother picked Child A up late. Ms. Alexander had to talk with her about it after charging her the fee at least one time. During the onsite inspection on 02113/2023, we conducted an interview with child care staff member (CCSM) CCSM 1. She stated that she had no knowledge of Child A being sprayed in the face with water on 01/24/2023 because she was not working that day. She acknowledged that Ms. Alexander uses the spray bottle of water when doing children's hair in the morning during la time or after nap. This morning, she used the spray bottle on Child E's d, female) hair, but MHM 3 kept taking the bottle and spraying himself. Sometimes, children asked to be sprayed. When this happens, the nozzle is usually on mist instead of a hard spray. CCSM 1 has never seen Ms. Alexander spray children in the face as a form of discipline. She described the use of a 30 second to minute long think time" as a way to help children calm down. Afterwards, they talk to children about what happened and give them alternatives on what to do differently next time. They redirect younger children and talk to them about not using mean touches like hitting. On 02/13/2022.33, and I conducted face to face forensic interviews with MHM 1 , male), and MHM 2 male) with Ms. Alexander's permission. The interviews took place at the MHM1 and MHM 2's school. MHM 1 stated that his mother, Ms. Alexander sometimes sprays him, his brothers, and child care children with water to make it more fun for everyone. They are never sprayed in the face, and when it happens it is only with tiny drops of water. MHM t likes getting squirted with water. He has never seen children get sprayed when they were in trouble. When child care children get in trouble, they have to take a break from playing until they are ready to be nice again. MHM 2 stated that when child care children get in trouble they have to sit in think time" until they are On 02/07/2023, Child A had a red, adult-sized handprint on his ~Child care staff member CCSM 2 Child A. Between 01/09Wand 02/09/2023, Child A had little purple"circa bruises on his back, and on the inside of his arm after coming home from Ms. Alexander's cniia care. 7
Generated from this facility's specific inspection record
Data synced from Michigan MiLEAP, Child Care Licensing Bureau on Jul 9, 2026 · Source records · Report an error
R 400.1913 · R 400.1913 Discipline; child handling. ............... (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (a) Hit, spank, shake, bite, pinch, or inflict other forms of corporal punishment.
Evidence does not support the allegation that Ms. Alexander engaged in corporal punishment when sprayed Child A in the face with water on 01/24/2023. Ms. Alexander and child care staff member CCSM 2 stated that Child A was accidently sprayed with water on 01/24/2023 when MHM 3 was sprayed for fun.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R400.1923(2) · R40O19O3 Licensee responsibilities. . (1) A licensee shall be responsible for all of the following a) When the child care home is in operation, the licensee shall be present in the home on a daily basis and provide direct care and supervision for the majority of time children are in care, except for of the following circumstances: any (1) Vacation or personal leave, which must not exceed 20 days a calendar year. The 20 days of vacation or personal within leave means the licensee is absent the entire day or at least 51 % of the day when the child care home is operating. A licensee may have a short periodic absence from the home. (ii) Medical treatment and subsequent recovery. 12
During the onsite investigation on 02/1312023, reviewed the alle ations with Ms. Alexander. were also present during the interview. Ms. Alexander stated tha she had no knowledge of unexplained bruises or handprints on Child A from being spanked. She was present on 02/07/2023 when the alleged spanking happened. According to the Brightwheel app that she uses to communicate with parents, Child A's last documented diaper change was at 3:05PM on 02/07/2023, but it was possible that his last diaper change did not get recorded. His mother picked him up at 5:50PM and they usually do one last diaper change just before parents are scheduled to arrive for pick up. She did not recall who had changed the diaper that afternoon, but she does not remember ever seeing any redness on Child A's bottom. The only time she could remember bruising or redness on Child A was on 01/23/2023 when he was bit by another child. When it happened, she sent a Brightwheel message to Child A's Mother with a photo of the bite mark. It happened when she was right there with the children, but she was not able to stop it in time. Her strategy for dealing with biting is to tell the child who bit that biting hurts. Then she separates the children from one another by redirecting them to other activities. Ms. Alexander stated that she does not spank any children, including her own. She has never seen CCSM 1 or CCSM 2 use any type of physical discipline with children. Ms. Alexander was asked about other injuries Child A might have sustained while in care such as falls, head or back injuries, or concussions. She thought that sometime about four or six months ago, CCSM 2 texted her saying that Child A fell and had a bump on his head and asking what they should do about it. This happened on a Friday. which was her scheduled day off. Ms. Alexander stated that for about the past year and half, she has been taking Fridays off every week and that children's parents were aware of it. She looked through her phone messages and Brightwheel communications going back to July when Child A first started and was unable to find the text from CCSM 2. During the onsite interview with CCSM 1, she stated that no one uses physical discipline or corporal punishment with children at Ms. Alexander's child care group home. She had no idea how a handprint mark on Child A could have happened. She works with CCSM 2 on Fridays when Ms. Alexander has the day off. There was never a time when CCSM 1 recalled seeing redness or little purple bruises on Child A. Recently, there were some biting issues between Child A and another child in care. The bite was on Child A's back. It looked red after it happened, but it did not appear to leave a lasting mark. After it happened, they notified Child A's Mother using the Brightwheel app. She was asked about Child A hitting his head. She stated that one Monday a few months ago Child A's Father dropped off and said that Child A hit his head on a coffee table at home over the weekend that resulted in a big goose egg by his hairline on the right side of his head. The bruising ended up 1=3 moving down under his eyes, so they gave Child A's Mother an update about it. She did not recall any time when Child A fell or hit his head at child care. During the Forensic interviews with MHM 1 and MHM 2 on 02/13/2023, they both reported that they have never seen anyone spank or hit child care children, nor are they themselves hit or spanked. explained the allegations to CCSM 2 during our face-to-face interview on 02/13/2023. She stated that she had no knowledge of an adult handprint on Child A's bottom on 02/07/2023. She has never hit or spanked children as a form of discipline nor has seen anyone else and Ms. Alexander's child care hit or spank children. The only time she sees the children's bottoms is when she is changing diapers. CCSM 2 recalled that Child A had diaper rashes a few times, but that was the only redness she observed on him. She was aware of biting incidents betwe
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1911 · .................................................................... R 400.1911 Care; supervision; children. (1) A licensee shall ensure appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.
On 0412012021. I made an unannounced visit to the home of Lauren Alexander with Alexander regarding the allegations. There were 10 unrelated children present in the home along with Ms. Lauren Alexander and child care staff member Cyndel Thompson. While waiting for Ms. Lauren Alexander to put the children down for a nap, I observed that the door knobs had been taken off of the playroom door and there was no smoke detector in playroom, which was being used to sleep children. Ms. Lauren Alexander denied locking or blocking children in the playroom during the interview. She stated that the child care children spend a great deal of time in the playroom since it holds most of the toys. Regarding , Ms. Lauren Alexander stated that they have been in a . She denied residing at the home, but she admitted tha says overnight at least two to three nights a week. She stated that will typically have contact with child care children in the mornings when s ays over, occasionally in the day ifl 1'1 comes home for lunch, and in the evening when returns home from work. She denied caring for child care children or aving unsupervised contact with the chit care childdrreenn.. Regarding the allegations of ■. being mean to the children, Ms. Lauren Alexander denied being disrespectful to child care children in her home. She admitted that does use marijuana at her home in the garage but never during child care hours. She reported that has been Ms. Lauren Alexander admitted tha she used o smoke cigarettes before becoming but she denied ever using marijuana. She specified that all adults use cigarettes or marijuana in the garage. I inquired whether it was possible for either Ms. Thompson or child care staff member Ms. Kylie Alexander to use marijuana or smoke cigarettes at the child care during hours of operation. Ms. Lauren Alexander stated that she has never witnessed either child care staff member using marijuana or cigarettes during child care hours. I asked whether the child care staff members could be using marijuana or cigarettes during the times when she is not present. Ms. Lauren Alexander felt that neither child care staff member would do this. She stated that Ms. Thompson and Ms. Kylie Alexander do not use tobacco. She admitted that Ms. om son and Ms. Kylie Alexander come over on the weekends and when the child care is not in operation. i and I inquired about why someone would call in these Mega ions. Ms. Lauren Alexander stated that she had left her garage door open yesterday and it is possible a parent saw cigarette butts and marijuana CI paraphernalia on a table in her garage. At this time, had Ms. Lauren Alexander take her to the garage. took picturesPan reported that she observed cigarette butts in the garage along with a glass pipe used for smoking marijuana on a table. There were also various solo cups, empty wine bottles, and empty beer cans on two tables. While onsite, I obtained copies of the child information cards and child in care statements. and I looked around the outdoor play area in the backyard of Ms. Alexander's home to possibly observe any other marijuana paraphernalia, cigarette butts, or alcohol bottles. We observed no concerns in the outdoor play area 11 and I interviewed child care staff member Cyndel Roomplonn. Ms. Thompson ted that the allegations are "absolutely absurd." Ms. Thompson stated that Ms. Lauren Alexander is , so she does not use tobacco or marijuana. She stated that *Klie7=1exander does not smoke cigarettes, but she does when child care is not operating. She admitted a s e but never durin child care hours. She denied using tobacco all. She € entified as using both tobacco and marijuana but again never during child care hours and she specified that, stores it in the garage. She reported stays at Ms. Lauren Alexander's home two to three nights a week. tMhas.Po=mpson denied child care children being forced to remain in the playroom. On 04/21/2021, Ms. Lauren Alexander called and she reported that she has info
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1913 · R 400.1913 Discipline; child handling. (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (f) Confine a child in an enclosed area such as a closet, locked room, box, or similar enclosure. 92
Through interviews with Mini Munchkin's child care staff members, parents, household members, and children, there was no evidence to support children were being confined to the lay om. On 04/20/2021 and 05/10/2021, p and I completed an unannounced visit to Lauren er s child care. During both visits, we observed no door handles on the doors to the playroom and we saw no objects being used to confine the children to the playroom.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1932 · R 400.1932 Home maintenance and safety. (2) All dangerous and hazardous materials or items must be stored securely and out of the reach of children.
Ms. Lauren Alexander did not ensure that the premises of the child care home was maintained in a clean, safe, and comfortable condition. observed two glass pipes used for smoking marijuana on a table, cigarette butts scattered on tables and the garage floor, and empty wine bottles in Ms. Lauren Alexander's garage. Ms. Lauren Alexander went onto disclose that the garage door had been left open on at least one occasion over the last week in the physical state observed by on 04/20/2021. Though the garage is not approved child use space, the garage door being open during drop off and pick up made the marijuana paraphernalia, the cigarette butts, and the empty wine bottles accessible to the child care children.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1903(8)(c) · MCL 722.115n Application for or renewal of license to operate child care center, group child care home, or family child care home; household member or child care staff member; criminal history check; requirements; duties of department. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (13), when a person, partnership, firm, corporation, association, governmental organization, or nongovernmental organization applies for or applies to renew a license to operate a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home under section 5m and before a group child care home or family child care home allows an individual to be a member of the household, or a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home allows an individual to become a child care staff member, the department shall do all of the following: (a) Review its database of individuals with previous disciplinary action within a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home or an adult foster care facility. (b) Conduct a search of the individual through the national sex offender registry. (c) Request a search of the individual through all state criminal registries or repositories for any states of residence in the past 5 years. (d) Request that the department of state police perform a criminal history check on the individual, child care staff member, or adult member of the household.
Through interviews with Mini Munchkin's child care staff members, parents, household members, and children, it was reported that resided at the child care home two to three Pigats a week . had ongoing contact with child care children without having a comprehensive background check completed.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1903 · R 400.1903 Licensee responsibilities. (8) To comply with section 3c of the act, MCL 722.113c, a licensee shall have a policy and procedure on smoking and vaping that includes all of the following: (c) Notify parents if smoking or vaping occurs in the child care home and on the premises when children are not in care.
On 05/24/2021, Ms. Lauren Alexander reported that she has never informed parents of enrolled children that smoking or vaping occurs on the premises when children are not in care.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
Disposition: Substantiated
Child Care staff members employed through Lauren Alexander's Mini Munchkin's Child Care are leaving children unattended odurionchnild care hours to use cigarettes and marijuana. Lauren Alexander's is mean towards the child care children and the are confined o the playroom.
Disposition: Substantiated