• Violation

  R 400.1932 · R 400.1932 Home maintenance and safety. (1) The structure, premises, and furnishings of a child care home must be in good repair and maintained in a clean, safe, and comfortable condition.

  On 3/10/2023 I spoke to Child A's Mother. Child A's Mother reported having concerns regarding the child care family home operated by Ms. Jessica Reppert. The home is unkempt and there are small items that could potentially be a choking hazard as Ms. Reppert has infants and toddlers in her care. Child A's Mother stated that while Ms. Repperts home has always been disorganized, she informed me that it has been "progressively getting worse over time." There is a strange and foul odor present in the home which she could not identify. She continued to state that her best characterization of the odor was "like body odor mixed with sweat," and then stated that 2 the smell was "uninviting." I asked Child A's Mother if she noticed a difference in the cleanliness of the home when comparing drop-offs to pickups, which she denied, stating it did not matter when you would visit, the home was also unkempt and foul smelling. Child A's Mother also reported that the child care had to close in the past due to children's illnesses, and she believed that the lack of cleanliness could have contributed to past child illnesses, such as "pink eye." Child A's Mother reported that the room used for napping was "very cluttered" and did not believe it was appropriate for children to be placed in the room, despite it only being used for napping. Child A's Mother denied ever mentioning her concerns to Ms. Reppert as this was a difficult conversation to have, and out of fear it could potentially lead to Child A being discharged from the child care facility. On 3/15/2023 I conducted an unannounced on-site inspection at Ms. Reppert's child care family home. During the inspection of the home, I documented the conditions of the child care by taking 35 photographs of the condition of the facility. During the walk- through of the home, there were a variety of concerns found. The home appeared to be extremely disorganized and unkempt with piles of boxes and other materials stacked against various walls throughout the home. I observed multiple small items throughout various rooms in the home that posed a choking hazard to the mobile infants and toddlers enrolled as child care children. The items that were deemed a choking hazarded included plastic bags, prescription medications, paperclips, and other small, nondescript items disbursed throughout the main and lower levels of the home. There was also a sharp knife accessible near the edge of the countertop in the kitchen. While Ms. Reppert was in the process of making lunch during my arrival, she escorted me throughout the home without moving the knife to a safe, inaccessible location. There were also concerns of potential blood-borne illnesses in the home which included the child care children having access to trash (containing soiled diapers) present in the bathroom. There was also trash accessible to the child care children in the kitchen of the home. There were also holes in the walls in various areas throughout the home, including in the area that was previously cited where the banister had detached from the wall. Additionally, there were areas where the drywall was visible due to the deterioration/peeling of paint. Also, while Ms. Reppert denied the use of the gas fireplace separating the living room and kitchen/dining room, there were combustible materials found directly against the glass on both sides of the fireplace. Technical assistance was provided to Ms. Reppert that despite the fireplace not being used, the combustible materials should still not sit directly next to the fireplace. Due to the fireplace not being used, this rule violation was not cited. Lastly, there was also a nondescript odor present throughout both the main and lower levels of the home. I informed Ms. Reppert that I was unable to identify the odor, but it should be addressed and cleaned. Prior to leaving the residence I informed Ms. Reppert that since there were multiple rule violations for the condition of the home, I would be making

The child care family home is dirty and has a foul smelling odor.

Disposition: Substantiated