• Violation

  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.

  On 10/14/2022 I completed an onsite inspection related to the incident report that Ms. Carey had submitted referencing an incident on 10/06/2022 with Child A. Ms. Carey and Mr. Carey and Child A were present at the home at the time of the inspection. Mr. Carey introduced himself and said he takes full responsibility for what happened. He explained that in the mornings he struggles to use his hands for the first couple of hours due to and recovering from He takes an over the counter (OTC) medication, however, cannot get the cap off of the OTC bottle, so he transfers the pills to a different bottle that has an easier cap for him to open independently. Mr. Carey showed me both medication bottles. Mr. Carey said that in the past if he has dropped a pill when sorting and transferring his medication, he immediately gets a flashlight and gets down and looks for it until he finds it. Mr. Carey was not aware that a pill had dropped on the floor. The medication that was found on the floor was an OTC from Mr. Carey's bottle. 2 Mrs. Carey said that in the morning on 10/06/2022 she noticed Child A spitting repeatedly into a small trash can typically used for papers, tissues, and assorted refuse. Mrs. Carey saw the medication on the floor. She picked it up and put it to her tongue to taste it and it tasted like mint. She asked Child A if she had that in her mouth and Child A at first denied having put the medication in her mouth. Child A did later admit that she had put the pill in her mouth and had spit it out because it tasted yucky. Mrs. Carey said she called the company who manufactures the medication first; they did not know what to do. She called Child A's mother and told her what happened and that she was going to call poison control and call her back. She then called poison control who advised that the pill was not harmful, and she could give Child A milk to help take the taste out of her mouth. Mrs. Carey called Child A's mother back to relay what poison control had told her. Child A remained in care that day and continues to attend. Child A was present during the onsite inspection and began talking and said that "the medicine was yucky" and that she would not do that again. Child A was sitting comfortably on Mr. Carey's lap participating in the conversation. I reviewed the attendance record for 10/06/2022 and noted that Mr. and Mrs. Carey were caring for two children on 10/06/2022. I observed where medications, both prescribed and OTC are stored and verified that the upper cabinet above the refrigerator is appropriate and keeps medication securely out of reach of children. Mr. Carey will no longer transfer his medication in an area approved for child care use. Mr. Carey can also have Mrs. Carey assist him. On 10/14/2022 I interviewed Child A's mother who explained what happened the same way Mr. and Mrs. Carey had. Child A's mother said she received two calls from Mrs. Carey. The first call she was told that Child A had put medication in her mouth and spit it out and that most of the pill was on the floor. A few minutes later Child A's mother said Mrs. Carey called and told her that the medication was not toxic, and she had been advised to give Child A milk to drink to help get the taste out of her mouth. I told Child A's mother that Child A had engaged in conversation with me earlier that day and she was a friendly and articulate three-year-old. Child A's mother said she has no concerns about the care Child A receives while at child care.

Child A (female, 2 years old) put medication that was on the floor in her mouth.

Disposition: Substantiated