Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool

R 400.8380 · R 400.8380 Maintenance of premises. (2) The premises must be maintained so as to eliminate and prevent rodent and insect harborage.

On 02/03/2021 I completed an unannounced visit to Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool Center on Kraft Ave. I met with Program Director Katelin Mueller and explained the allegations. Mrs. Mueller stated there was a staff member who just quit her position last week who indicated her boyfriend's apartment had a confirmed case of bed bugs. She stated the staff member's boyfriend said the only reason he has bed bugs is that it came from his girlfriend who works at the child care center. Mrs. Mueller stated there was no indication that bed bugs were a problem in the child care center at all. Mrs. Mueller stated Child A (male, 3-year-old) did not hear about any bed bugs and made a separate statement about "seeing big bugs" while engaging in pretend play. His statements were made because of the 2 game he was playing, not because of any bed bug sighting. Child A was not around for any discussions regarding bed bugs. Mrs. Mueller stated after the former staff member mentioned bed bugs, she viewed the Pratt classroom where this staff member worked. There were no signs of any bed bugs in the Pratt Classroom. No children in the room had any signs of bug bites. No signs of any bugs were noticed in the room. There were no concerns from any parents regarding bug bites on any children. Mrs. Mueller stated she did not have any reason to believe that there were bed bugs in her facility. Mrs. Mueller stated she contacted Shayne Russel from Griffin Pest Solution. Mr. Russel stated the best way to check for bed bugs would be to have a bed bug sniffing K-9 come through the facility. He stated a visual inspection can be done, but the K-9 is the best route. Mrs. Mueller stated she also contacted James Taylor who is their representative from Action Chemical. Mr. Taylor stated they do not sell a specific bed bug chemical, but they have a formula that can kill Lice and has been effective for bed bugs. He stated if they wanted to spray it to be safe, they could do so. Mrs. Mueller stated they do not have any reason to believe there were bed bugs in the facility, so they did not want to spend any money on services at this time. I interviewed Lead Caregiver Samantha Gabriel. Ms. Gabriel stated a former co- worker in the Pratt Room made a claim that her boyfriend had bed bugs in his apartment. Ms. Gabriel stated that this staff member figured the only way that the bed bugs could have gotten to her boyfriend's place was because she works in a child care. Ms. Gabriel stated she does not believe there are bed bugs in the facility and that most likely the bed bugs are a result of someone living in the boyfriend's apartment complex. Ms. Gabriel stated they have not had any concerns with bites on children or any parents having any concerns. She stated she has not seen any bed bug bites on anyone. She stated she has not seen anything on any bedding or in any parts of the classroom. Ms. Gabriel stated Child A (male, 3-year-old) was playing a game days before anyone talked about bed bugs. During this time, he was playing a make-believe game and he mentioned something about "itchy bugs or beetles". Ms. Gabriel stated this was not because of anything he saw or heard from anyone but was part of the game he was playing. Ms. Gabriel again stated there were no concerns of having any bed bugs in the facility. I viewed the classroom and was shown where the children sleep and the areas where they spent their time. I noticed the bedding and viewed the children playing. Mrs. Mueller stated the bedding is sent home every Friday for parents to clean and return back to the center. No parent has indicated they have seen any bugs in any of the items being sent home. No children appeared to have any bites on their arms or 3 faces. No children mentioned anything about bugs to me while I was at the facility. I also received copies of the email conversations between Mrs. Mueller and pest control staff proving she did reach out to get guidance from them. On 02/09/2021 I contacted Child

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