• Violation

  R 400.8380 · R 400.8380 Maintenance of premises. (1) The premises must be maintained in a clean and safe condition and must not pose a threat to health or safety.

  On 02/21/2023, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection at the child care center with child care licensing consultant Tanara Abner. I interviewed Child care staff member 1 (CCSM 1). CCSM 1 is the lead preschool caregiver and has worked at the center for 23 years. CCSM 1 said she is not aware of any mold in the building. The center was just upgraded with new floors in the summer of 2022 and the preschool floors were upgraded in December 2022. The entire inside of the center was painted two years ago and the outside of the building was painted last summer. The door locks were also replaced with codes. If anything is wrong at the center, licensee designee, Michele Runyan, fixes it. CCSM 1 is not aware of any ceiling tiles that are buckling. There was a leak in the back bathroom recently, but it was immediately fixed, and the tiles were replaced. CCSM 1 has never seen a rat or any droppings in the center. No one has ever told her that they have seen rats. She suspects that the complaints came from a former CCSM who was terminated the week before due to always being on her phone and keeping her back to the children. This former CCSM texted Ms. Runyan some "nasty things" and made threats that she was going to turn her into the health department. The former CCSM had worked at the center for a year. I interviewed CCSM 2. CCSM 2 has been employed with the center for almost two years. CCSM 2 said she is not aware of any mold in the building or ceiling tiles that are buckling. She has never seen a rat in the building, and no one has ever told her they have seen rats. CCSM 2 recently terminated a CCSM because she was using her cell phone and had her back to the children. When CCSM 2 gave the former CCSM the termination letter, the former CCSM threatened to call the state on the center. The former CCSM also texted Ms. Runyan "bad things" about the other CCSMs. CCSM 2 feels that the former CCSM is trying to "get them back for letting her go". During the onsite inspection, I observed mouse droppings in the kitchen cupboards, under the sink in the kitchen, in the cabinet next to the refrigerator in the kitchen, in the hallway closet by the preschool classroom, in the room behind the preschool classroom, and in the children's bathroom under the sink. There was a ceiling tile in the storage room that was hanging with insulation coming out, ceiling tiles in the hallway that were water stained, and the ceiling tile covering the light in the preschool classroom that was covered with dirt and bugs. Prior to the inspection I received pictures of black spots under the ceiling tiles when the tiles were removed for the water leak. During the on-site inspection, I did not observe the black spots because they were covered by the drop ceiling tiles. On 2/29/2023, I conducted a telephone interview with child care licensing consultant Tanara Abner and licensee designee Michelle Runyan. Ms. Runyan said she not aware of any mold in the building. She isn't sure where that information came from. Ms. Runyan said there were two leaks by the back bathroom when they got eight 3 inches of snow a few weeks ago. They had two buckets to catch the water and Ms. Runyan put a sign out that said that said the bathroom was closed and everyone used the bathrooms by the kitchen. The ceiling tiles were off during the time of the leak. Ms. Runyan said the black spots under the ceiling tiles were from a drop ceiling that was there before the ceiling tiles, and it was not mold. No CCSMs came to her about the black spots being mold and she did not get it tested. After the interview, Ms. Runyan contacted Erie Environmental to test the black spots for mold. Erie Environmental came out on 3/13/2023 to test for mold, asbestos and air quality. Ms. Runyan sent me the results of the tests on 3/16/2023.The test results showed that the black spots were not mold under the ceiling tiles and there was no asbestos. Ms. Runyan explained that the center has a flat roof and anytime snow sits

The facility has ceiling tiles that are dirty and buckling, rats and mold.

Disposition: Substantiated