• Violation

  R 400.8155 · R 400.8155 Child Accidents & Incidents. (4) If a center becomes aware that a staff member, volunteer, or child in care has contracted a communicable disease, then the center shall notify parents and provide all of the following information: a. The name of the communicable disease the children were exposed to. b. The symptoms of the disease. 7 c. Prevention measures as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the following website: https://www.cdc.qov/DiseasesCondffions.

  On May 3, 2021, I called and spoke with the Complainant. The Complainant said the children and caregivers in the Young Toddler classroom all contracted a viral gastroenteritis. There were two rounds of stomach viruses that lasted about two weeks. The Complainant believes that the center did not notify parents appropriately regarding the virus. On May 4, 2021, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection. I interviewed program director, Ms. Jody Begley, and child care staff members, Ms. Jessica Aderholdt and Ms. Valerie Stacey, separately. Child care staff members, Ms. Renee Bond and Ms. Jessica Hinton, were absent. Ms. Begley said the children at the child care center experienced gastrointestinal virus-related illnesses about 1 week ago. The first incident occurred on April 14, 1/2 2021. Child A was hospitalized and diagnosed with a gastrointestinal virus. Ms. Begley said the Infant Classroom, Young Toddler Classroom and Older Toddler Classroom were all affected. The Young Toddler Classroom, ages 10-18 months, was hit the hardest. Nine children in the Young Toddler Classroom were absent on April 30, 2021 due to contracting the Norovirus. The children were seen by physicians and tested for COVID-19 as a precaution. The children were diagnosed with the Norovirus. Ms. Begley said there were several child care staff members who were also ill, mainly from the toddler classrooms. Ms. Begley sent a health alert email to parents in the Infant and Toddler Classrooms on April 16, 2021. A second health alert email with a copy of the health care policy were sent on April 30, 2021. 3 Ms. Begley said preschool-age children with siblings in the Infant and Toddler Classrooms started to show symptoms of the virus on May 3, 2021. She sent a health alert email to all families. Ms. Begley said due to COVID 19, parents are not allowed in the building. They have reminded parents consistently to keep children at home when they are ill. Ms. Begley said she did not contact the local health department. I recommended that in the future if there are any incidents of communicable diseases that she report to the health department. Child care staff member, Ms. Jessica Aderholdt, said she is a floater but mostly stays in the Young and Older Toddler Classrooms. According to Ms. Aderholdt, about two weeks ago, Child A's Mother called and said Child A was vomiting and had to be admitted to the hospital for dehydration. Child A fell ill again this past week with Norovirus. Child A is in the Young Toddler Classroom. Child A was the first child to have the gastrointestinal virus. Ms. Aderholdt believes the gastrointestinal virus started in the Young Toddler Classroom about two weeks ago and spread to the Older Toddler Classroom last week. Ms. Valerie Stacey is a child care staff member in the Infant, Young Toddler and Preschool Classrooms. Ms. Stacey mainly assists in the Young Toddler Classroom. Ms. Stacey said the virus started about two weeks ago in the Young Toddler Classroom. 4 During the inspection, I received a copy of the Health Care Policy and Illness Policy. The Health Care Policy stated, "In order to ensure a healthy environment for all children, please keep your child home when ill. When a child is absent due to illness, notify the office as early as possible in the morning. In the event a child contracts a communicable disease, contact the office immediately so that we may notify others in a "health alert" email. The identity of the ill child will not be disclosed in this communication." The Illness policy stated, "Cedar Crest Early Childhood Center and Cedar Crest Early Learning Center will keep you informed of any signs of communicable illness. If a vaccine-preventable disease to which children are susceptible occur in the center, families of any under immunized children will be notified immediately and all under immunized children will be promptly excluded. If your child becomes ill while at Cedar Crest Early Childhood Center or Cedar Crest Early

The child care center did not notify parents regarding a gastrointestinal virus.

Disposition: Substantiated