Our Little Rascals Learning Center

R 400.8125 · ................ R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times. 7

During the 03/23/2021 onsite inspection, child care staff members failed to provide appropriate care and supervision of children when I observed the following incidents: • Children were playing unsupervised in the bathroom. • Children were running around the classroom. • One child was running after another child with a large plastic chef's knife. • Child care staff members indicated that this was a normal day in the classroom with some days being better and other days being worse.

R 400.8155 · R 400.8155 Child accidents and incidents; child and staff illness. (1)A center shall have a written plan for how and when a parent is notified when personnel observe any of the following: (b) A child experiences an accident, injury, or incident.

On 03/17/2021, Child A was injured on the playground. Child A's Mother was not informed of how Child A was injured.

R 400.8137 · R 400.8137 Diapering; toileting. (2) Children 1 year of age and older may be changed in a bathroom standing up or on a nonabsorbent, easily sanitized surface, with a changing pad between the child and the surface.

On November 9, 2020, I conducted an unannounced onsite inspection. I arrived at 8:45 a.m. where I observed the infant room, the toddler room, and the preschool room. The infant room had a total of six infants with two child care staff members, Faith Dorris and Taylor Lambert. 4 The toddler room had a total of five toddlers with two child care staff members, Paige Lambert and Ashley Fergoson. The preschool room had a total of nine children with two child care staff members, Candice Swinson and Madison Ward. During the onsite inspection, all the classrooms were in compliance with their required ratio child care staff members to children. I also interviewed Ms. Dorris, Ms. Lambert, Ms. Swinson, and Ms. Ward who all stated that ratios have improved because Ms. Ledington has been better at supporting the staff in their classrooms.

R 400.8182 · R 400.8182 Ratio and group size requirements. ............................................. ...... ... ........ .......................... (3) In each room or well-defined space, the maximum group size and ratio of caregivers to children, including children related to a staff member or the licensee, shall be the following: (a) For infants and toddlers, there shall be 1 caregiver for 4 children and a maximum group size of 12.

On 11/6/2020 I interviewed Candice Swinson. Ms. Swinson stated that she is the lead caregiver in the preschool room with the 3 — 4 year old children. Ms. Swinson explained that all the classrooms stagger their outdoor playtime schedule. On October 28, 2020, at around 4:00 p.m. Ms. Swinson expressed that she was getting her classroom ready for their scheduled afternoon outdoor playtime after the infants and toddlers completed their outdoor playtime. Ms. Swinson stated that at about 4:15 p.m. child care staff member Madison Ward came into her room to inform her that the infants and toddlers were heading inside and that the preschool children can now go outside. The child care staff members that were outside with the infants and toddlers were Kimberly Lannoo, Madison Ward, Bailey Piacentini, and Fawn Cobb. Ms. Swinson stated that she then went outside with her preschool children and as they went into the outdoor play area, she was sweeping the mulch off the sidewalk and into the play area. After about 5 minutes or so, Ms. Swinson explained that one of her preschool students came up to her with another child who was not in her classroom. Ms. Swinson stated Child A said "hi" to her, and she realized that Child A belonged to the toddler room. Ms. Swinson then stated she said to Child A, "What are you doing outside?" Child A did not know why she was still outside and not in her toddler room classroom with the rest of the children. Ms. Swinson further stated that she then immediately walked Child A to her classroom door, and they knocked on it. Ms. Cobb opened the toddler room door and Ms. Swinson told her that she found Child A in the outdoor play area without her class. Ms. Swinson further expressed that she asked Ms. Cobb if she knew Child A was outside on her own, and Ms. Cobb stated that she did. Child A then entered her toddler room classroom and Ms. Cobb closed the door. Ms. Swinson also stated that she did not observe any injuries on Child A. Ms. Swinson expressed that she was shocked and completely taken aback that Child A was left alone in the outdoor play area. Ms. Cobb did not provide an explanation to Ms. Swinson as to how she knew Child A was outside. Ms. Swinson expressed that she always does head counts before going outside, and always has her students line up outside to do a head count before returning. Ms. Swinson stated that there is a playground sheet posted on each of the center's exit doors that lead to the playground as a reminder of what to do. Ms. Swinson stated that since it was at the end of the day, she was busy assisting her children as they were being picked up by their parents. Ms. Swinson informed Ms. Ledington about the incident the next morning, October 29, 2020, and is not sure what happened thereafter. Ms. Swinson stated that she knows that Ms. Ledington confronted Ms. Piacentini and Ms. Cobb, and they were very defensive. Ms. Swinson did not provide details as to how she knew Ms. Cobb and Ms. Piacentini were defensive. On November 9, 2020, I interviewed Erica Ledington. Ms. Ledington stated that on October 28, 2020, she was present in the center at about 4:00 p.m. and was walking the hallway where she observed both the toddler classroom and the infant classroom transitioning back into their rooms. Ms. Ledington explained that she was checking up on a couple things and then left for the day. Ms. Ledington further stated that no one informed her that evening about the incident with Child A Ms. Ledington explained that on October 29, 2020, Ms. Swinson had approached her and informed her that Ms. Cobb and Ms. Piacentini who were in the toddler room and had left Child A alone in the outdoor play area. Ms. Ledington also expressed that neither Ms. Cobb nor Ms. Piacentini ever reported this incident until she approached them. Ms. Ledington addressed the concerns with Ms. Cobb, Ms. Cobb expressed that she admitted that she failed to do a head count and felt it was "crazy and chaotic". Ms. Ledington stated

R 400.8182 · R 400.8182 Ratio and group size requirements. (3) In each room or well-defined space, the maximum group size and ratio of caregivers to children, including children related to a staff member or the licensee, shall be the following: (b) For preschoolers 30 months of age until 3 years of age, there shall be 1 caregiver for 8 children and a maximum group size of 16. ............... .........................................

On November 9, 2020, I was able to observe the infant room with child care staff members Faith Dorris and Taylor Lambert who were present. I observed teething rings and other infant toys being handled and explored by the infants present and each time when one of the infants placed the items in their mouths and were done playing, both Ms. Dorris and Ms. Lambert picked up the toys and placed them in a plastic bin to be cleaned. However, I observed all the highchair covers in the infant room to be dirty and stained. Both Ms. Dorris and Ms. Lambert expressed that they do their best to maintain cleanliness, however, admitted that the highchair covers need to be replaced. Ms. Dorris and Ms. Lambert further added that they have 10 raised their concerns to Ms. Ledington to order new highchair covers but have not received new ones to date. On November 9, 2020, I interviewed Erica Ledington. Ms. Ledington observed the highchairs in the infant room during the onsite inspection and agreed that the highchair covers all need to be replaced because they were observed to be dirty and had numerous stains on them.

R 400.8182 · R 400.8182 Ratio and group size requirements. (3) In each room or well-defined space, the maximum group size and ratio of caregivers to children, including children related to a staff member or the licensee, shall be the following: (d) For preschoolers 4 years of age until school-age, there shall be I caregiver for 12 children.

On November 9. 2020, the preschool room had a total of nine children with two child care staff members, Candice Swinson and Madison Ward. The room was within ratio of children to child care staff members.

R 400.8125 · 1 R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.

On October 28, 2020, child care staff members Fawn Cobb and Bailey Piacentini failed to provide appropriate care and supervision of Child A by leaving her alone outside in the outdoor olav area for aooroximately nine minutes.

R 400.8173 · R 400.8173 Equipment. ........................................... ... (4) Play equipment, materials, and furniture, must be all of the following: (b) Safe, clean, and in good repair.

I observed all the highchair covers in the infant room to be dirty and stained and in need of replacement.

R 400.8158 · ........... ....................... ......... ............... R 400.8158 Incident, accident, injury, illness, death, fire reporting. (2) A licensee, licensee designee, or program director shall report to the child's parent and the department, directly or via phone, fax, or email, within 24 hours of the occurrence of any of the following: ..... ............................. (a) A child is lost or left unsupervised.

Erica Ledington, Program Director/Licensee Designee failed to make a report to Child A's parent and the department within 24 hours of the incident involving where Child A was found left unsupervised in the outdoor play area on October 28, 2020.

R 400.8158 · R 400.8158 Incident, accident, injury, illness, death, fire reporting. (4) A licensee, licensee designee, or program director shall submit a written report to the department of the occurrences outlined in subrules (1), (2), and (3) of this rule, in a format provided by the department, within 72 hours of the verbal report to the department. .............................. .....

Erica Ledington, Program Director/Licensee Designee failed to submit a written report to the department regarding the incident with Child A found left unsupervised in the outdoor play area on October 28, 2020.