R 400.1913 · R 400.1913 Discipline; child handling. (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (a) Hit, spank, shake, bite, pinch, or inflict other forms of corporal punishment.

There is no evidence that Ms. Zielke hit Child A in the eye or spanked any children in care. Child A told Ms. Zielke and Ms. Echols two different stories about how the injury was obtained. First, she said she fell off a couch. Ms. Zielke does not have a couch in her child care space. Then Child A said Child G hit her. Ms. Zielke stated Child A never cried or expressed that she was in pain and Child A was usually very dramatic when she was hurt or upset. I spoke with Child B's Mother, Child C's Mother, Child D, E, & F's Mother, Child G's Mother, Child H's Mother and Child I & J's Mother who stated that their children have never come home with any unexplained marks or bruises.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1913 · 1 R 400.1913 Discipline; child handling. (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (f) Confine a child in an enclosed area such as a closet, locked room, box, or similar enclosure. 13

On March 31, 2022, 1 spoke to Ms. Zielke by telephone about the allegation. She admitted that she put Child A in the napping room a few times when she has "thrown a fit" so she can keep everyone safe until Child A calmed down. She said Child A has always been able to come out of the room as soon as she has calmed down. She denied that Child A has ever cried out for her parents. On March 31, 2022, 1 spoke with Child C's Mother and Child D, E, & F's Mother by telephone. Child C's Mother and Child D, E, and F's Mother both said they have never seen or heard anything about a child being placed in a dark room for punishment. On April 1, 2022,, I spoke to Child A's Mother about the allegation. Child A's Mother said she spoke to Child H's Mother who said Child H told her that Ms. Zielke put Child A in a dark room with a bed in it and Child A screamed for her 11 mom and dad. We asked Child A's Mother if Child A has ever mentioned this, and she said, "no." On April 1, 2022, I completed an onsite inspection at the child care home and spoke to Ms. Zielke, Child Care Staff Members, Mari Echols and Gail Timm, and Child B about the allegation. Ms. Zielke stated that she had no idea what the dark room was. She said the napping room is a little darker than the playroom when the lights are off, but it has two large egress windows that do not have curtains and produce a lot of natural light. She said the children do not play in the nap room and it is usually only used for sleeping children. She stated that Child A would sometimes "throw a fit" when she could not get something she wanted. Child A would lay on the floor and kick, throw objects, and scream at the top of her lungs. When Child A would start to throw things at other children and or try to kick other children, she would take Child A into the nap room to calm down. Ms. Zielke said her discipline policy states that if a child is misbehaving or is a danger to themselves or others, she will remove them from the area until they can calm down. She said when Child A is done having a tantrum, then she can come back and join the group. She denied ever hearing Child A call out for her parents when she has been in the napping room. Ms. Zielke took us downstairs so we could see the napping room and other child use spaces. The main room was divided into two sections with toys on one side of the room and the kitchen and tables on the other side of the room. The napping room was located off the kitchen and had cribs and toddler beds in the room. There were two large egress windows that did not have any draperies. We could see clearly in the room without turning on any lights. Ms. Echols said she was guessing that the dark room might be the napping room, but it is not dark. She said there are two large windows in the room and no curtains. Sometimes children are sent to the napping room for a time-out so they can lay down for a few minutes to get their bodies back under control. She said when they use the napping room for discipline, usually they will leave the child in there alone and shut the door and just check on them every few minutes. Ms. Echols acknowledged that Child A has been put in the napping room for a time-out but denied that she has ever screamed for her parents while she was in there. She said when Child A is upset, she will just scream a high pitch scream, throw herself on the floor, flop around, and cry. A couple weeks prior to the allegation, Ms. Echols said Child A got mad and threw her personal tablet on the floor and broke it because another child wanted to play on it. Ms. Echols did not remember Child A having an outburst on March 30, 2022. Ms. Timm denied that Ms. Zielke uses the napping room for any punishment and said time-outs usually occur at the kitchen table. She said the napping room is for napping, but it is not dark. It has two large windows and neither of them are covered so a lot of natural light comes in. 12 Child B was not able to be forensically interviewed but wh

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1903 · R 400.1903 Licensee Responsibilities. (5) The licensee shall ensure that all personnel, members of the household, and conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to the welfare of children.

On March 31, 2022, I spoke with Child C's Mother and Child D, E, & F's Mother by MeelpPonen a out the allegation. Child C's Mother stated that Minor Household Member 1 (male, age recently began attending school online from home and Minor Household ember 2 (MHM 2) still goes to school. Child C's Mother stated that she has seen the minor household members in the home, but Child C has never talked about either of them she did not think they spent much time around the children in care. Child D, E, & F's Mother stated that her sons have never had any problems with Ms. Zielke's minor household members and Child D, E, and F really like them. She said she has never heard anything about MHM 1 being aggressive or inappropriate with any children. She did not have any knowledge about any gun threats made at school. On April 1, 2022, I spoke to Child A's Mother about the allegation. Child A's Mother Rsaaiid Child never said much about Ms. Zielke's minor household members. Child A knows who they are and has commented that MHM1 has gone out to the barn with them to look at the calves. She was not sure if they are ever used as child care staff members but she knows they do interact with the children in care. Child A's Mother said her husband owns a local store and had Ms. Zielke's business cards out on display. A teenage boy stopped in and was inquiring 14 about employment and said that MHM 1 got expelled from school for making gun threats in the fall. On April 1, 2022, I completed an onsite inspection at the child care home and spoke to Ms. Zielke, Child Care Staff Members, Mari Echols and Gail Timm about the allegation. Ms. Zielke denied that MHM 1 got expelled from school. She stated that around the time of the Oxford school shooting in Oxford, Michigan, MHM 1 was in band class and was "being obnoxious." She explained that MHM 1 has , and they were adjusting his medications and he has a history of lacking impulse control. MHM 1 began talking to a student in the class and asked the student if he hated him and the student replied, "yes." MHM 1 responded and said, "I'll just shoot up the school." She said MHM 1 does not have any access to guns and there are no guns in the home. The school never went into lockdown because of his threat but the police were contacted, and his bag was searched but they did not find any weapons. MHM 1 had to go in front of the school board, and they made the decision to suspend him, and he would finish out his year doing online schooling. MHM 1 started working with a life coach and if he successfully finishes his schooling, he will be permitted back into school next year and can be back on the football team. She said he is doing well and is on target to reach his goal. MHM 1 will sometimes come downstairs during the day to use her phone if he needs to connect to the internet for school because they do not allow him to use it unsupervised, but he does not have much interest in being down there with the children in care. Ms. Echols stated that MHM 1 is home during the day, but he is busy with online schooling. He may come down for an hour to use the internet, but he is never alone with the children in care and has minimal interactions with the children. Ms. Timm stated that MHM 1 and MHM 2 do not usually come down into the child use spaces. She said she thinks the child care children "drive them crazy." MHM 1 will sometimes come downstairs for lunch or if he needs something. Neither of the minor household members are ever alone with any children in care. On April 7, 2022, I spoke to Child I & J's Mother by telephone about the allegation. Chi s Mother said Child I has mentioned a few times when MHM 1 or MHM 2 have come downstairs to play with them. She said the minor household members are never left alone with any children in care. On April 7, 2022, I spoke to Child B's Mother, Child G's Mother, and Child H's Mother by telephone. Child B's Mother said she has seen MHM 1 and MHM 2 downstairs interacting with the child