• Violation

  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.

  On January 27, 2021 during an unannounced onsite inspection, I spoke with Ms. Betty Vermeersch regarding the allegations. She denied ever spanking the children using a fly swatter or any other type of corporal punishment. She stated that she does put children in time out on occasion but denied that the children are ever put in time out for great lengths of time. During the onsite inspection she showed me the area in the kitchen where she has the children stand by the wall. She stated that she then goes over to the child and explains what they did and why it was wrong. She then allows the child to go back to where the child was playing. She added that she does shoo her dogs away with the fly swatter when they begin to bark but that she does not even spank the dogs with the fly swatter. I spoke with Ms. Danielle Vermeesch regarding the allegations. She stated that she has never witnessed Ms. Betty Vermeersch use any type of corporal punishment. She added that she is Betty Vermeersch's daughter and her mother never used corporal punishment on her own children as a form of discipline. On 02/01/2021 I spoke with Child A and Child B's Mother regarding the allegations. She stated that she was also in child care with Betty Vermeersch when she was a child. She stated that Ms. Vermeersch did not use any type of physical discipline on any of the child care children. Child A and Child B's Mother stated that Ms. Vermeersch used time outs for discipline when she was a child and that she also uses this form of discipline with Child A and Child B. On 02/01/2021 I spoke with Child D's Mother regarding the allegations. She stated she has no concerns with the care and supervision of Child D while they are with Ms. Betty Vermeersch and Ms. Danielle Vermeersch. She stated that they use time outs as a form of discipline. She stated that she considers them family. On 02/01/2021 I spoke with Child E's Mother regarding the allegations. She stated that she has no issues or concerns with the care and supervision of Child E while she is with Ms. Betty Vermeersch and Ms. Danielle Vermeersch. She stated that she is aware that they use time outs as a form of discipline. On 02/01/2021 I spoke with Child F and Child G's Mother regarding the allegations. She stated that she is not concerned about the care and supervision that Child F and Child G receive while they are in care at Ms. Betty Vermeersch and Ms. Danielle Vermeersch's. She stated that she is aware and has witnessed Ms. Betty Vermeersch place a child in time out when the child hit another child. 3 On 02/02/2021 I spoke with Child C's Mother regarding the allegations. She stated that she has no issues or concerns with the care and supervision that Child C receives while she is in the care of Ms. Betty Vermeersch and Ms. Danielle Vermeersch. She stated that Child C is very vocal and would inform her if Ms. Betty Vermeersch was using physical discipline on her or any other child in the child care home and she has never told that this is occurring.

Child A and Child B have been spanked with a fly swatter by Ms. Betty Vermeersch. Child A has been put in a corner for time out for much of the day.

Disposition: Substantiated