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.

On 10/07/2021, an incident report was received from the center and a special investigation was assigned. On 10/08/2021, I spoke with Child A's Mother about the incident. Child A's Mother said that her son did not seem scared or shaken up and did not cry about being alone. She said that her understanding was that he was hiding by the toy box to hide from his friend. Child A's Mother said that Child A attends a preschool session until 11:15 AM and then is in child care until 4:45 PM. She said that she knows his preschool teacher but there a quite a few different child care staff members so she did not now who the lead caregiver was. 2 On 10/08/2021, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection and interviewed program director Jacquelyn VanderPloeg about the incident. Ms. VanderPloeg reported that she became aware of Child A being on the playground unsupervised when the landscaper who had been mowing the lawn knocked on the door. Ms. VanderPloeg explained that there were two groups of children on the playground. Child care staff members (CCSM) Lauren Watson and Sophie Dozeman had 8 children in their group and CCSM's Michelle Clark, Amy Becker and Kim Harris had 16 children in their group. Ms. VanderPloeg stated that the group with 16 children had the children lined up and counted 15 in line. The attendance sheet they were using had 15 children listed on it, so they thought they had all the children in the group. There was a child not on the list who was in the group and was lined up to go inside. Child A was on the attendance, but he did not go inside with the group. Ms. VanderPloeg explained that children who attend the preschool sessions join the child care group after their session ends and are supposed to be signed in to the child care group by their preschool staff member. Ms. VanderPloeg reported that Kim Harris is the assigned lead caregiver of the child care room. I requested a copy of the video camera footage. I interviewed CCSM Kim Harris who explained that she began working at the center at the end of August 2021. She reported that she was outside with her group of children and there were 15 children listed on the attendance sheet. Ms. Harris explained that CCSM Lauren Watson has been caring for a second group of child care children in the afternoons in another classroom. Ms. Harris said that the attendance sheets are sometimes missing names. Ms. Watson has her own attendance sheet for the children in her group. Ms. Harris said that Ms. Dozeman told her they had 15 children in their group. Ms. Harris confirmed that name to face is the transition protocol for the center and that it was not followed that day. Ms. Harris went on break when they returned inside, so she was not aware of how long Child A was outside unsupervised as he was found while she was on break. I interviewed CCSM Lauren Watson about the incident. Ms. Watson said that she is not a lead caregiver, but she has been in charge of a group of children in a separate classroom for the past few weeks. She said that she thinks that she qualifies to be a lead caregiver but the center has not hired her to be one. She explained that this was happening due to a high number of children that are enrolled in child care room. She went on to explain that after the preschool session, the aides bring the children to the child care room at 11:15 AM and are supposed to check the children they bring to the room off in the binder. Ms. Watson has noticed before that some of the children in the group were not checked off in the binder. She said that she did not know who is in charge in the child care room. Ms. Watson described things are "very chaotic." She reported that she had been caring for a group of 3-year-old children but this week she began caring for the early pick-up children instead. Ms. Watson explained that on the day of the incident, she took a lunch break and joined the children on the playground at 12:15 P.M. She said that she lined up the 8 children in her grou

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

R400.8122 · R400.8122 Lead caregiver; qualifications; responsibilities. (1) Lead caregivers are required only for groups of children who are preschool age and younger.

There was no lead caregiver assigned to the second group of child care children that were cared for in a separate classroom from the child care room.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.8176 · R 400.8176 Sleeping equipment. (5) A cot or a mat and a sheet or blanket of appropriate size must be provided as follows: (a) For all preschoolers 3 years of age and older in care for 5 or more continuous hours. (b) For any child in care who regularly naps. (c) Upon a parent's request for any child in care.

Preschool aged children were sleeping on blankets placed on the floor due to the center not having enough cots or mats for the children to use.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.