Little Sprouts Childcare Center LLC

722.115n(16) Application for or renewal of license to operate child care center, group child care home, or family child care home; household member or child care staff member; criminal history check; requirements; duties of department. The checks and clearances required in subsection (1)(a) to (c) and section 5q shall be updated at least every 5 years if the individual has been continuously licensed, has continuously been serving as a child care staff member, or has continuously been an adult member of the household.

Due to the failure to complete the eligibility renewal comprehensive background check as required, the current background check results for the individual are now listed in the CCBC system as expired. 'If the individual(s) does not complete the eligibility renewal comprehensive. background check within 30 calendar days from the expiration date, the individual will be disconnected from the child care facility. At that time, if you wish for the individual to be connected again to the child care facility, you will have to initiate a new comprehensive background check for the individual at your expense

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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 04/17/2023 an incident report was received from Little Sprouts Childcare Center. The preschool children were dancing and child care staff member Stephanie Noss was supervising. Child care staff member Jayde Smolarz was cleaning the tables in the preschool classroom. Child K (female, 3 years) and Child F (female, 3 years) came up to Ms. Noss and stated that they ran into each 2 other; Child F said that Child K hit the table. Child K had a cut on her lip; upon further inspection Child K's front teeth were injured. First aid was administered to Child K until Child K's mother arrived. Child K was taken to the dentist and her front three teeth had to be pulled. On 04/19/2023 I interviewed Child K's mother via telephone. Following the incident on 04/17/2023 Child K had to have her three front teeth pulled. Child K agreed that she and Child F bumped into each other while dancing and then she hit the table. When the incident occurred child care staff member Lisa Muzio facetimed her to show her that Child K's gums were bleeding and her teeth her dangling. In March 2023 Child K was seen by the dentist and at that time the dentist stated her front two teeth may be loose because the teeth had no roots. Child K has been attending Little Sprouts Childcare Center for five years and has had no previous issues. The staff has always been transparent and she has no concerns with care and supervision. On 04/20/2023 I completed an on-site inspection at Little Sprouts Childcare Center. I interviewed licensee designee/program director Amy Croff. The incident on 04/17/2023 occurred before lunch. She was in the kitchen which is located next to the preschool classroom and the door between the two rooms was open. There were 14 children ranging in age from three to five years old and two child care staff members present. The children were dancing as a gross motor activity, and they were not too loud or out of control when the incident occurred. She did not see the incident occur but was told that Child K and Child F collided. I interviewed child care staff member Lisa Muzio. She was in the kitchen on her lunch break. She did not see the incident occur. Ms. Noss came into the kitchen and stated, I think we have a problem. Child K's lip was cut. When they looked in Child K's mouth, it was bleeding. They got an ice pack for Child K and facetimed her mother. I interviewed child care staff member Jayde Smolarz. On 04/17/2023 when the incident occurred she was working in the preschool classroom. She was cleaning tables because children had just finished painting. Ms. Noss put on music and the children were running around and dancing. The song was interactive (such as going on a bear hunt) and some of the children had been told to stop running because they were going to get hurt. She did not see the incident happen; she heard Child K cry and saw that she was bleeding. She took over supervising the children while Ms. Noss attended to Child K. I interviewed child care staff member Stephanie Noss. On 04/17/2023 when the incident occurred, she was working in the preschool classroom. She put music on to get the kids' energy out because they could not go outside due to the weather. The song was interactive (such as going on a bear hunt) and some of the children had been told to stop running because they were going to get hurt. She was supervising the dancing when Child K came up to her crying and bleeding. She did not see the incident happen. Child F said she ran into Child K and that Child K bumped the 3 table. Child K had a bite mark on her lip and she observed blood on top of one of the tables. Ms. Muzio was in the kitchen and looked at Child K's mouth and saw the injury to her teeth. I interviewed child care staff member Dana Smolarz. She was in the kitchen making lunch when the incident occurred. She did not see the incident happen. She heard music playing and it sounded like normal children's activities. She has no concerns with the care and supervision chil

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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 02/24/2023, I interviewed Amy Croff who is the licensee and program director. She affirmed being familiar with both children listed in the allegations. Mrs. Croff stated Child A is two going on three. Child B is also two going on three. Child A was recently kicked out of child care because of how Child A's father talked to child care staff members. This is sad because Mrs. Croff and some of the family members are close and are employees of the center. Mrs. Croff was aware the parents were upset and offered to meet with them. The next thing she knew the parents were posting 2 thigs on Facebook. When incidents happen with children such as an injury, standard procedure is an incident report is added to Brightwheel. It was no different with this situation. Child B was enrolled 9/06/2022. Child B has some behavior challenges. Mrs. Croff has been meeting with Child B's parents about Child B's behavior. She describes Child B as a rough child who does not like to share. When asked about an incident involving Child B where someone's leg was broken, Mrs. Croff stated the incident happened and was investigated by their consultant and provided report number 2023DC0687003. It was noted that there were no findings in the report. When asked about Child A's parents' request to separate the children Mrs. Croff stated ratio would not allow them to move Child A to a different room and denied it was because the center was unable to pay child care staff members. When asked about supervision for Child B Mrs. Croff stated they try to keep Child B occupied and try to work with them and the parents because she never wants to kick a child out. She has tried holding Child B and giving as much positive attention as she can. She and the staff have worked on teaching Child B about sharing, using words and looked for patterns in Child B's behavior. They have also had conferences with Child B's parents and recommended parenting improvements such as adjusting sleep schedule and home routine. A child care staff member monitors Child B during free play. She believes the bottom line is Child B is a young child who is learning how to communicate and children at this age scratch and bite and there is nothing unusual about what is happening. Child A has scratched and bit as well. She believes Child A and B feed off each other and fight over everything and both have times where one will go after the other. When asked about other incidents involving Child B and other children, she stated there have been several. Mrs. Croff provided a printout of incident reports for Child A and Child B from 09/02/2022 through 01/10/2023. Child A was enrolled at the center from 03/03/2022 through 01/09/2023. While enrolled there were eight incident reports where Child A received injury because of scratching, biting, hitting, kicking, or pinching by another child. Four of the eight incident reports involved Child B. Child B was enrolled at the center on 09/16/2022. Since enrollment Child B has been involved in 24 incidents where scratching, biting, hitting, kicking, or pinching resulted in the injury of another child. Four of the 24 incident reports involved Child A. When asked if this seems excessive Mrs. Croff stated the children are learning and believes this is normal behavior for children this age. When asked if they provide additional supervision for Child A or B, she said no but added at times staff will try to be in close proximity to Child B due to Child B's behavior. On 02/24/2023, I interviewed Abigail Oberg is who is the lead in the infant toddler room. She does not remember specifics about incidents between Child A and Child B. Child A has gotten scratches but the children are learning. She added that there are a total of 12 children in the classroom and what happened to Child A is normal in her opinion. 3 Child A went through a hair pulling stage. The only thing that was not normal to her was Child A's parents' reaction. She has never had a parent that did not trust th

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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: (b) An incident involving an allegation of inappropriate contact.

There is no evidence that Mrs. Croff failed to report to children's parents and the department, directly or via phone, fax, or email, within 24 hours of an incident involving an allegation of inappropriate contact. ..........

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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 12/15/2022 an incident report was received from Little Sprouts Childcare Center. Child A was standing by the sink in the infant/toddler classroom and Child B was running around with a toy container covering his head. Child B ran into Child A and pushed him down. Child B may have also stepped on Child A. Child A was crying. Child care staff members Lisa Muzio and Amy Kassuba were present when the incident occurred. Ms. Muzio went over and picked up Child A, while Ms. Kassuba got an ice pack. Child A's right leg started to swell and he could not stand on it. Child A's parents were contacted right away. Child A 2 was taken to Urgent care and sustained a fracture to his right leg. When the incident occurred, Ms. Kassuba was changing a child's diaper next to the sink Child A was standing in front of. Ms. Muzio was holding another child with her back to the incident. On 12/16/2022 I interviewed Child A's mother via telephone. Child A sustained a fracture to his right leg and has a cast. The doctor who treated Child A reassured her that the injury was a typical toddler fracture. She has no concerns with the care and supervision Child A receives at Little Sprouts Childcare Center. On 12/19/2022 I completed an on-site inspection at Little Sprouts Childcare Center. I interviewed child care staff member Lisa Muzio. On 12/15/2022 she and Ms. Kassuba were present with six children in the infant/toddler classroom when the incident occurred. She was holding another child walking away with her back to Child A when the incident occurred. She did not see the incident occur. Child B had a toy container on his head and could not see; staff members had taken the bucket off his head several times that day. Child B had only been attending Little Sprouts Childcare Center for a few months and is still adjusting I interviewed child care staff member Amy Kassuba. On 12/15/2022 she was changing a baby at the changing table and Child A was standing to her left. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a child run toward Child A and knock him down. Child B had a toy container on his head when the incident occurred. Both child care staff members had asked Child A to take the toy container off his head. After this incident staff have been instructed to put the toy containers out of reach of children after the toys have been emptied from them. I interviewed infant/toddler classroom lead caregiver Abigail Oberg. She was not present in the infant/toddler classroom when the incident occurred on 12/15/2022. The children do like to stand on the toy containers and put them on their heads. After this incident staff have been instructed to put the toys containers out of reach of children after the toys have been emptied from them. I interviewed licensee designee and program director Amy Croff. She was not present on 12/15/2022 when the incident occurred. She has no concerns with the care and supervision her child care staff members provide. On 01/10/2022 I interviewed Child C's mother, Child D's mother and Child E's mother separately via telephone. There were no concerns with the care and supervision children receive at Little Sprouts Childcare Center. 3

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