R 400.1907(1)(b) · R 400.1907(1)(b) Child’s record. A child in care statement or receipt using a form provided by the department and signed by the parent certifying all of the following:

Of 10 files reviewed, 3 did not have this document.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1914 · R 400.1914 Daily activity program. (4) Television, video tapes, movies, electronic devices, and computers must be limited to not more than 2 hours per day and to programs designed for children's education, enjoyment, or both. Other activities must be available to children during television and movie viewing.

Sarah Arnold reported utilizing safe sleep for all infants. She has not had any infant swings in her child care home for approximately one year. There is a bouncy seat; however, children do not sleep in that seat. Sarah Arnold added the car seats are kept upstairs and the children are taken out of them upon arrival. She reported that babies are always put in their respective cribs if they fall asleep elsewhere and not allowed to stay sleeping in a chair or equivalent. CCSM 1 denied that the babies are being left to sleep anywhere, but their cribs. Car seats stay upstairs and they do not have swings. She stated they follow safe sleep guidelines and they will continue to do so. Twelve parents of child care children were interviewed, and none of the parents reported ever seeing an infant sleeping in a bouncy seat, car seat or swing while in care.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1916 · R 400.1916 Bedding and sleeping equipment. 7 (13) None of the following are approved sleeping equipment for children 24 months of age or younger: (a) Infant car seats. (b) Infant seats. (c) Infant swings. (d) Bassinets. (e) High chairs. (f) Water beds. (g) Adult beds. (h) Soft mattresses. (i) Sofas. (j) Bean bags. (k) Other soft surfaces.

Sarah Arnold stated that babies will hold their own bottles if they can. She works with the children to be able to hold their own bottle as it is an important part of a baby's development. Sarah Arnold and her CCSMs will feed the babies if they cannot hold their own bottles. She denies ever propping bottles. CCSM 1 stated some babies will hold their own bottles if they are able too. CCSMs will assist the babies that cannot. CCSM 1 noted she would never let a child struggle to eat. She denied that anyone props bottles for the children. During interviews with child care parents, none reported concerns with seeing or hearing about children’s bottles being propped or being forced to hold their own bottles.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1931 · R 400.1931 Food preparation and service. (14) The propping of bottles is prohibited. 8

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1904b · R 400.1904b Child care assistant; requirements. (3) Within 90 days of hire, a child care assistant shall provide the licensee all of the following: (c) Proof of training in the prevention of infectious disease, including immunizations. Hours of training in the prevention of infectious disease from MiRegistry will be allowed to count for training hours to meet this requirement.

Sarah Arnold was utilizing MHM 1 as a child care assistant, however MHM 1 had not completed any of the trainings required of a child care assistant, including health and safety trainings.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: health medication. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.1911 · R 400.1911 Care; supervision; children. (1) A licensee shall ensure appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.

On 09/12/2022, I made an unannounced on-site visit to the home. When I arrived on-site, Ms. Sarah Arnold was present, along with child care staff member Mr. Andrew Arnold. There were nine child care children in attendance. I explained the allegations to Ms. Arnold. Ms. Arnold stated that on 08/30/2022, she did not see Ms. Lena Mattson take Child A out of his high chair and place him on the floor. When she walked into the living room downstairs, Child A was already on the floor. Child A was crying, "But it was because he was put down on the floor, very common for him to do this. It was his normal cry, no tears." She further reported that she discourages Ms. Mattson from picking up the children only because of her back. When she has witnessed her picking the child care children up, it is always with both hands. Ms. Arnold said that she carried Child A upstairs and sat him on the floor of the living room. She could not recall if Child A was sitting on Ms. Mattson's lap. She did not hear her say shut up to Child A. She stated, "We don't say shut up," and she did not witness Ms. Mattson smacking Child A on his leg. She has never witnessed Ms. Mattson exhibiting any of these behaviors. If she did, Ms. Arnold would not have her assisting with the children. On 09/12/2022, I interviewed child care staff member Mr. Andrew Arnold. He stated that he helps Ms. Arnold on a daily basis, whenever he is needed. He reported that Ms. Mattson typically does not pick the child care children up; Ms. Arnold does most of that. He has never witnessed anything concerning with Ms. Mattson and how she interacts with the child care children, "It doesn't make any sense to me, if I saw anyone do that, I would deal with that person. Ms. Mattson is not the aggressive type." On 09/12/2022, I interviewed Child A, B, C and D's Mother. She stated that on 08/30/2022, when she walked into the home to pick up the children, Child A was really upset and crying. She stated, "They say he's always fussy." When they got into the car to go home, Child B (11-year-old, male) told her that he saw Ms. Mattson picked Child A up by his arm and toss him onto the floor and he was screaming. As soon as he landed on the floor Ms. Arnold told Ms. Mattson not to pick him up again and took Child A upstairs. Child A was sitting on Ms. Mattson's lap crying, when she told Child A to shut up and then smacked him above the knees, right above the knee cap. Child A, B, C and D's Mother said that Child A had a little circle bruise on each of his knees and on his right cheek, which appeared to be a new bruise. She stated, 4 "It was not there when I dropped him off." She further reported that the children told her on one occasion when Child D (7-year-old, female) was outside playing, Child A was inside the house and was banging on the window at her, when Ms. Mattson walked up to Child A, picked him up by his arm and moved him away from the window. On 09/13/2022, Child A, B, C and D's Mother shared the picture of Child A's face that she said she took on 08/30/2022. There appeared to be some bruising on Child A's face. The bruising appeared to be dark in color, as though it had been there for a while. The picture was not date stamped and so it was inconclusive of when the picture had been taken. On 09/20/2022, licensing consultant Mr. DeAndre Lawson and I arrived on-site. I interviewed Ms. Mattson. Ms. Mattson reported that she has assisted Ms. Arnold with caring for children for at least ten years. She worked on 08/30/2022 and had taken care of all the children who were in attendance on that day. Child A was the last child to get up from his nap and he was having a late snack in the highchair. When he finished, she removed the tray, picked him up with both hands, under the arms and around his midsection, and sat him on the floor. She stated, "I couldn't pick him up like that (by the shoulder and arm); he's too heavy." Child A was not crying but might have been whining. "If he had been crying, I w

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

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 09/12/2022, Child A, B, C and D's Mother reported that Child B, Child C and Child D (7-year-old, female) have told her that Ms. Mattson is mean. Child C told her last year that Ms. Mattson would pinch his leg, but she stated that she never recalled having seen any bruising of pinching on his legs. She said on one occasion, when she had arrived to pick up the children, she witnessed one child ask Ms. Mattson if a certain child could come upstairs and play and Ms. Mattson yelled his name and told him to go back upstairs. Child B also told her that Ms. Mattson will smack toys and bottles out of the children's hands. On one occasion, she smacked a bottle out of a child's hands, gave it back to the child, and then told them to drink it. On 09/20/2022, Ms. Sarah Arnold reported that she has no concerns with Ms. Mattson and how she interacts with the child care children. She has never witnessed Ms. Mattson pinching children. She said that sometimes a stern voice is used with the children, but they never yell at the children. She has never witnessed Ms. Mattson to smack toys and bottles out of the children's hands. On 09/20/2022, Ms. Mattson reported that she has never pinched Child A on his leg, "Not even accidently or while playing." She said the only time she has raised her voice to the children is to correct them and one time she yelled at Child B that his mom was there, but she did not believe it had been said in a forceful manner. As for smacking bottles and toys out of children's hands, Ms. Mattson replied, "No. Why would I do that?". On 09/20/2022, Child B did not report to licensing consultant Mr. DeAndre Lawson any concerns with Ms. Mattson pinching Child C or that she smacks toys and bottles out of the children's hands. On 09/26/2022, Child E and F's Mother reported that she has never witnessed Ms. Mattson pinching children, yelling at children in a forceful manner or smacking toys and bottles out of children's hands. Ms. Mattson has cared for Child E and F for several years and she has only been caring with the children. On 09/26/2022, Child H and I's Mother reported that she has never witnessed Ms. Mattson pinching children, yelling at children in a forceful manner or smacking toys and bottles out of children's hands.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R400.1913 · R400.1913 Discipline; child handling. ................................................. ......... .......... (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (d) Inflict mental or emotional stress, such as humiliating, shaming, threatening a child, or using derogatory remarks.

On 09/12/2022, Child A, B, C and D's Mother reported that her children have told her that they have to sit upstairs and watch television. She has witnessed children being in the upstairs living from, she estimates, from 7:00 am. until 9:00 a.m. "I have dropped them off at different times between 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and they are upstairs watching TV." She also estimates that children have to sit and watch television, regardless of when they are picked up, from 3:00 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. She was told by her children that they were not allowed to move when they are upstairs watching television, and Ms. Mattson and Ms. Arnold would make them sit down if they tried to get up. On 09/20/2022, Ms. Arnold reported that the child care children are upstairs in the morning until everyone has arrived for the day, approximately for half an hour. Once everyone has arrived, everyone goes downstairs. Then at the end of the day, when it's time for parents to start arriving, everyone goes upstairs to the living room and watches a movie. It is approximately half an hour to 45 minutes at a time. Ms. Arnold stated there are other things for the children to do during this time if they do not want to watch the movie. The majority of the time the children are engaged in watching what is on the television. On 09/20/2022, Ms. Mattson reported that the children are upstairs in the living room until everyone has arrived for the day. She is unsure of how long the children are watching television at this time as she does not know the times of when all the children arrive. At the end of the day, just prior to the children being picked up, everyone comes upstairs, for maybe half an hour to 45 minutes, and watches a cartoon or movie on the television in the living room. There are some toys for the children to play with, but most often the children are interested in watching what is on the television. On 09/20/2022, Child B did not report any concerns with having to sit upstairs and watch television for an extended amount of time. On 09/26/2022, Child E and F's Mother reported that she is aware children watch television in the morning, when they are waiting for everyone to arrive, maybe half an hour to 45 minutes maximum. Neither Child E or Child F have every mentioned having to be made to sit and watch television. rj On 09/26/2022, Child H and I's Mother reported that she knows the children are asked to watch television at the beginning of the day and the end of the day, "Because they [Child H and I] are two and three they are happy to watch."

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R400.1914 · R400.1914 Daily activity program. ............................................... ............................................................................................... (4) Television, video tapes, movies, electronic devices, and computers must be limited to not more than 2 hours per day and to programs designed for children's education, enjoyment, or both. Other activities must be available to children during television and movie viewing.

There was no evidence to support that Ms. Sarah Arnold is making child care children sit and watch television for more than 2 hours per day or that other activities are not available.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Open / not marked corrected.