• Violation

  ZI+IsI:IirI7 Discipline. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (a) Hitting, spanking, shaking, biting, pinching, or inflicting other forms of corporal punishment.

  On 3/4/2022 I completed an unannounced onsite inspection and interviews with program director Debbie Swick and child care staff member Katie Leininger. I observed that the child care is essentially compromised of two large rooms. One room is for preschool and school age children, and the other is for infants and toddlers. The well-defined spaces are defined by low shelving units, partial walls and equipment. There are no doors or full walls separating the classrooms and the space is almost completely visible to anyone entering the building. Ms. Swick was cooperative and aware of the reported allegations. She stated that Child A, Child B, and Child C have only been enrolled at the child care for a couple of weeks. She expressed that she works full time in the classroom with Child A, Child B, and Child C along with child care staff member Katie Leininger on a daily basis. Ms. Swick indicated that since Child A, Child B, and Child C have been enrolled, they have had some concerns and issues. For example, the children have often come without coats or lunches. She further indicated that Child A appears to have some emotional challenges and Child B is quite developmentally delayed. Further, Ms. Swick stated that she knows that the family has been through a lot of trauma and struggles. Ms. Swick recently attempted to talk to Child A, Child B and Child C's Mother about her concerns with the children. The Mother immediately became defensive, and started complaining about the child care. She then claimed that Child A had reported to Department of Health and Human Services worker Terissa Trivette that Ms. Swick and hit him on the head for discipline. She also claimed that Child B and Child C told her that they were hit as well. Ms. Swick asked Child A, Child B, and Child C's Mother why she has continued to bring the children to care if she believed they were being hit. She replied that she did not believe that Child A was hit in the head. Ms. Swick expressed that while Child A, Child B, and Child C's Mother was at the child care center discussing this issue, they brought Child A into the office to talk about the concern. Ms. Swick directly asked Child A if she had ever hit him in the head. Child A stated "yes, you do." She asked him to explain and show her how she hit him in the head. Child A described Ms. Swick standing by him and patting the top of his head gently with an open hand. Ms. Swick walked over to Child A and patted his head and reminded him that she will often pat a child's head in a gentle and positive way as a means of affection or reinforcement. While she was gently patting the top of his head, he dramatically reacted and acted as if the pat on his head was painful. Ms. Swick was shocked by his reaction, and his mother immediately stated, 4 "oh lord, that is not hitting." Child A, Child B, and Child C's Mother then roughly smacked Child A on the back of his head and stated "I do this to you all the time" and Child A had no reaction at all. After Child A, Child B, and Child C's Mother smacked Child A in the back of the head, she directly asked Child A if Ms. Swick had ever hit him for discipline. Child A stated no. She also brought in Child B and asked him if Ms. Swick had ever hit him on the head, and he stated no. Ms. Swick stated that due to these untrue allegations, she no longer feels comfortable having the children enrolled in care. She told Child A, Child B, and Child C's Mother that the children could no longer attend. She begged her to keep them in care and stated that the children love it there. When she told her that she would not allow them to continue, Child A, Child B, and Child C's Mother became very upset and left with the children. She has since gone to other local child cares and told them that Ms. Swick was hitting children at Little Giggles. Ms. Swick stated that when the Mother enrolled the children at Little Giggles, she told her that they were being thumped on the head at their previous child care. M

Child A (male, 8 years) reported that during the week of 2/21/2022 program director Debbie Swick hit him on the head. Child B (male, 5 years) and Child C (female, 6 years) also stated that they have been hit by Ms. Swick or another child care staff member while in care.

Disposition: Substantiated