Longfellow Head Start

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 05/11/2022 1 received an incident report from Laura Young, program director, stating Child A, male age 3, was found unattended in a classroom. On 05/12/2022 I left a message for Child A's Mother regarding this incident. On 05/13/2022 I spoke with Child A's Mother by telephone. She had been informed by Hailey Wright, Head Start advocate, that Child A had been found in a classroom alone. She said he was "missing" for approximately 10 minutes. She was concerned as to how this could have taken place. She stated since the incident Child A has been upset and not wanting to return to school. She was concerned with his supervision and how staff were going to ensure he was safe while in their care. On 05/16/2022 I conducted an unannounced on-site inspection to the facility. Laura Young, program director, was not present in the center at that time. I met with Robert Cupp, lead caregiver, for Child A's classroom, outside the presence of others. He explained to me on the day of the incident his regular assistant was out sick. The incident took place at morning drop off where all the children were in the hallway placing their things in lockers and lining up to use the bathroom. He recalled he had 17 children present. He was supervising children in the hallway; the substitute Ashley Wells was in the hallway with him. Hailey Wright, advocate, walked up to the group in the hallway and began assisting when she realized a child had an accident. She asked Ashley Wells for some wipes, who then asked him about it. Meanwhile, Child A arrived late while all this movement was going on, and he helped Child A get comfortable with arriving as he was upset. Once he was settled, he set him down and recounted and moved his class down to the bathrooms. While at the bathrooms once the children started finishing the process, he and Ashley began counting children and he realized he had 19 children and was missing someone. He then realized Child A was not with the group and began looking for him. He was found in the classroom by himself. Mr. Cupp said in the process of moving from the lockers outside the classroom down to the bathroom Ampy Torres, administrative assistant, brought another child and he did not have any verbal interaction with her. He then counted that child when he recounted the class, not realizing Child A was missing from the group. I then met with Hayleigh Wright, advocate, outside the presence of others. Ms. Wright said on the morning of the incident she walked down to help the class. This is not a part of her job; she was being helpful. When she arrived in the hallway a child had an accident, so she took him to the bathroom to clean him up. She asked 3 Ashley Wells for some wipes, who went into the classroom to look and then came out of the class and said there were none. She then took the child down to the bathroom and assisted and was with the class while everyone used the bathroom. When they finished this and counted to move back to the classroom, they "noticed they were one off', and then they realized Child A was missing from the group. She and Mr. Cupp found Child A in the classroom. He was sitting inside the classroom doorway crying. I then met face to face with Ampy Torres, administrative assistant. She recalled the day of the incident and said a child from the class had arrived late. She took the child down to the class where they were in the hallway putting their things away. She said she verbalized the child was there however she did not stop and speak to any specific person to confirm they heard she had brought the child. On 06/03/2022 I met with Laura Young, program director, at the facility. She said on the day of the incident she went down to the bathrooms where Mr. Cupp's class was in the process of using the bathroom before they began their day. While there Ms. Wright was finishing helping a child who had an accident. As the class was getting ready to move back to the classroom it was noticed that Child A was missing fro

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