• Violation

  R 400.8125 · ...... .. ........... ...... .... ...................... . 1 R 400.8125 Staffff;; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times. 7

  On 04/12/2021, Cheryl Gillespie, child care licensing consultant, received a telephone call from Heather Crandall, licensee designee, informing her that Child A was left outside unattended and found up the road near Hope Middle school. Ms. Crandall also sent Ms. Gillispie a written incident report. On 04/15/2021, I spoke with Child A's Mother. She said on the day of the incident she received a telephone call from Ms. Crandall. She was told the classroom went inside after playing outside and Child A was left on the playground unattended. Child A "got away" from the school and was found "about a block away." When the classroom went inside, the child care staff members were not aware Child A was left outside and believe he was missing for about 10 minutes. Child A's Mother said Child A is autistic and has limited verbal skills. He is supposed to have a paraprofessional assigned to him to provide one-one supervision. However, Child A's Mother found out Child A has not had a paraprofessional with him for the last three weeks. The paraprofessional is assigned by the school district not the child care facility. Child A's Mother spoke with the school principal about making sure his paraprofessional is always with him. Child A's Mother said Child A is still enrolled at the child care. He attends school in the mornings and the afterschool program in the afternoon. Child A's Mother said she is "relieved" that Child A is safe, and nothing happened to him but is very concerned that he was left outside without an adult. When she talked to Child A about what happened, he told her he just wanted to go home. On 04/15/2021, I completed an unscheduled on-site inspection. I first spoke to Ms. Christine Turcotte, program director. Ms. Turcotte said on the day of the incident there were 12 children and 3 child care staff members, including herself. The school dismisses the children around 3:30p.m. and the children begin arriving in the afterschool classroom shortly after dismissal. Ms. Turcotte takes daily attendance electronically on an iPad, as the children arrive in the classroom. Child A does not join the after-school classroom until about 1:00p.m. because he is autistic with limited words and receives additional services from the school from 12:30p.m. until 1:00p.m. On the day of the incident, after the children arrived, the classroom went outside around 12:40p.m. At that time there were 11 children present, as Child A had not yet arrived at the afterschool program. While outside, Ms. Turcotte was playing tag with the children on the black top. Ms. Jocelyn Hunt, child care staff member, was by the monkey bars with some children and Ms. Megan Velasquez, child care staff member, was on her lunch break. Ms. Turcotte said she does not take the iPad outside with her, she typically takes attendance while inside and remembers the number of children in attendance before going outside. She said she does not know exactly what time Child A arrived at the program the day of the incident. She stated, "many times his school teacher just sends him outside with us and does not announce his presence." Ms. Turcotte said she immediately signs Child A in on the attendance when the classroom goes back inside. I provided Ms. Turcotte with technical assistance regarding R 400.8143(11) which indicates accurate attendance shall be maintained with arrival and departure times and I 3 recommended she speak with the school staff about informing her when Child A arrives and not just sending him outside. On the day of the incident, Ms. Turcotte did not know Child A was with the class until she blew the whistle at about 1:12p.m. to give the children a five-minute warning to go inside and saw him playing on the monkey bars. At approximately 1:15p.m. Ms. Turcotte blew the whistle again letting the children know it was time to go inside. The children lined up at the door and she began counting the children. She counted 11 children that initially went outside at 12:40p.m. Ms. Tu

Child A (male, age 6) was left outside unattended on the playground and was later found up the road near Hope Middle school.

Disposition: Substantiated