CT DBA AppleTree Hudsonville

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

CCSM 1 did not provide appropriate care and supervision of Child A when she was left on the playground unattended for approximately 10 minutes on 2/13/2025.

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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.

Appropriate care was not provided to Child C on 05/11/2023 when she was not fed according to her schedule. CCSM 3 had provided instructions to CCSM 11 regarding Child C's feeding that were not followed.

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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 06/02/2023. I spoke with Child A’s Mother who reported that she observed the incident while watching the center’s live stream video on 05/25/2023. She said that she saw Child A sitting on the mat in his sleep sack and there was another child next to him. CCSM 10 was sitting in the rocking chair nearby. Child A and Child B (male, 15 months) were fighting over a toy. Child B laid his head in Child A’s lap. CCSM 10 got up and had a child in her arms and pushed Child A onto his back and pulled his right arm and drug him and gave the other child the toy. Child A’s Mother said that Child A’s Father watched the footage at the center 3 and saw CCSM 10 push, grab, yell two inches from Child A’s face and then bend down and put his pacifier in his mouth. He saw CCSM 10 shove Child A by the leg and flip him over onto his belly. After she saw the incident, she notified Child A’s Father, and he left work and immediately went to the center to pick him up. Child A’s Mother said that Child A had bruises up and down his legs two weeks prior to the incident and now she is wondering about them. The only incident report she received was from a bite that Child A received. Child A was withdrawn from the center. Child A’s Mother said that she spoke with acting director Brittni Austin and was told that CCSM 10 was put on a temporary leave but was not pulled out of the classroom right away. Child A’s Mother said that Brittni Austin was crying and apologizing. Child A’s Mother said that she did not agree with the center’s decision, but they told her that they needed to view the footage first. Child A’s Mother said that Detective Mucha from the Ottawa County Sheriff Department contacted her about the incident on 05/30/2023. On 06/02/2023, I spoke with Child A’s Father who reported that on 05/25/2023, his wife called him and asked him to pick Child A up from the center. He viewed the footage on 05/30/2023 with Brittni Austin and the district manager. He said that what he saw lined up with what his wife told him except the pacifier was not thrown at Child A but was put in his mouth. He saw CCSM 10 being rough with Child A, flipping him over from his back by pushing him on his lower body. Child A’s Father said that it seemed like CCSM 10 had a lot of malice and hatred towards Child A. Child A had a lot of bumps and bruises since he started attending the center in February and now, they are questioning how they happened. On 06/02/2023, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection and interviewed acting program director Brittni Austin. She explained that as soon as Child A’s Mother notified her of what she saw, she contacted licensee designee Elise Bos and followed her direction. Elise Bos watched the footage and then said that they needed to get CCSM 10 out of the classroom right away. Elise Bos then reached out to the corporations’ human resources department for their perspective. I requested to see the video footage. Brittni Austin said that she did not have it and Elise Bos was not available. Licensee designee Emily VanderGalien was covering for Elise Bos, so she contacted Emily VanderGalien and left a message. She reported CCSM 10 was employed at the center for seven years. Brittni Austin said that CCSM 10 had been addressed about moving children using their two arms after another child care staff member had reported that she moved a child by one arm. There were no previous write ups to her knowledge but they have a new human resource system due to change in ownership so there is not access to her previous history. Brittni Austin reported that Child Care Staff Member 6 (CCSM 6) was working in the classroom with CCSM 10 at the time but was rocking a child and did not see the incident. Brittni Austin reported Detective Mucha interviewed CCSM 6 the previous day. Detective Mucha was not given a copy of the video and would need a subpoena to get the footage. Ms. Austin was asked for a copy of the child information cards and attendance record for the Faris

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R 400.8143 · R 400.8143 Children’s records. (1) At the time of a child’s initial attendance, a center shall obtain a child information card, using a form provided by the department or a comparable substitute, that is completed and signed by the child’s parent. The center shall keep it on file and accessible in the center. 7

The center did not have a child information card on file for Child D.

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R 400.8158 · 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.

The center did not report the incident involving an allegation of inappropriate contact to child care licensing.

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R 400.8125(2) · R 400.8125(2) Staff; volunteer; requirements (2) All staff and volunteers shall act in a manner that is conducive to the welfare of children.

CCSM 10 is not conducive to the welfare of children due to her mistreatment of Child A on 05/25/2023. CCSM 10’s conduct did not promote the safety and well-being of children.

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R 400.8122 · R 400.8122 Lead caregiver; qualifications; responsibilities. (5) Lead caregivers shall meet 1 of the following qualifications shown in Table 3: TABLE 3 Lead Caregiver Qualifications Education Coursework in Hours of Early Childhood Experience Education, Child Development, or a Child-Related Field (a) Bachelor's degree or higher in early childhood education, child development, or a child-related field K (b) Montessori 480 hours credential with (c) Associate's degree or higher in early childhood education or child development (d) Valid child 480 hours development associate credential with (e) High school diploma 12 semester hours 960 hours or GED with and (f) High school diploma 12 semester hours, 1,920 hours or GED with 18 CEUs, or a combination to equal 18 clock hours with (g) High school diploma 6 semester hours, 9 3,840 hours or GED with CEUs, or a combination to equal 90 clock hours with

On 03/15/2023, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection. The program director Kaitlyn Hirt was not present, so I spoke with CCSM 1 who was in charge of the facility. CCSM 1 reported that CCSM 3 in the Infant room, and CCSM 7 and CCSM 8 in the Lyric classroom are "acting leads" that are working on their child development associate credential (CDA). There is no lead in the second space of the Infant classroom or in the Pedal classroom on either side. CCSM 1 2 explained that the positions are posted, and the corporation has a hiring specialist who is working on the situation. CCSM 2 reported that she works in the Infant classroom as an assistant staff member, but she has a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. She did not know about the other classrooms lead caregiver situations. CCSM 3 reported that she is the acting lead in one of the spaces in the Infant classroom. She does not qualify for lead caregiver and is working on completing her CDA. CCSM 4 works in the Pedal classroom and reported that there is no lead caregiver right now. CCSM 5 works in the Pedal classroom and reported that the classroom does not currently have a lead caregiver. CCSM 6 reported that she is a co-lead in the Faris classroom with CCSM 10. She is the lead in the front space of the classroom. CCSM 10 is the lead in the back space of the classroom. There was an approved variance for CCSM 3, however, it was no longer valid as of 05/05/2023 due to the center no longer having a program director. Program director Kaitlyn Hirt left employment with the center on 05/05/2023.

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R 400.8182 · R 400.8182 Ratio and group size requirements. (3) In each room or well-defined space, the maximum group size and ratio of child care staff members to children, including children related to a staff member or the licensee, shall be the following: (a) For infants and toddlers, there shall be 1 child care staff member for 4 children and a maximum group size of 12.

CCSM 1 reported that she sent an email to parents yesterday regarding a positive communicable disease in the Lyric classroom and a second, different communicable disease in the Infant, Faris and Lyric classrooms. CCSM 1 denied that that children are not being sent home when ill. She said that they call parents right away and parents are supposed to come within an hour to pick their child up. She estimated that 2 hours was the longest time they have waited for a 5 parent to come pick up their sick child. Child A in the Faris classroom was sick and had thrown up. While waiting for his parents to come pick him up he was moved into the Infant classroom to free up a CCSM to leave. CCSM 2 said that there was hand, foot, mouth this week but the sign was not posted until today. Last week there was a stomach virus. Child A had the stomach virus and was throwing up. He was brought into the Infant classroom to free someone up so they could go home for the day. CCSM 3 reported that neither parents or staff are being notified when there are communicable disease exposures. She said that she sent a notice to parents yesterday on the Sprout About app. Later in the day, another CCSM told CCSM 9 that they need to notify parents. CCSM 9 told CCSM 1 who then printed a notification and hung it up on the board. She said that Child A was sick and had a fever and was moved into the Infant classroom from the Faris classroom by CCSM 1. Ms. Hirt later moved him back to the Faris classroom. CCSM 4 said that she had no information about this allegation. CCSM 5 said that she had no information about parents not being notified of communicable diseases. To her knowledge, children are sent home when they are sick. CCSM 6 reported that parents are being informed about communicable diseases, but they are not always notified promptly. CCSM 7 reported that she tested positive for a communicable disease last week Thursday and sent a text message to Ms. Hirt to notify her. She showed me the text message that she sent to Ms. Hirt. CCSM 7 reported that CCSM 8 is now out with the same communicable disease. She does not think that parents have been notified. She said that when children are sick their parents are notified. There have been times when parents were notified at lunch time that their child had a fever, and they did not come until after nap time to pick them up. I observed an Illness Update posted on the parent board. It read, "Illness report, There are confirmed cases of Hand, foot, and mouth in our school 3/14/2023. I asked CCSM 1 why the other communicable disease was not listed on the notice. She reported that she just learned about the case yesterday. I received a copy of a message that CCSM 1 sent to parents on 03/14/2023 notifying them of two communicable diseases and information sheets for both.

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R 400.8155 · R 400.8155 Child accidents and incidents; child and staff illness. (2) A center shall ensure that a child who is too ill to remain in the group is placed in a separate area and is cared for and supervised until the parent arrives.

CCSM 1 reported that there are ants in the Infant, Faris and Lyric classrooms. They have notified their corporate office and were told to keep cleaning. She reported that traps were put out, but she was not sure where they were located. The center has a log book that documents when the pesticide treatments take place. CCSM 2 reported that she has seen a few ants on the carpet in the Infant room today. She was not sure where the ant treatment had been applied. CCSM 3 reported that she has not seen ants on her side of the classroom but has seen them on the other side of the Infant classroom. 7 CCSM 4 reported that she has not seen ants in the Pedal classroom. CCSM 5 reported that she has seen ants in the Pedal classroom. She last saw them by the back table on Monday. CCSM 6 said that the Faris class has ants and she last saw some this morning. CCSM 7 reported that the Lyric classroom has had ants in the past. She has not seen any in the past two weeks. In the Faris classroom, I observed a gap between the floor and the trim. CCSM 6 reported that the door sweep had recently been fixed as the door was not closing and sealing properly. CCSM 6 reported that this seems to be where the ants are coming into the building. I received verification that center had a pesticide treatment on 03/08/2023. The invoice recommended, "Cracks or damage to wall allowing pest access. Please repair to prevent pest entry. Door gap/damage noted that allows pest access. Please repair to prevent pest entry. Debris collecting interior. Please remove debris to prevent unsanitary conditions and attraction by pests. I received copies of work orders dated 2/21/2023 and 2/22/2023 regarding ants in the Faris classroom and need for door sweep to be fixed. A 02/27/2023 email from the maintenance company stated that the door sweep work order was completed. A 03/09/2023 email from the maintenance company stated that the work order for the ants was completed.

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R 400.8155 · R 400.8155 Child accidents and incidents; child and staff illness. (4) If a center becomes aware that a staff member, volunteer, or child in care has contracted a communicable disease, then the center shall notify parents and provide all of the following information: (a) The name of the communicable disease the children were exposed to. (b) The symptoms of the disease. (c) Prevention measures as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the following website: https://www.cdc.gov/DiseasesConditions.

The center did not notify parents that staff members had contracted a communicable disease.

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R 400.8380 · R 400.8380 Maintenance of premises. (2) The premises must be maintained so as to eliminate and prevent rodent and insect harborage.

The premises of the center were not maintained in a manner that eliminated and prevented insect harborage.

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R 400.8340 · R 400.8340 Food services and nutrition; provided by parents. (10) Breast milk, formula, and milk must be refrigerated until used.

Child A's bottle was not put in the refrigerator when he was dropped off which left it unrefrigerated and unable to be served to him.

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R 400.8330 · ................. R 400.8330 Food services and nutrition generally. (7) Infants and toddlers shall be fed on demand.

On 01/24/2023, 1 completed an unannounced on-site inspection and spoke with program director Kaitlyn Hirt. Ms. Hirt reported that on 01/17/2023, she received a phone call from Child A's Mother who stated that she was watching on the camera live feed and Child A was on floor crying for 10 minutes and needed a bottle. Ms. Hirt went into the classroom and picked up Child A who was crying when she entered the classroom. Ms. Hirt said that Child A calmed down quickly. She asked CCSM 1 what time Child A's next bottle was. CCSM 2 told her that he was due for another bottle at 2:00 PM and it was 1:45 PM. Child A was dropped off around 11:00 AM when CCSM 1 was on her lunch break. Ms. Hirt asked CCSM 1 when Child A's last bottle was and CCSM 1 did not know. CCSM 2 was covering for CCSM 1's break and was working when Child A was dropped off. Ms. Hirt reported that CCSM 2 is new and had miswritten that Child A's next bottle was due at 2:00 PM instead of 1:00 PM. Ms. Hirt told her that Child A needed a bottle and that she would call Child A's Mother back as CCSM 1 was working by herself and was caring for four children. Ms. Hirt told CCSM 1 to grab his bottle to warm it and when she went to grab it out of the refrigerator the bottle was not in there. They then realized that the bottle had been left in his bag when he was dropped off that morning. Child A's Mother was watching on camera and called right away and was very upset that they did not have a bottle to feed Child A. Child A's Mother arrived at the center about 10 minutes later and has since disenrolled him. Ms. Hirt said that Child A was attending two days a week and he was not there for long days. He was upset most of the time that he was in care, and it was not unusual for him to cry so that was not a cue to them that he needed to be fed. Child A's Mother told her that CCSM 1 was tending to another child when Child A was on the floor crying. Ms. Hirt explained that the classroom is divided into two sections and neither section has a qualified lead caregiver. Ms. Hirt said that she wrote CCSM 2 up for the incident. 3 - • • • •i • • • ••'•-• i - - is A 'f and r - - • r - • H. - f • ' • • - time S A • • • • ' • • • • i .r -s r • • r f• r • • A • • i • • • r • i • - i l - • i' ••• - r • • • not • - : •iI i ; — S — "S I:- :.. - i; • - r - • Ii i •r •:i i ;l 5 5 :' •• She • - • • A •• • •' • •- • . • - rr •' • d - -. 1 :,-J . 't 5 . ; :. ; .: . -- - : 1 . • - .r i • - f Ii• •I • • fr r id fi r • -r f - • • r i• - • If f 1 ■'' ~~ i :• • JJr 11 i 111 L I •- i • •I' " liii] : • • • r !' 0

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R 400.8122 · 1 R 400.8122 Lead caregiver; qualifications; responsibilities. TABLE 3 Lead Caregiver Qualifications Education Coursework in Hours of Early Childhood Experience Education, Child Development, or a Child-Related Field (a) Bachelor's degree or higher in early childhood education, child development, or a child-related field (b) Montessori 480 hours credential with (c) Associate's degree or higher in early childhood education or child development (d) Valid child 480 hours development associate credential with (e) High school diploma 12 semester 960 hours or GED with hours and (f) High school diploma 12 semester 1,920 hours or GED with hours, 18 CEUs, or a combination to equal 18 clock hours with (g) High school diploma 6 semester 3,840 hours or GED with hours, 9 CEUs, or a combination to equal 90 clock hours with

The Infant classroom has two well defined spaces that required a lead caregiver. The classroom did not have lead caregivers for either space.

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