• Violation

  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 11/3/22, I received a telephone call from licensee designee Gina Debelak. She informed me that on 11/2/22, Child A was left on the playground for a few minutes after child care staff members took the rest of the children back inside. The center was in compliance with child / staff ratios with nine children in their group and two child care staff members on the playground. The third child care staff member who works with this group of children had already gone back inside before the children came in. When Ms. Debelak asked the staff about this, they thought that maybe a child already in line went to the back of the line and was accidentally counted twice. The head count was done as children were walking in the door and should have been done before the door to go back inside was open. Ms. Debelak didn't think the head count was done again once the group returned inside. (This room has a classroom door that opens up directly to the fenced-in playground.) A staff member heard Child A tapping on the door and Child A was a little upset. On 11/14/22, Child A's Mother said that she was notified of the incident on 11/2/22 when she went to the center to pick up Child A. The incident occurred at about 2:00pm and she picked up Child A at about 3:40pm. Child care staff members Jessica Nault and Heather Hill explained to her what happened. They said there was a mix up in the head count and that Child A may have gone to the back of the line and got counted twice or was possibly hiding under some play equipment while the other children were lining up. Child A said, "I knocked on the door and they let me in". Child A's Mother didn't have any concerns about how the center staff handled the situation. On 11/21/22, child care staff member Tristan Vidlund said that on 11/2/22, Child A was upset because another child had been yelling at her. There were nine children in their group and Child A was under the slide. There was commotion when it was time for the children to line up because two children were fighting about who was going to hold open the door. She was working on the playground with Heather Hill, who was putting some equipment away inside the storage shed. Two children held the door open and the head count was done while the children were walking through the door. Ms. Vidlund realized Child A wasn't in the group about two to three minutes after the group was back inside. Once the group was inside the head count was not done again. On 11/22/22, child care staff member Heather Hill said that on 11/2/22, three boys were wrestling about being the door holder. The head count was started before the children went in and continued as the children were going in. Ms. Hill thought that maybe one of the boys holding the door had been counted twice. After they were inside, two boys went to the bathroom. Child A wasn't by the bathroom like she usually is and she noticed she was gone. She heard a knock on the door and went to the door to let Child A in. She then had a talk with her in the classroom. 3 On 11/22/22, child care staff member Jessica Nault said the group outside was within ratio and she checked with Ms. Hill on if they had enough help. She went inside to do some work while the children were still on the playground. When the group came back inside, a head count was not done again but should have been. Ms. Hill noticed right away that Child A was missing, heard her knock on the door and let her in. Child A seemed confused. On 11/29/22, I did an on-site inspection. I completed a safety check of the playground, fence and gates and everything was in compliance.

Gina Debelak, licensee designee, submitted an incident report after Child A (three year-old female) was left on the playground unsupervised on 11/2/22.

Disposition: Substantiated