Community Learning Center

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 05/03/2023 I received a voice mail from program director, Leanne Gambee, wanting to report an incident that occurred at the center this afternoon. On 05/04/2023 I received an email from the program director, Leanne Gambee, with an incident report and an employee termination letter attached. The incident report stated that Child Care Staff Member (CCSM) 1 was in the sensory room with four toddler children by herself. She stepped out of the room, leaving the children unattended, to hand another staff a pair of sneakers in the hallway. The exact amount of time the children were left unattended is unknown. Ms. Gambee asked CCSM 1 if she left the children unattended and CCSM 1 said yes. This same day another child care staff member observed CCSM 1 dragging a child that was laying on the floor by their arm/hand down the hallway. Ms. Gambee asked CCSM 1 if she dragged a child and CCSM 1 said yes. CCSM 1's employment was immediately terminated. On 05/08/2023 I conducted an unannounced onsite inspection to Community Learning Center. The center has two program directors, Leanne Gambee, and Chazlyn Lombard. Ms. Gambee was not present at the center, but Ms. Lombard was and was working in a classroom. I observed an infant napping, preschool/school-age children having free choice time-playing with blocks and cars, and toddlers playing in the sensory room. I obtained child information cards and children's attendance. I told Ms. Lombard I would make a second inspection another day for interviews as it was the end of the day, Ms. Gambee was not present, Ms. Lombard was working in a room and getting ready to go, and child care staff were all engaged with the children in their classrooms. On 06/02/2023 I conducted a second unannounced onsite inspection to Community Learning Center. I observed children napping in each of the classrooms. I interviewed program director, Ms. Gambee, program director, Ms. Lombard, Child Care Staff Member (CCSM) 2, and Child Care Staff Member (CCSM 3). Ms. Gambee reported that on 05/03/2023 she was in her office towards the end of the day. Child Care Staff Member (CCSM) 4 came into her office and told her that CCSM 1 had four toddlers (ages 24-36 months) in the sensory room by herself and stepped out of the room to go give shoes to another staff member in a classroom. The four children were left unattended during the time CCSM 1 stepped out of the classroom. Ms. Gambee went down to the toddler classrooms and asked CCSM 1 if she had left the classroom, leaving four toddler children unattended, and CCSM 1 told her yes. Ms. Gambee went back to her office and called the executive director of Comstock Community Center, Mary Gustas, to tell her what had just happened. While Ms. Gambee was on the phone with Ms. Gustas, Ms. Lombard came into her office and told her that she had just observed CCSM 1 dragging a toddler child to the bathroom. The child was laying on the ground and CCSM 1 was dragging/pulling him by the arm/hand down the hallway. Ms. Gambee again went down to the toddler classroom area to speak with CCSM 1. She asked CCSM 1 if she just dragged a 4 toddler child, and CCSM 1 said yes. Ms. Gambee terminated CCSM 1's employment immediately, and CCSM 1 was asked to leave the center. Ms. Gambee indicated the child care staff working in the toddler and transitional toddler rooms are CCSM 2, CCSM 3, and a brand-new employee that just started. CCSM 4 was working at the center and did work with the toddlers as well, but she just left the child care center for the summer to work a seasonal job position somewhere else. CCSM 1 worked in the transitional toddler and toddler rooms before she was terminated. Ms. Lombard is a second program director, but mostly works as child care staff in the preschool room. She reported that on 05/03/2023 CCSM 4 observed CCSM 1 stepping out of the sensory room to bring another child care staff sneakers. When CCSM 1 stepped out of the room, she left four toddler children unattended and alone.

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R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (1) Positive methods of discipline that encourage self- control, self-direction, self-esteem, and cooperation must be used.

CCSM 1 did not use positive methods of discipline as she grabbed Child A by the arm and dragged/pulled him down the hallway, causing his boots to fall off. ............... ..... .... ...................................................................................................

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

I conducted an unscheduled on-site inspection on 08/18/2022. arrived and was brought to a meeting where Program Director Leanne Phelan was present with Facility Administrator Kelly Dingman, Human Resources Generalist Dorothy Steffey-Wagner, and Executive Director Mary Gustas. As requested, I conducted my interview of Ms. Phelan in the presence of the other women. Ms. Phelan advised that during the morning of 08/05/2022 Child B approached Child A and asked if he could play with him. Child A said "no, because your skin is not this color" while he pointed to his hand. At lunch the same day a class picnic was held 2 outdoors, with parents coming to the picnic. Child A's Mother attended the picnic. As she was leaving the picnic, Ms. Phelan approached her, planning to advise her of the matter that took place that morning. Child A's Mother did not want to talk at that time, so a phone call took place that afternoon where Ms. Phelan advised her of the matter. Later that day, when Child A's Mother came to ick A up from care, she spoke p with Receptionist She advised during the picnic that day, Child A told her that Child B had "attacked" him that morning while playing outside. Child A's Mother said that she noticed bruising on Child A's arm during the W picnic. relayed the information to Ms. Phelan. Ms. Phelan and Child A's Mother communicated via email over the next day or two (the weekend) and scheduled a time to meet to discuss the situation. The day the meeting was to take place, Ms. Phelan broke her foot, so had to cancel. By the time she came back to work, Child A's Mother was unavailable, due to just having a baby. Ms. Phelan advised that they have not spoken on the matter as of yet. Ms. Phelan stated that she took photos at the picnic and Child A was in some of the photos. He was wearing short sleeves. No marks or bruises were visible on his arms at the picnic or in the photos. After speaking with Ms. Phelan, I interviewed the lead child care staff member in Child A and Child B's room, Chazlyn Flint. Ms. Flint said that she was in the room all day on 08/05/2022. During morning choice time, Child B approached Child A and asked to play. Child A said that Child B could not play with him because "you're not this color" and he pointed to his own skin. Ms. Flint heard about this from the other child care staff member in the room, Emily Anderson, who was near the boys and heard the conversation. After choice time, the room went outside. Ms. Flint denied seeing any type of an alteration between Child A and Child B, during outside play or any other time that day. Child A was wearing short sleeves that day and she did not see any marks or bruises on his arms. Ms. Flint said, "I see everything and I'm instantly on things". She said that Child A is the type of child that if someone hurt him, he would tell a teacher. Ms. Flint noted that Child A came to the center, after the weekend, on 08/08/2022 with two small "thumb print size" bruises on his forearm. Child Care Staff Member Emily Anderson was working in Child A and Child B's room on 08/05/2022. Ms. Anderson told me that during choice time she saw Child B approach Child A and she heard Child B ask Child A to play. Child A's response was "no, because your skin is not this color" and he pointed to his arm. Ms. Anderson advised Ms. Phelan of the matter and then the room went outside to play. Ms. Anderson stated that nothing out of the ordinary happened while they were outside and that neither child approached her about anything happening. She did not observe any marks or bruises on Child A's arms. 3 At pick up that day, Child A's Mother apologized to Ms. Anderson about the comment that Child A had made to Child B. Child A's Mother did not say anything to her about bruising on Child A's arms or about anything else happening between the two boys. While on-site, I observed the outdoor play area. It was a fenced in area with play structures. The only area that could potentially have had a blind

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