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Pulling inspections, violations, and complaints.
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Pulling inspections, violations, and complaints.
Home › MI › Lake Ann › Stepping Stones Children's Center
6447 Reynolds Road, Lake Ann MI 49650 · License #DC100310817 · Center · Center
Not published by the state. Owners can add hours via profile claim.
When they operate
Ages served
R 400.8125 · ...... ... .............. ...... .... ...................... . 1 R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times. 4
An onsite inspection was completed on 08/18/2022. I interviewed program director Ms. Jamie Carpenter and child care staff member Ms. Michelle Laylin. Ms. Carpenter reported that she spoke with Child A's Mother on the evening of 08/15/2022. Child A's Mother reported that Child A told her that Child A and Child B shared a blanket during rest time, and they pulled their pants down and touched one another under the blanket. Child A reported that Child B asked Child A to lick his penis, and Child A refused to do this. Child B then asked Child A if he could lick 2 Child A's penis, and he said, "yes." The next day, Ms. Carpenter, and lead caregiver Ms. Olivia Wiltjer asked Child B about this incident and Child B stated that Child A had touched his penis too. Ms. Carpenter reported that there was an incident involving Child B exposing himself to the other children last year. Ms. Carpenter provided copies of written statements from Ms. Laylin and child care staff member Ms. Madison Blough and the attendance record from 08/15/2022. Ms. Carpenter reported that Ms. Michelle Laylin and Ms. Madison Blough were the child care staff members working in the room that day. The lead caregiver Ms. Wiltjer did not work that day. There were 24 children in the classroom. Ms. Laylin reported that some of the children had just returned from the park, and after returning, they were transitioning into rest time. Child care staff members were setting up tables for older children to do quiet activities while the younger children were resting. The children were loud and there was a lot of activity going on. At this time, Ms. Blough put a bible story on the tv to occupy the children while they were getting stuff together. She and Ms. Blough were also unloading stuff from the field trip to the park. Child A spent most of rest time at the table coloring. She did not observe Child A and Child B together at any point during rest time. Child care staff member Mr. Damon Carpenter was initially in the room, but he had to leave due to a medical emergency with one of the other child care staff members. Ms. Laylin reported that ratio was maintained during this time. Other children reported that Child a pulled down his pants and showed his butt while they were at the park. This was not witnessed by a child care staff member. She stated that it is possible that it happened but was not observed by staff because the park is a large area and there were a lot of children. On 09/30/2022, I interviewed Child A's Mother. Child A's Mother reported that on 08/16/2022, Child A told her that Child B had touched his "wee wee" the day before during rest time. Child A reported that he was sharing a blanket with Child B on the large group rug, they pulled down their pants ,and touched each other under the blanket. Child B then asked Child A to lick his penis and Child A said no. Child B then asked Child A if he could lick Child A's penis, and he said yes. Child A stated that he agreed to this because Child B said he would give him a toy. Child A stated that Child B then said, "we can't do this anymore, or they will catch us." Child A's Mother reported that she asked Ms. Carpenter what was being done to keep this from happening again and she stated that children were no longer allowed to have blankets during rest time. Child A's Mother stated that she was upset and angry that this was allowed to happen and child care staff members were not supervising children closely enough to know that something was going on. Child A's Mother reported that her children have received care at Stepping Stones Children's Center on and off for nine years. Ms. Carpenter had a family tragedy a while ago, and she felt that things began going down hill after this happened. She began to feel that children were not receiving the level of care that they had received previously, but she did not feel that her children were not safe. Child A did not return to Stepping Stones Children's Center after this incident oc
Disposition: No violation found
Child A (five-year-old, male) and Child B (seven-year-old, male) were under a blanket together during rest time. Child A and Child B touched one another's penises at this time.
Disposition: Substantiated
On 04/22/2022, there was one adult with several children in the preschool outdoor play area. The plastic fencing surrounding the preschool playground is not intact in all areas exposing it to a busy road.
Disposition: Substantiated
Generated from this facility's specific inspection record
Data synced from Michigan MiLEAP, Child Care Licensing Bureau on Jul 9, 2026 · Source records · Report an error
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.
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 04/25/2022, I made an unannounced visit to the Stepping Stones Children's Center from 03:41 PM to 04:25 PM. While onsite, I interviewed the program director Jamie Carpenter and child care staff member Damon Carpenter. I first interviewed Jamie Carpenter. There are two outdoor play areas onsite at the center. One has a wooden fence and is used by children under the age of three years old. The second outdoor play area is for children ages three to five years old which they refer to as the preschool outdoor play area. The preschool classroom utilizes the preschool outdoor play area from 11 AM to 12 PM and 04:30 PM to 5:30 PM each day. The preschool playground is surrounded by a snow fence which does fall on occasion. The fence has been in place for two years per Mrs. Carpenter. On 04/22/2022, Mrs. Carpenter and Mr. Damon Carpenter were present with nine children in the preschool outdoor play area. Mrs. Carpenter informed me that she always ensures that the center maintains appropriate ratio and group sizes at all times. She stated that there are times when a child care staff member will take preschool children to the bathroom during outdoor play. When this happens, staff stand by the door to supervise the children inside and outside during bathroom breaks so anyone driving by may not be able to see the other staff member present. 3 Mr. Carpenter was present in the second outdoor play area from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Mrs. Carpenter supervised the children on her own from 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM on 04/22/2022 since ratio requirements are one child care staff member for ten children ages three to four years old. Mrs. Carpenter and I reviewed the attendance sheets from 04/22/2022, which confirmed that only nine children were present between the time of 04:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Mrs. Carpenter denied any parent or child care staff member expressing concern over the snow fence recently. After reviewing the allegations with Mrs. Carpenter, she showed me the outdoor play area for children under three years of age and then she showed me the preschool outdoor play area. The preschool outdoor play area is adjacent to a busy road. I observed that the fencing had fallen in two places allowing access to the road. I took nine pictures and measured the height of the fencing which showed it to be two feet in height. Mrs. Carpenter indicated that she would fix whatever is needed in the outdoor play area to be compliant with licensing rules. While observing the preschool outdoor play area, I observed children using a circular net swing and an elevated rope monkey bar course while outside. Mr. Carpenter was present in the preschool outdoor play area with child care staff member Danielle Switzer. I interviewed Mr. Carpenter while outside. Mr. Carpenter was present with Mrs. Carpenter last Friday on 04/22/2022 between 4:30 to 5:00 PM. At 5:00 PM, Mr. Carpenter went inside the center to clean up and then leave for an appointment. He left the center at 5:30 PM. Mr. Carpenter stated that children are aware that they must stay within the snow fence and he has never had a child go outside the snow fence toward the road. He denied ever being out of compliance with ratio while working at the center. He confirmed that when he went inside the center at 5:00 PM on 04/22/2022, the center was in compliance with ratio requirements. He had left Mrs. Carpenter with nine children when he went inside the center. He confirmed that the fence is in the same condition that it was on 04/22/2022 and he will fix whatever is needed to be in compliance with licensing rules. He denied child care staff members or parents expressing concern over the snow fence in the preschool outdoor play area prior to my involvement. On 04/26/2022, I contact licensing consultant Renee Libby. She reported that the center has not completed a playground inspection so the children should not be using any elevated play equipment. She was not aware of the center having a circular swing or elevated rope monkey
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.8170 · R 400.8170 Outdoor play area. (8) The outdoor play area must be protected from hazards, when necessary, by a fence or natural barrier that is at least 48 inches in height. 5
Observations made during the 04/25/2022 onsite inspection showed that the fence was not intact in two places and the height of the fence surrounding the preschool outdoor play area was only two feet in height.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.
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 caregivers to children, including children related to a staff member or the licensee, shall be the following: (c) For preschoolers 3 years of age, there shall be 1 caregiver for 10 children.
Interviews with parents, child care staff members, and the complainant along with child and staff attendance did not support noncompliance with ratio requirements.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.