Miss Sarah's Daycare

R 400.1913(3) · R 400.1913(3) Discipline; child handling. Personnel shall not do any of the following: (b) Use any substance in a child's mouth such as, but not limited to, soap, hot sauce, or vinegar.

When speaking with Sarah Landes, and I asked her how meal times typically go at her child care. She stated that she has a group of really good eaters and meal time always goes well. asked if there were any picky eaters at the child care and she stated that there were not. When asked if she had to assist any children in eating, Sarah Landes stated that they all eat on their own, so she does not have to assist any of them. It was explained that the allegations alleged that she would force feed children, in particular Child K (male, age 2) to the point that he threw up. Sarah Landes stated that Child K had a runny nose and has thrown up from the drainage and eating but never because she force-fed him. CCSM 1 and AHM denied ever seeing Sarah Landes force feed any children or that they had ever force fed a child. During her forensic interview Child B was asked what meals she ate at Sarah Landes’s child care, she stated that they would eat snack and lunch. When asked what would happen if a child did not want to eat what Sarah Landes made for lunch, she stated that Sarah Landes would get really upset. If they had food on their plate after they were full, Sarah Landes would yell “why didn’t you eat?” On one occasion there was a time that Child L (female, age 3) did not want to eat chicken alfredo for lunch, so Sarah Landes yelled at her to eat it. When she wouldn’t eat it, Sarah Landes would grab Child L’s mouth with one hand and use the other to force the food into her mouth. Tthen she would use her hands to move Child L’s mouth up and down, yelling “CHEW” over and over. Eventually she would yell “swallow it” at Child L. On a separate occasion, sloppy joes were for lunch and Child K did not want to eat it, so Sarah Landes physically forced him to eat it until he ended up throwing up. Child B said no other children were forced to eat food, but they were often yelled at to finish their food on their plates. 6 CCSM 3 reported witnessing Sarah Landes force feeding several of the children at the child care. She stated that Sarah Landes would get very upset when children did not want to eat the food that she made. She would yell, “I worked hard on that food you need to eat it.” When asked to clarify what it would look like when she would force feed children, CCSM 3 stated that she would put the food in her hand and the shove it in the child’s mouth, yelling at them to swallow. She could not recall the foods or the children’s names but did report seeing this happen with her own eyes. During our interviews with parents, none of them had direct information regarding the children and their eating habits. It was learned from Child K’s Mother that one day Child K was in a different shirt at pick up then he was at drop off. Sarah Landes had told Child K’s Mother it was because he spilt sloppy joes on himself, so she changed his shirt. Child B had indicated during her interview that Child K was force fed sloppy joes.

View state record

R 400.1911(1) · R 400.1911(1) Care; supervision; children. A licensee shall ensure appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.

During our onsite inspection at the child care, CCSM 1 was present. Sarah Landes indicated that CCSM 1 just comes to hang out with her children, not to care for the child care children. It was explained to Sarah Landes of the allegations that CCSM 1 will yell at children, drag them to time out and has spanked children in care. Sarah Landes stated that CCSM 1 does not care for children, so this allegation could not be true. CCSM 1 stated that she works during the school year, so she is not at the home often. She may stop by to help with her grandchildren who are enrolled, but not the other child care children. In the summer she is at the home more often, but it is usually to come get her grandchildren. AHM stated that CCSM 1 does not care for the child care children. Child B was asked what happens at Sarah Landes’s child care if someone gets in trouble. She stated that there was a lot of yelling. Most of the time Sarah Landes would yell at children to “get in time out now.” Then they would have to sit in the chair by the door. Child B volunteered that CCSM 1 yelled more than Sarah Landes did. One time Child K arrived at child care and Child K was crying because he missed his mom. CCSM 1 yelled at him to stop crying. When he would not stop crying, she yelled again. Child K was sitting on the floor by the doorway, so CCSM 1 grabbed his arm, pulled him up, and spanked his butt five times. Child B was holding a doll during this explanation, and she demonstrated on the doll the spanking. Child K did not stop crying so CCSM 1 yelled for him to get into time out. When he did not move, she kicked him in the butt to get him to move. Another time Child G was not cleaning up and this made CCSM 1 very upset as it was almost time to leave. CCSM 1 grabbed Child G by the arm, pulled her to the time out chair, and forced her to sit there stating, “You will listen to me.” When asked if Sarah Landes ever spanked any children, Child B thought for a minute and stated that she thinks she spanked Child L but she couldn’t recall the details of it. When we spoke with CCSM 3, she stated that CCSM 1 is very mean and yells all the time. One time she yelled at her in front of the kids so much that it made her cry. Regarding being physical with the children, CCSM 3 recalled a time that Child K was upset at drop off and he was crying. When he didn’t stop crying after she yelled at him, picked him up by his arm, and spanked him. When he didn’t stop crying then she pulled him to time out and kicked him in the butt. She stated that both Sarah Landes and CCSM 1 spanked Child A. 8 ANALYSIS: During our onsite inspection I asked Sarah Landes who she had as a child care staff member currently. She indicated that just AHM was a child care staff member. I asked she had previous child care staff members. She indicated that since she has reopened her license, she has not had any other child care staff members. In interviewing parents, child care staff members and licensing consultant it was found that CCSM 1 cares for children and that CCSM 3 did work for Sarah Landes as of recently. CONCLUSION: VIOLATION ESTABLISHED

View state record

R 400.1931(7) · R 400.1931(7) Food preparation and service Children shall be encouraged to taste new foods but shall not be required to eat anything they do not want.

Sarah Landes required children to eat food that they did not want when she put it in their mouths and forced them to eat the food.

View state record

R 400.1904a(3) · R 400.1904a(3) Child care staff member; employment requirements. Prior to contact with children, the individual shall be determined by the department to be eligible to serves a s a child care staff member, pursuant to sections 5n and 5q of the act, MCL 722.115q and as required by R 400.1925

CCSM 1 was observed by parents to be caring for children in a child care staff member role in addition to CCSM 3. Sarah Landes did not have a determination regarding CCSM 1’s eligibility determined by the department.

View state record

R 400.1904a(2) · R 400.1904a(2) Child care staff member; employment requirements. Before caring for children at a child care home, an individual shall provide the licensee with all of the following: (a) A valid certification in infant, child, and adult CPR.

CCSM 1 did not have a valid certification in infant, child, and adult CPR.

View state record

R 400.1904a(2) · R 400.1904a(2) Child care staff member; employment requirements. Before caring for children at a child care home, an individual shall provide the licensee with all of the following: (b) A valid certification in first aid.

CCSM 1 did not have a valid certification in first aid.

View state record

R 400.1904a(2) · R 400.1904a(2) Child care staff member; employment requirements. Before caring for children at a child care home, an individual shall provide the licensee with all of the following: (c) Proof of training in the prevention of infectious disease, including immunizations. Hours of training in the prevention of infectious disease from MiRegistry will be allowed to count for training hours to meet this requirement.

CCSM 1 did not have training in the prevention of infectious disease, including immunizations, prior to caring for children.

View state record

R400.1905(3) · R400.1905(3) Training. A licensee shall ensure that child care staff members and child care assistants, prior to caring for children, have training that includes information on all of the following: (a) Safe sleep practices to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. (b) Recognition of and the reporting of child abuse and neglect. (c) Prevention of shaken baby syndrome, abusive head trauma, and child maltreatment. 12

CCSM 1 did not have training in safe sleep practices, reporting of child abuse and neglect, and the prevention of shaken baby syndrome prior to caring for children.

View state record

R400.1906(1)(a) · R400.1906(1)(a) Records of a licensee; child care staff member; child care assistant. A licensee shall maintain a file for each child care staff member and each child care assistant that includes all of the following: (a) The individual’s first and last name, address, telephone number, and date of hire.

Sarah Landes did not maintain a file for CCSM 1.

View state record

R400.1906(1)(c)(ii) · R400.1906(1)(c)(ii) Records of a licensee; child care staff member; child c are assistant. A licensee shall maintain a file for each child care staff member and each child care assistant that includes all of the following: (c) A statement signed by a licensed physician or his or her designee that attests to the individual’s mental and physical health., and which must be updated as follows: (ii) For a child care staff member and a child care assistant, within 1 year prior to caring for children and at the time of subsequent renewals of the child care home’s license.

Sarah Landes did not have a statement signed by a licensed physician or his or her designee that attests to CCSM 1’s mental and physical health.

View state record

R 400.1916(8) · R 400.1916(8) Bedding and sleeping equipment. Soft objects, bumper pads, stuffed toys, blankets, quilts, comforters, pillows, and other objects that could smother an infant must not be placed with, under, or within reach of a resting or sleeping infant.

An infant was asleep in a closed in space that had stuffed toys in it during the onsite inspection.

View state record

R 400.1907(1) · R 400.1907(1) Child’s record Prior to a child’s initial attendance, a licensee shall obtain the following documents. (a) A completed child information card on a form provided by the department or a comparable substitute approved by the department. 16

Three of the eight child information cards were not complete.

View state record

R 400.1907(1) · R 400.1907(1) Child’s record Records in subrule (1) of this rule must be reviewed and updated annually or when information changes.

Seven out of the eight child information cards did not have an annual update.

View state record