CCSM 1 did not provide appropriate supervision of Child B when she failed to follow the center’s transportation policy. CCSM 1 did not ensure that Child B was accounted for during bus pick up, resulting in Child B taking the wrong bus and being left alone. Appropriate care and supervision was not provided when Child A walked back over to the table and put another child's waffle in her mouth that was not thrown away. Child A has an egg allergy that staff is aware of.
1 R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.
On 12/21/2021, I received an additional allegation that Child B (4-year-old female) was touched by Child C (4-year-old female), while in the bathroom together. I called Ashley Johnson to conduct a telephone interview. Ms. Johnson said she was informed on 12/02/2021 by Child B's Mother that Child B told her while in the bathroom at school, Child C touched her vagina. Child B's Mother said Child B did not know when the incident took place. Ms. Johnson interviewed child care staff member, Emily Ray. She did not report seeing any inappropriate behaviors from Child B and/or Child C at any time. I requested contact information for Emily Ray from Ms. Johnson. On 12/30/2021, I conducted a telephone interview with Emily Ray. Ms. Ray is a child care staff member in the preschool classroom. Ms. Ray said she was informed on 12/02/2021 by Ashley Johnson that on 12/01/2021, Child B went home and told her mother that while in the bathroom at school, she was touched on her vagina by Child 5 C. Ms. Ray said she told Ms. Johnson she was not aware the incident occurred. Ms. Ray said the bathroom has two toilets that are separated by a divider. She said the practice had been to send two children in at one time. Ms. Ray said Child B never reported to her that an incident occurred in the bathroom involving Child C. Ms. Ray said she completed an incident report on 12/02/2021, not as an observer of the incident, but as the lead teacher in the classroom. On 01/06/2022 I conducted a telephone interview with Child C's Father. Child C's Father said he received a telephone call on 12/02/2021 that his daughter, Child C, was in the bathroom with another child and touched the other child's vagina. Child C's Father said he asked Child C if she touched another child's vagina. Child C's Father said Child C told him that she pointed to Child B's vagina and said, "that's your vagina." Child C's Father said he and his wife thoroughly questioned Child C, and it was not concluded that Child C touched another child's vagina. On 01/07/2022, I conducted a telephone interview with Child B's Mother. Child B's Mother said on 12/01/2021 Child B told her that one of her friends touched her vagina while they were in the bathroom at school. Child B told her mother that her pants were down. Child B's Mother said she immediately notified the center and reported it to Ms. Johnson. Child B's Mother said she asked the center to please install a door between the two toilets in the bathroom. Child B's Mother said Ms. Johnson told her that a door could not be installed but they would change their bathroom practice to one child going in at a time. Child B's Mother stated that although she wanted them to install a door, she understood that the bathroom was small, and the space may have been limited to add a door. Child B's Mother said although she greatly appreciated the center changing their practice to limiting the bathroom to one child at a time, she decided to disenroll Child B from the center. On 01/11/2022, I completed an onsite inspection. I observed the bathroom in the preschool classroom. I observed the stationary divider between the two toilets. There is a curtain that hangs in the doorway of the bathroom. I observed the sign that was posted outside the bathroom that states their new policy that there is only one child allowed in the bathroom at a time. I interviewed child care staff member Emily Ray. During our interview, I asked how the new practice had been going of only allowing one child in the bathroom at a time. Ms. Ray said it has been a successful change. I told Ms. Ray that children must always be supervised and monitored, during bathroom times. I interviewed child care staff member, Derrick Johnson. Mr. Johnson is a child care staff member in the preschool classroom. Mr. Johnson was employed during the time the incident occurred but said he was not aware of the incident. I mentioned the center's new practice of children using the restroom one at a time as well as t
R 400.8125 · Correction status not published
On 9/22/2021, I conducted an unannounced inspection at the facility. I interviewed acting program director, Jessica Sawyer. Ms. Sawyer stated she is aware of the staffing issue and is currently interviewing. Six staff members resigned within the last two weeks without explanation. Ms. Sawyer is looking to replace the staff who resigned. She was conducting an interview on the day of my inspection. On 10/21/2021, I interviewed Ms. Sawyer a second time by phone. She stated that she has hired two child care staff members and waiting on fingerprint clearances for a third person. Management has placed themselves in a classroom to assist with ratio. On 10/18/2021, there were five call offs. Ms. Sawyer emailed parents to inform 2 them of the call offs asking if they could keep their child at home. She offered to refund tuition for the day of those children who did not attend. Ms. Sawyer stated that ratio in the classrooms has improved since my visit. She has staggered staff times in the morning and scheduled herself to assist with morning drop offs. Ms. Sawyer has temporarily canceled bus runs for school age children, closed a classroom and adjusted the hours of the center. On 9/22/2021, during my inspection, the caregiver to child ratio was 12:1 and was not maintained in the young preschool room. There should have been a second child care staff member. On 10/12/2021, I conducted telephone interviews with child care staff member 1 (CCSM 1), CCSM 2, CCSM 3, CCSM 4 and CCSM 5. CCSM 1 stated classrooms are out of ratio daily. Management does not assist staff in the classroom. Child care staff member Ellie Ellison steps in a room sometimes, but she usually does bus runs. Ms. Ellison also works the front desk assisting Ms. Sawyer. Ms. Sawyer and Ms. Ellison both are aware of the ratios in the classrooms through parents signing in. Child care staff members are assigned to classrooms knowing they do not have enough staff to maintain ratio. Staff call off all the time due to illness or being over worked. Mornings and evenings are usually the worst because there is not enough staff in the morning to separate children. There is not enough staff in the afternoon due to morning staff leaving for the day. Classrooms are combined and caregiver to child ratio is not maintained. CCSM 2 stated the children in the older classrooms are suffering more than the children in the younger classrooms. Classrooms are at capacity, and they are unable to move children to maintain ratio. CCSM 3 stated caregiver to child ratio is maintained in her classroom now. In the past, before licensing conducted a surprise inspection, the classroom was not maintaining ratio. There have been several call offs by staff. Ratio in the classrooms is causing everyone to not want to be there anymore. The caregiver to child ratio in the infants and toddlers' room is more of a problem than any other class. The toddler room has more children than any of the other classes. CCSM 4 stated the number of children in her classroom varies day to day. Her classroom is never in ratio. Parents are aware of the staffing issue and have expressed their concern about the safety of their child. During the onsite inspection, I obtained a copy of the center's attendance records, which shows the following: 3 On 9/20/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in infants was 10:2. On 9/21/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in infants was 16:3. The classroom was over in group size. On 9/22/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in infants was 10:2. There should have been a third staff member present. On 9/20/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in toddler one was 6:1. On 9/21/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in toddler one was 8:1. On 9/20/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in toddler two was 28:2 by 8:00 a.m. There should have been seven staff members present. On 9/21/2021, the caregiver to child ratio in toddler two was 23:1 by 8:44 a.m. On 9/22/2021, the caregiver to child ratio was 35:1 by 8:30 a.m. On 9/20/2021,