Explorers Learning Center Blue

R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (a) Hitting, spanking, shaking, biting, pinching, or inflicting other forms of corporal punishment.

On 05/24/2022, I received a complaint alleging that, on 05/23/2022, between 12:10 P.M. and 12:30 P.M. Child Care Staff Member 2 (CCSM2) pulled a child away from a table and a plate full of food. CCSM2 then smacked the child on the chest and brought them to their cot to lie down. CCSM2 also grabbed the hand of a child who way lying down to rest "with a ton of force" and struck the child in the stomach. The complaint alleged that, during this same time, CCSM3 grabbed a child by the hand, dragged them from a cot, and hit them in the stomach "a few times". Also alleged is that CCSM4 grabbed one of the children tightly to get them away from the table to take a nap. It was alleged that the lead 2 caregiver in the room was present for some of these incidences but did not see them. Miller, the center's owner, clarified that she owns four centers located near each other (within a block) and that staff sometimes work in more than one center. She reported that, on 05/23/2022, CCSM4 was going to be gone for two hours, so CCSM1 was covering from the Explorers Learning Center Red to the Explorers Learning Center Blue for those two hours. When CCSMI arrived in the classroom, the lead caregiver, Ms. Ashley Branham, was present with CCSM2, CCSM3, and CCSM4, resulting in there being five child care staff members present in the room. She confirmed that the licensee designee/program director is Ms. Jessica Kelley, and called her in to the interview. Ms. Kelley reported that CCSM1 had worked at the Red building for a week. They needed coverage one day in the Blue building and asked her to cover. At 12:30 P.M. on 05.12.3/2022, Ms. Kelley was walking to her car. She saw CCSM1 in the parking lot, getting something out of her car. CCSM1 said to Ms. Kelley, "I don't like it over there. The ladies are really mean." She clarified that she does like Ms. Branham; "she's nice." She told Ms. Kelley and Ms. Miller that a woman with blond hair (who they later determined was CCSM2) was not being nice to the children or talking nicely to them. She also reported that she saw CCSM2 slap a child at lunch, take food from him, pull him by the arm, and slap him on the chest. She was unable to provide details regarding how she was not speaking kindly. She reported to Ms. Kelley that CCSM4 grabbed a child (later determined to be Child A) and pulled him, resulting in him crying, and she then slapped him on the chest. She reported that Ms. Branham was in the room, but her back was turned. When Ms. Branham turned around, the staff members stopped what they were doing. She reported that CCSM3 slapped a child in the head with the back of her hand, but not hard. She denied that Ms. Branham saw anything or that she told Ms. Branham what was going on. Ms. Branham was scheduled to leave at 12:00 P.M. but was present until 12:15 P.M. CCSM1 arrived in the room at 12:05 P.M. From 12:15 12:25 P.M., CCSM1 was present in the room with CCSM2 and CCSM3, then she went to the parking lot, where she began talking with Ms. Kelley, According to Ms. Kelley, CCSM1 told her, 'They were too comfortable in what they were doing for [Ms. Branham] not to know about it." Ms. Miller told her to report it to MOHHS but CCSM1 did not commit to doing that. Instead, she suggested to Ms. Miller and Ms. Kelley that they fire CCSM2 and put her in CCSM2's position. Ms. Kelley told CCSM1, "You know you are a mandated reporter" and CCSM1 did not reply.. Ms. Kelley denied that any of the staff members have ever been disciplined, besides a possible written warning for being late. I conducted a joint interview with CCSM1. Her timeline was RisjoRne etails of her story changed at least three times. In her initial interview on 01°2412022, CCSM1 reported that she is a child care staff member in the Red building and has been working at the center since . On 05/23/2022, she was working in the Red building but went to fill in at the Blue building at 12:00 P.M. She reported that when she arrived, CCSM2, CCSM3, CCSM4, and M

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R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (e) Depriving a child of meals, snacks, rest, or necessary toilet use.

There is no evidence to support the allegation that staff deprived children of meals or snacks. Children had plates of food removed from their area, but these were second helpings removed after children indicated that they were done eating.

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