• Violation

  R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (d) Inflicting mental or emotional punishment, such as humiliating, shaming, or threatening a child.

  The unsupervised volunteer used humiliating and shaming behavior when telling Child A that he is naughty and a thief.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

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

  On 03/14/2023, I received a complaint alleging that, when Child A and Child B's Mother picked her children up at child care, Child A (male, 5 years) told her "Mommy, [the unsupervised volunteer (UV)] said you think I'm an angel, but she told me I'm not an angel and I'm a very naughty boy." The allegation continued that Child A and Child B's Mother approached UV and asked if Child A had a bad day and was told that he did. Child A and Child B's Mother repeated Child A's 2 statement to UV, who confirmed that she did say that, and he is a very naughty child. UV then continued to say he's a thief and a problem. Child A and Child B attend a child care center in a strip mall consisting of two preschool-aged classrooms. Adjoining this center is another center operated by the same licensee, serving infants and toddlers. Parents of preschool-aged children provide permission for their children to be cared for in the adjoining center as needed. I interviewed Child A and Child B's Mother who reported that, at the end of the day on 03/10/2023, children in Child A's classroom and Child B's classroom were combined due to low numbers, with Child Care Staff Member (CCSM) 1 being the child care staff member present. When Child A and Child B's Mother picked Child A and Child B up from child care, Child A told her, "[UV] said 'mom thinks you're an angel' but I'm not an angel. I'm a very naughty boy and that hurt my feelings." Child A and Child B's Mother stated that CCSM1 overheard the conversation. At the time, UV and CCSM2 were in the infant room of the adjoining center. Child A and Child B's Mother found out that Child A had been sent to the infant room as discipline because he was acting up in the classroom. Child A and Child B's Mother asked to speak with Ms. Witt, but she was not present, so she went to speak with UV. UV said that she did not know if Child A had a bad day in his classroom. She confirmed what Child A said she told him. Child A and Child B's Mother asked UV to not talk to her child like that, to which UV replied, "Well, he is very naughty," in a "snippy and loud" voice. Child A and Child B's Mother again stated that it is not appropriate for her to talk to children like this. UV then said that he is a thief and the whole class knows it. Child A and Child B's Mother cited one incident where Child A tried to take toys home from the center but ended up not taking them. Child A and Child B's Mother stated that, at this point, UV was screaming at her across the room in front of another parent who was there to pick up their child. After leaving the center, Child A and Child B's Mother called Ms. Witt, who said she was sorry that Child A and Child B's Mother was upset and stated that UV is a "grumpy old lady." Child A and Child B's Mother denied that there was any disciplinary action taken against UV. Child A and Child B's Mother denied knowing why Child A was moved to the infant room but stated that staff sometimes move him to another teacher if he is misbehaving. He is sometimes with UV first thing in the morning when rooms are combined. She denied receiving any communication from his lead caregiver that day that he was having a bad day and stated that CCSM1 told her at pickup that he had a good day. On 03/16/2023, I completed an onsite inspection, where I interviewed licensee designee, Ms. Konstance Witt. Ms. Witt was not present at the center at the time of the incident but was contacted by Child A and Child B's Mother and had conversations with staff. Ms. Witt reported that Child A and Child B are rambunctious 3 when they are together, so CCSM1 brought Child A to the infant room to separate them. According to staff, Child A had had a rough day, mainly with putting his hands on others. When he was brought to the infant room, UV was the only staff member in there. Child A told her, "My mom thinks I'm an angel," to which she replied, "You're not the angel your mom thinks you are." Child A told this to his mother, who then confronte

A caregiver provided inappropriate care and utilized inappropriate means of discipline when calling a child naughty and telling him he is not an angel.

Disposition: Substantiated

Child care staff members were unaware of how Child A (3 year old, male) sustained an injury.

Disposition: Substantiated