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Pulling inspections, violations, and complaints.
Home › MI › Muskegon › Skidmore, Marcy Lynn
Muskegon MI 49442-1678 · License #DG610092954 · Home-based · Group Home
Not published by the state. Owners can add hours via profile claim.
When they operate
Ages served
R 400.1903 · R 400.1903 Licensee responsibilities. (1) A licensee shall be responsible for all of the following: (a) When the child care home is in operation, the licensee shall be present in the home on a daily basis and provide direct care and supervision for the majority of time children are in care, except for any of the following circumstances: (i) Vacation or personal leave, which must not exceed 20 days within a calendar year. The 20 days of vacation or personal leave means the licensee is absent the entire day or at least 51% of the day when the child care home is operating. A licensee may have a short periodic absence from the home. (ii) Medical treatment and subsequent recovery.
On 03/14/2023, I received a complaint alleging, in part, that Ms. Skidmore is not providing care for the children at least 51 percent of the time that children are in care. On 3/17/2023, I completed an onsite inspection. When I arrived, Ms. Skidmore was the only child care staff member (CCSM) present and was within ratio. Ms. Skidmore reports that she is in the home almost every day with the exception of the rare times that she takes off for an appointment. Ms. Skidmore is open from 6am to 6pm. Ms. Skidmore stated that since she had previous allegations reported to licensing that she was not present and providing care for children, she has purchased a time punch machine, and herself and all child care staff members are required to punch in. She provided me with her punch card/attendance records from 02/06/2023 to 03/10/2023. Her timecard record indicates that she is present daily, and present majority of the hours she is open. There are times where after the before school kids leave for school, and before the after-school kids return, she is under 7 kids. When that occurs and there is a child care staff member there to maintain proper ratio, Ms. Skidmore will go upstairs to do other child care related things, but also will sometimes remain downstairs with the children. Ms. Skidmore stated that she would often give CCSMs the option to continue working, or letting them go home, since she was within ratio with only one CCSM present. CCSM 1 discontinued employment with Ms. Skidmore on 03/09/2023. Prior to CCSM 1's departure, CCSM 1 was assisting three days per week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. A household member (HHM) or Ms. Skidmore's daughter assists on Mondays and Fridays when needed. CCSM 1 does not believe that Ms. Skidmore is providing care for children at least 51 % of the time. CCSM 1 reports that prior to the previous licensing special investigation (Special investigation #2023D1080002, dated 1/10/2023), Ms. Skidmore was not providing care at least 51% of the time. After licensing addressed the issue with Ms. Skidmore, she began spending more time providing care. CCSM 1 reports that she believes it is still an issue. CCSM 1 reported that CCSM 1 would be the only caregiver from 8:30am, until about lunchtime when Ms. Skidmore would come down with lunch for the children. Ms. Skidmore would stay for the duration of lunch (30-60 minutes) and then go back upstairs until about 3:15 when the afterschool kids would come into care. CCSM 1 does not know what Ms. Skidmore does upstairs whether it was something for child care, or if it was personal. CCSM 1 stated that there were times when she would be left alone out of ratio, while Ms. Skidmore was upstairs, however estimated dates line up with the previous special investigation, which Ms. Skidmore was previously cited for. Child A and B's Mother does both drop off and pick up and Ms. Skidmore is present daily during those times. Child B and C's Mother reports that Ms. Skidmore is always 3 there for drop off in the morning. She is also there for pick up 90% of the time. The other 10% is often because Ms. Skidmore is getting other children from school.
Ms. Skidmore is not providing direct care and supervision for the majority of the time children are in care. Ms. Skidmore uses shaming to discipline children, by talking unkind to children. Ms. Skidmore made Child B stay in the baby room because Child B was acting like a baby. Ms. Skidmore does not keep all dangerous and hazardous materials out of reach of children. Hazardous materials are stored under the sink in the child use bathroom. Ms. Skidmore has a dog that nips at children. Ms. Skidmore transported Child A without properly restraining Child A in the vehicle.
Disposition: Substantiated
Ms. Skidmore does not operate within the required child care staff member to child care child ratio. Ms. Skidmore forces employees to leave children unattended downstairs when they use or clean the bathroom. 5 Child A (male, 3 1/2 years) is sent upstairs alone to change his own pull-up. On one occasion he did not change his pull-up and spent the day in the same pull-up and was punished. 1 Ms. Skidmore has diapering supplies and diapering downstairs because employees are left alone caring for children. The bathroom and diapering area are upstairs.
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 400.1913 · R 400.1913 1 Discipline; child handling. (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (d) Inflict mental or emotional stress, such as humiliating, shaming, threatening a child, or using derogatory remarks. I
Ms. Skidmore denied ever talking unkind to Child B or any other children in care. Ms. Skidmore reported that she has sibling boys in care, Child C and Child D, that will sometimes fight with one another. If they start to fight, she will divide them up, one in the big room and one in the infant room, to separate them. Children are allowed in and out of the infant room, and there are toys to play with in there. Separating the children in different rooms is not a form of punishment or shaming but is used as a form of redirection. Ms. Skidmore uses it to settle the boys down, and not as a form of punishment. CCSM 1 confirmed the allegation that Ms. Skidmore talks "unkind" to children. CCSM 1 provided the example of a time that the children were working with clay. On a day that CCSM 1 was not present, Child B destroyed the clay creations made by other children. CCSM 1 reports that Ms. Skidmore wanted CCSM 1 to talk to Child B 4 about wrecking the other children's creations. CCSM 1 believes Ms. Skidmore's intention was to make Child B feel bad about what he did. CCSM 1 reports that she did talk to Child B about it, but not in a way that made Child B feel bad, like she thought was Ms. Skidmore's intention. CCSM 1 believes that Child B already felt bad about it after Ms. Skidmore had the other children tell Child B how it made them feel that he wrecked their clay creations. CCSM 1 believes that Child B's Mother was not happy with the way that Ms. Skidmore handled the situation. Child B's Mother is aware of the incident involving Child B wrecking the clay creations. The day that happened, Child B's Father picked Child B up from care. The next day, when Child B's Mother dropped Child B off, another child came up to Child B and asked why Child B wrecked his project. Other children were also around at that time. Child B began to cry. At that time, Ms. Skidmore stepped in and told the children that they would talk about it later. Child B's Mother did not report any concerns regarding how the situation was handled by Ms. Skidmore. Child C and D's Mother did not have any concerns regarding inappropriate discipline or shaming by Ms. Skidmore.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1932 · R 400.1932 1 Home maintenance and safety. (2) All dangerous and hazardous materials or items must be stored securely and out of the reach of children.
It was reported that Ms. Skidmore keeps ant killer under the sink in the child use bathroom. Ms. Skidmore denied having any hazardous materials underneath the sink in the child use bathroom and allowed me to go upstairs to check. I found deodorizing sanitizer that is labeled keep out of reach of children. I did not find any ant killer. I advised Ms. Skidmore that the deodorizing sanitizer would need to be moved, and she stated she had no problem doing so. 5
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1936 · R 400.1936 1 Animals and pets. (2) Animals and pets that are potentially aggressive or in poor health shall be separated from children in care at all times. 1
Ms. Skidmore has three dogs. Two of them are older dogs and remain upstairs and do not go around the children. Ms. Skidmore denied that the children go upstairs other than in the entryway and bathroom, which are licensed spaces. She got a new puppy approximately one week prior to my onsite inspection, and Ms. Skidmore has allowed that puppy downstairs in the child care area but denies that the puppy or any of her other dogs have ever "nipped" at a child. CCSM 1 reported that Ms. Skidmore has a dog that would bark at children. CCSM 1 did not see any of Ms. Skidmore's dogs nip at a child, but she had heard some of the children in care talking about the dog nipping. CCSM 1 did not see any marks on the child that reported that the dog nipped at him. CCSM 1 was unsure of that child's name for further follow up. None of the parents interviewed had any knowledge of Ms. Skidmore's dogs nipping or biting children.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: health medication. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1951 · R 400.1951 Transportation. ..... ................ .............. (7) Each child transported shall remain seated and properly restrained by a child passenger restraint device appropriate for his or her age. The manufacturer's rated seating capacity for the vehicle must not be exceeded.
Ms. Skidmore acknowledged that she did transport Child A one time with permission from Child A's Father. Child A's Father told Ms. Skidmore that Child A does not need to be transported in a car seat. Ms. Skidmore also believes that Child A does not need to be transported in a car seat because Child A is 7 or 8 years old. Ms. Skidmore transported Child A in her vehicle in the backseat without a car/booster seat while she went to go get pizza so that the child care staff member was not out of ratio. Child A's mother confirmed that Child A is 7 years old and is 4 feet 2.5 inches tall. Michigan's child passenger safety law requires that children must be properly buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall; whichever comes first.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1907 · R 400.1907 Child's records. (3) Dated daily attendance records of children in care must be maintained and include the child's first and last name and the time of arrival and departure.
Ms. Skidmore did not ensure that children's attendance records are accurate, to include the time of arrival and departure, and the child's last name.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1910 · 1 R 400.1910 Ratio of personnel to children. (1) The ratio of personnel to children present in the home at any 1 time must be not less than 1 member of the personnel to 6 children. The ratio must include all children in care who are not related to any personnel and any of the following children who are less than 6 years of age: (a) Children of the licensee. (b) Children of a child care staff member or child care assistant. (c) Children related to any member of the household by blood, marriage, or adoption.
On 11/18/2022, I received a complaint alleging, in part, that Ms. Skidmore leaves her employees over ratio most days. It should be noted that, on 08/22/2022, Ms. Skidmore was granted a variance allowing her to operate with a 2 ratio of seven child care children and related children under six years of age per one member of personnel. On 11/23/2022, I completed an onsite inspection. When I arrived, Ms. Skidmore was present alone with seven child care children plus the child of a staff member who was not present. Ms. Skidmore reported that child care staff member Ms. Shanna Swears was present that morning but had to leave for a short time. Ms. Skidmore contacted the father of one of the children and the child was picked up very shortly thereafter. Ms. Skidmore identified that her child care staff members are Ms. Swears and Ms. Jennifer Eastling. Ms. Skidmore normally has six or seven children present during the day. There are two members of personnel present in the mornings before school and in the afternoons after school. Ms. Skidmore lives across the street from the school and a staff member walks children to school in the morning and back in the afternoon. Ms. Swears works on Mondays and Wednesdays and Ms. Eastling works Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. When there are seven or fewer children present, Ms. Skidmore allows her staff to remain and work or to go home until they are needed to maintain ratio again. They normally choose to stay and work. Ms. Skidmore reported that, if a staff member chooses to work when there are seven or fewer children present, she sometimes goes upstairs to work on paperwork for the child care. The day prior, she chose to work downstairs in the child care area. She denied that she ever leaves staff caring for more than seven children alone. During naptime, she sometimes goes upstairs and does child care laundry or lunch dishes. Ms. Skidmore stated that she had a staff member upset with her the week prior. On 11/17/2022, Ms. Skidmore was upstairs, and Ms. Eastling was downstairs with six child care children (note that attendance records indicate that Ms. Eastling was present with seven children). Ms. Skidmore provided me with screenshots of a text conversation where Ms. Eastling was having problems with Child A (male, 3 years) and asked Ms. Skidmore to come downstairs, but Ms. Skidmore did not receive all the text messages. She reported that Ms. Eastling was quite upset with her when she returned downstairs and ended up leaving early for the day. While I was present at the home, Ms. Shanna Swears returned. Ms. Swears has been employed since the summer of 2022. She works Monday and Wednesday from around 7:30 A.M. until around 4:00 P.M. and Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from around 7:30 A.M. until 8:30 A.M., when Ms. Eastling arrives. Ms. Swears reported that she arrived that morning at 7:45 A.M. and left around 8:30 A.M. for a family emergency. She denied that she is ever left to care for more than seven children on her own. In an interview with Ms. Jennifer Eastling, she reported that she has worked at the child care since February 2022. She was working Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 A.M. — 3:30 P.M. She reported that, after this investigation, she has now been asked to work Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:00 A.M. — 4:00 P.M. 3 Ms. Eastling reported that on Thursday of the week before Thanksgiving, Ms. Skidmore left her downstairs with the child care children while she went upstairs, telling her to message if she needs anything. When Ms. Eastling asked for her help downstairs, Ms. Skidmore was not responsive. Ms. Eastling reported that she is often left to care for seven children alone. I informed her that Ms. Skidmore has a variance to allow for each child care staff member to care for up to seven children. She reported that sometimes she is left alone with more than seven children, although she was never informed of the variance and thought she was only supposed to care for six children
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1911 · R 400.1911 Care; supervision; children. ...................................... .... ......................................... (1) A licensee shall ensure appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.
Ms. Skidmore's child care is located in the downstairs of her home. The child use bathroom is located on the main floor, just at the top of the stairs. Ms. Skidmore reported that all of the children who are toilet trained as well as one child who wears pull-ups are able to use the bathroom independently. If there is a reason a child care staff member needs to go upstairs with a child, infants are put in cribs while the staff member is upstairs. On days when she is present without a child care staff member, Ms. Skidmore brings the diapering supplies downstairs so that she does not have to take children upstairs to change their diapers. Staff only clean the bathroom if all children are sleeping. Ms. Swears reported that when there are two child care staff members present, they change diapers in the bathroom upstairs and denied that any of their current children need help with toileting. Ms. Swears reported that, on occasion, if Ms. Skidmore is upstairs and she is downstairs alone, she will change an extremely dirty diaper down there. She denied that they ever leave children alone to clean the bathroom. The bathroom only gets cleaned if there are two child care staff members present. Ms. Eastling expressed frustration that, when she is alone with the children, she cannot use the bathroom and cannot change diapers upstairs. Ms. Skidmore has told her to put the babies in a crib while she uses the bathroom. Ms. Eastling reported that the diapering supplies have been downstairs since summer, but they have been moved back upstairs following this investigation. None of the parents interviewed had any knowledge of diapering or toileting procedures, nor did they have any concerns related to either.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1913 · R 400.1913 Discipline; child handling. (2) Developmentally appropriate positive methods of discipline that encourage self-control, self-direction, self-esteem, and cooperation must be used. 7
Ms. Skidmore denied that this alleged situation ever occurred. Child A wears a pull-up all day, but he does not like anyone to accompany him to the bathroom and is able to go to the bathroom to change it himself when necessary. He has never been forced to wear a dirty pull-up or been punished for anything related to his pull-up. Ms. Swears reported that Child A goes upstairs to change his pull-up independently, but does sometimes lie about changing it, telling the child care staff members that he changed it when he did not, so he must bring the dirty pull-up back downstairs to throw it in the garbage. If he has not changed it, he is sent back upstairs. He has never been forced to wear a dirty pull-up or been disciplined for anything related to his pull-up use. Ms. Eastling denied that she was present when the issue occurred with Child A and the pull-up, but that Ms. Skidmore told her about it. Ms. Skidmore sent Child A upstairs to change his pull-up and he came back down without changing it but was not checked all day. At pickup, staff noticed that he smelled like urine and still had his nighttime pull-up on. Ms. Skidmore told Ms. Eastling, "Because he wants to lie and pee his pants like a baby, he can stay in the baby room all day." Child A was made to remain in the baby room the next day he was present. Ms. Eastling denied that Child A is usually punished for going to the bathroom in his diaper or pull-up. Child A's Guardian reported that she helps Child A change his pull-up at home, stating that she would not trust a three-year-old to do it alone. She denied knowing if anyone helps him while he is at child care. She reported that they are struggling with toilet training. She denied knowing if he was left in a pull-up all day but also denied being told of any issues or having any concerns. She reported that he loves it at Ms. Skidmore's child care. Child B's Mother, Child C's Mother, and Child D's Mother all denied knowing anything about diapering or toileting procedures or having any concerns about the same.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1923 · R 400.1923 1 Diapering and toilet learning. (3) Diapers or training pants must be changed when wet or soiled.
Ms. Skidmore's diapering area is upstairs in the child use bathroom. When two child care staff members are present, diapers are changed in there. On days when she is present without a child care staff member, she brings the diapering supplies downstairs. At the time of the onsite inspection, she had brought some supplies downstairs and planned to change diapers on the floor in the infant area. She showed me an area off to the side of the infant room where she changes diapers. It was on a hard floor but there was no diaper changing pad. She denied that she cleans the floor following a diaper change. Ms. Swears reported that diapers are normally changed upstairs in the child use bathroom. Child care staff members change diapers downstairs in the infant room if they are the only staff member present. She denied that they clean the floor after changing diapers. Ms. Eastling reported that the diapering supplies have been downstairs since summer, but they have been moved back upstairs following this investigation. She reported that diapers were being changed on the floor in the infant room and denied that the floor was cleaned. None of the parents interviewed had information about where diapering occurs.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1923 · R 400.1923 Diapering and toilet learning. (2) The designated changing area must comply with all of the following: (d) Have a nonabsorbent, easily sanitized surface with a changing pad between the child and the surface.
Ms. Skidmore does not ensure that diapers are changed on a nonabsorbent, easily sanitized surface with a changing pad between the child and the surface. While downstairs, diapers were being changed on the floor without a changing pad.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1923 · ......................................................................_.. .................................................................... R 400.1923 Diapering and toilet learning. ................................................ .................................................................................................................. (2) The designated changing area must comply with all of the following: (e) Be cleaned and sanitized after each use.
The downstairs changing area is not cleaned and sanitized after each use.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1906 · R 400.1906 Records of a licensee; child care staff member; child care assistant. (1) A licensee shall maintain a file for each child care staff member and each child care assistant that includes all of the following: (b) Daily records detailing arrival times and departure times at the child care home.
Ms. Skidmore does not maintain accurate records detailing Mr. Overholt's arrival and departure times as a child care staff member.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1925 · R 400.1925 Comprehensive background check; fingerprinting. (2) An applicant or licensee shall do all of the following: (d) Establish and activate an account and accurately enroll each individual listed in subrule (1) in the child care background check system.
Ms. Skidmore did not accurately enroll Mr. Overholt in the child care background check system. He was listed as an adult household member and operating as a child care staff member.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: background checks. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1908 · R 400.1908 Capacity. (1) The licensee shall ensure that the actual number of unrelated children in care at any 1 time does not exceed the number of children for which the child care home is licensed, not more than 6 children for a family child care home and not more than 12 children for a group child care home.
Ms. Skidmore did not ensure that the number of unrelated children in care does not exceed her licensed capacity, which is 14 children. On 11/18/2022, Ms. Skidmore had 17 children in care at one time.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1913 · R 400.1913 Discipline; child handling. (3) Personnel shall not do any of the following: (g) Use time out for children under 3 years old.
A parent volunteered the information that Ms. Skidmore utilizes time-out with children under the age of three, which was also confirmed by a child care staff member.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1923 · R 400.1923 Diapering and toilet learning. (2) The designated changing area must comply with all of the following: 12 (c) Have access to a hand washing sink that is not used for food preparation. ................ ....
The area downstairs designated for changing does not have access to a hand washing sink.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1924 · 1 R 400.1924 Hand washing. (1) All personnel shall wash their hands appropriately and in the following manner: (b) After all of the following: (i) Diapering. I
Child care staff members do not ensure that they wash their hands after diapering when they change diapers downstairs.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1924 · .......... R 400.1924 Hand washing. (2) Personnel shall ensure that children wash their hands at all of the following times: (b) After toileting or diapering.
Child care staff members do not ensure that children wash their hands after toileting or diapering. Some children use sanitizer, and some have their hands wiped.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.
R 400.1925 · R 400.1925 Comprehensive background check; fingerprinting. (2) An applicant or licensee shall do all of the following: (e) Within the department's child care background check system, accurately complete and maintain the connection, disconnection, or withdrawn status of each individual associated with the license.
Ms. Skidmore did not accurately disconnect individuals from her CCBC account once they were no longer a child care staff member.
Open Not marked corrected in the state record
Category: background checks. Open / not marked corrected.