• Violation

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

  On 01/25/2022, Carol O'Shea, licensee designee, called to self-report that on 01/24/2022, the school principal and school age program director, Melissa Van Hulle, asked the child care staff members if Child A had been in care that morning because he did not make it to class. Child A had been in care so Ms. Van Hulle and the child care staff members began looking for Child A. Ms. Van Hulle eventually announced over the public announcement speaker for Child A to report to the office if he was in the building. Child A went to the office and informed Ms. Van Hulle that he had been hiding in the janitor's closet because he was upset about how a game was played during morning child care. Ms. O'Shea was unsure how long Child A was missing. She acknowledged that child care staff did not account for children at dismissal and the children were released by grades. Ms. Van Hulle notified Child A's Mother of the incident. Ms. O'Shea indicated that Child A's response to being upset and hiding in a closet was unexpected and unusual. Since it was only Child A's second day in care, Ms. O'Shea did not know if there were any previous concerns or behavioral issues that she or the child care staff members should have been informed of at enrollment. She denied receiving any information about any special needs Child A may have. 3 On 01/25/2022, I conducted an unannounced onsite inspection at Ashley Elementary School. I conducted interviews with child care staff members Carol Klotz and Beverly Babcock, both who were working the morning of 01/24/2022. The third caregiver working that morning, Lexi Annan, was not working during the 01/25/2022 onsite inspection. Ms. Klotz stated that during the 01/24/2022 morning child care session, the children were dismissed by grades at 8:55a.m. Children in grades 2 through 5 go to the classroom on their own while children in K-1 grades are escorted to their classrooms by child care staff. Attendance, roll counts, head counts or any type of accounting of children in attendance is not done when they are released to their classrooms. When the children all leave, Ms. Klotz signs them out on the attendance log. On 01/24/2022, it was Child A's second day in care because he had just started the week before and only comes on Mondays. He was with Ms. Annan in the gym that morning. Ms. Annan later informed Ms. Klotz that Child A had become upset while playing a game because he "got out" and did not think it was fair. Ms. Annan came back to the cafeteria with the children to get ready for dismissal. Ms. Klotz acknowledged that "there was a lot going on" at the end of the morning session and she could not recall if Child A was present at that time or not. A few minutes after the children were dismissed and school had started, Ms. Van Hulle came to the cafeteria and asked if Child A had been in care that morning. Ms. Klotz confirmed that Child A had been in care and Ms. Van Hulle informed her that Child A never made it to his classroom. Ms. Klotz, Ms. Van Hulle, and school staff began to look for Child A. They looked in the building then checked to see if there were any prints in the snow by the gym and cafeteria exit doors because it had been snowing that morning. After several minutes, Ms. Van Hulle made an announcement over the public announcement system asking that if Child A was in the building, for him to report to the office. At around 9:20a.m., Child A went to the office where he informed Ms. Van Hulle that he had been in the janitor's closet because he was upset about the game during child care. I then interviewed Ms. Babcock. Ms. Babcock stated that on 01/24/2022, when they were getting ready to dismiss children to their classes at 8:55a.m., it was "just bedlam." The children were released by grade and about five minutes after the children left, Ms. Van Hulle came into the cafeteria and asked if Child A had been in care that morning. Child A had been in care and his backpack was left behind, but children always leave i

The center self-reported that on 01/24/2022, Child A (10-year-old male,) did not make it to his classroom after the morning child care session. After a search and an announcement on the public announcement system, Child A went to the office. Child A said he was hiding in the janitor's closet because he upset about a game during child care. Child care staff members did not know he was missing.

Disposition: Substantiated