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 03/16/2022, I received an intake of allegations regarding physical abuse by two child care staff members, CCSM Rebecca DeGrand and Ruth Bone via email. I contacted to arrange a day and time to conduct interviews at KinderCare. We could not coordinate a time for us to conduct interviews together because of conflicts in our schedules. On 03/17/2022, I arrived onsite at 11:15a.m. to conduct interviews with, CCSMS Rebecca DeGrand and Ruth Bone. Both child care staff members were not present due to being on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. I interviewed program director, Janet Stafford regarding the allegations received on 03/16/2022. Ms. Elizabeth Hood, licensee designee of KinderCare, had just arrived on site and joined in on the interview between Ms. Stafford and I. Ms. Hood said she was able to provide information ations received on 03/16/2022. Ms. Stafford said on Tuesday. I the allegations were investigated 3 Stafford and Ms. Hood both said they had never heard of any allegations like this involving child care staff members Rebecca DeGrand or Ruth Bone before. On 03/17/2022, I contacted CCSM Ruth Bone. Ms. Bone works in the toddler and preschool classrooms. Ms. Bone said she had been employed with KinderCare for 30 years. Ms. Bone said in the 30 years she has worked at KinderCare she has never had anything like this happen to her before. Ms. Bone said she would never hit or harm a child nor has never seen any other child care staff member harm or hit a child. Ms. Bone said when she puts the kids down for naps, she puts a blanket on them and rubs their backs and does not force them to lay down. Ms. Bone said she is very shocked that someone would say this about her. Ms. Bone said she wants to return to work because she misses the kids. On 03/17/2022, I contacted CCSM Rebecca DeGrand. Ms. DeGrand works in the toddler classroom. Ms. DeGrand said she had been employed for two years. Ms. DeGrand said she has never had anything like this happen to her before. Ms. DeGrand said she has never hit or harmed a child nor has seen another child care staff member hit a child at KinderCare. Ms. DeGrand said when she puts the children down for a nap, she has never forced them to lay down. Ms. DeGrand said she loves the kids, and they give her hugs every day. On 03/17/2022, I called Child B's Father. I informed Child B's Father of the allegations. I asked Child B's Father if he ever had any concerns about the safety of his child and more specifically, concerns with child care staff members, Rebecca DeGrand and or Ruth Bone. Child B's Father said he had not observed any changes in his daughter's behavior, nor has he had any concerns that his child is being hit or abused by any of the child care staff members. Child B's Father said he is very pleased with the staff and the overall facility. Child B's Father said he has never seen any bruises on Child B. Child B's Father said he has no concerns of abuse from anyone. On 03/17/2022 I called Child C's, Father. I informed Child C's Father of the allegations. I asked Child C's Father if he ever had any concerns about the safety of his child and more specifically, concerns with child care staff members, Rebecca DeGrand and Ruth Bone. Child C's Father said he has never sensed anything like that before. He said he has not seen anything that is related to abuse that involves his son. Child C's Father said Child C is usually one of the last ones to be picked up daily and his son always gives Ms. Rebecca hugs before he leaves for the day. Child C's Father said Child C would tell him if someone was hitting him. On 03/28/2022 I contacted four parents of children who are in contact with Ms. -year 1 DeGrand and Ms. Bone daily. I contacted Child D's -old male) Mother, Child -year -year 1 1 E's -old female) Mother, Child F's -old male) Father, and Child G's 4 year-old male) Mother. I asked all parents if they had any concerns about their c i dren being hit or abused by any child

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.8125 · 1 R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times. 5

On 03/08/2022, I conducted an onsite inspection regarding the allegations received on 03/07/2022. I arrived on site at 9:58 a.m. and interviewed program director, Janet Stafford. I asked Ms. Stafford to tell me about the incident involving Child A (4-year-old male). Ms. Stafford said on Friday, 03/04/2022, she called her child care licensing consultant, LoWanda Washington-Brown and left her a message letting her know she would be sending over an incident report about a child who opened the gate to the classroom and ran out into the lobby alone on 03/03/2022. Ms. Stafford said Child A's Father found Child A in the lobby between the outside door and the inside door in the vestibule as he arrived to pick up Child A. Ms. Stafford said Child A's Father carried Child A into the center after finding him and immediately talked to her and wanted an explanation. Ms. Stafford said because she was trying to "piece everything together" as to why Child A was in the lobby, she asked Child A's Father if they could talk later. Ms. Stafford said she immediately called her district manager, Elizabeth Hood to make her aware of the incident. Ms. Stafford said later in the evening on 03/03/2022, she called Child A's Mother and Father to set a time to discuss the incident and Child A's Mother and Father disenrolled Child A. I asked Ms. Stafford to take me to the classroom where Child A was able to walk through the gate by himself. There is a gate that separates an area that is a large, opened space that is divided by a gate to create two well-defined spaces. Child A was placed in the space closest to the lobby. Ms. Stafford said Child A was in the care of child care staff member, Haifa Eldiri when he ran out of the gate into the lobby. On 03/08/2022, I interviewed child care staff member, Haifa Eldiri. Ms. Eldiri said on 03/03/2022 while she was providing care to her children who were in her class, she looked up and saw Child A's Father carrying Child A in his arms. Child A's Father was walking towards her classroom. Child A's Father asked her what Child A was doing in the lobby alone. Ms. Eldiri said she didn't know but was concerned about why Child A's Father carried him into the center. She said Ms. Stafford told her that Child A was in her classroom right before he ran out into the lobby, but Ms. Eldiri did not know Ms. Stafford sent Child A back to her class. Ms. Eldiri said that Ms. Stafford was the teacher in the toddler classroom at the time and Child A was with Ms. Stafford because he was trying to open the exit door, "trying to escape." Ms. Stafford was trying to offer him some intervention for his behavior. Ms. Stafford told Ms. Eldiri that Child A was sent back to her class before being found in the lobby, but she said she never knew Ms. Stafford sent Child A back to her classroom. Ms. Eldiri said, "Child A has attempted to run away numerous times before, so she was not surprised to know that this was the reason he was carried in by his dad." I went to Ms. Stafford's office to reconvene and shared with her that Ms. Eldiri did not know that Child A was in her care. Ms. Stafford said, "I spoke loudly across the room and told Ms. Eldiri that Child A was getting ready to walk over. 3 On 03/08/2022, I interviewed child care staff member, Rebecca DeGrand. Ms. DeGrand was the teacher in the toddler classroom on 03/03/2022. Ms. DeGrand said it was an unusual day on 03/03/2022, "The children were more rambunctious than usual." Ms. DeGrand said Child A was with her and Ms. Stafford over in the toddler area. Ms. Stafford wanted to move Child A back over to the preschool classroom. Ms. DeGrand heard Ms. Stafford speak loudly across the room to tell Ms. Eldiri that she was sending Child A over to her class. Child A walked over to Ms. Eldiri's area which was on the other side of a gate. Ms. DeGrand said she does not think Ms. Eldiri heard Ms. Stafford because there was a lot of noise in both classrooms. Ms. DeGrand said her attention went on the child

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

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 08/17/2021, Ms. Janet Stafford, the Program Director, self- reported an incident report that occurred at the facility. According to the incident report, Child A (2-year-old male) fell and hit his head on the wall caused by another child that was running and bumped into him. Child A appeared to be unconscious for about 1 minute. A called was made to 911 and Child A's mother was called to the center. I conducted an on-site investigation at the center on 08/31/2021. I spoke to Ms. Janet Stafford upon my arrival. She was informed of all the allegations. She explained the incident was reported in the incident report. She stated she was present on the day of incident but did not see what happened in the classroom. 3 I interviewed Child Care Staff Member, Rebecca DeGrand. She reported that she was in the room changing a child's diaper at the time of incident. She saw a child running and told him on 2 occasions to stop running. The child later bumped into Child A, causing him to fall and hit his head on the wall. She was close to where the incident occurred but could not prevent the fall, as she was changing a child's diaper. I called ex-Child Care Staff Member, Maria Kornacki on 09/14/2021. She was present in the room at the time of the incident. I left a voice mail message. I called Child Care Staff Member Ruth Bone on 09/14/2021 and left a voice mail message. She was reportedly also in the room at the time of the incident. I spoke to the Assistant Director, Kirsten Layton on 09/14/2021. She stated that she was at the facility on the date of the incident but was not present in the classroom at the time of the incident. She called 911 after being told to by Janet Stafford, the Program Director. She reported that Janet yelled from the back classroom what was going on and she reported to the 911 operator what she was being told, which was "Child A was unconscious after falling and hitting his head." She also stated that while on the call with 911, Child A regained consciousness and became alert and she reported that to the operator while on the call. I called Child A's mother on 09/14/2021. She reported that she was called and informed that Child A had fallen and bumped his head. She stated that she never was given a clear story as to what happened. At one point she was told that Child A was never unconscious, and she heard that they told 911 that Child A was unconscious. She could not report accurate or provide detailed information to the staff at the hospital. She is unclear as to how another small child could hit or bump into Child A and cause such an injury. She was not able to get an MRI completed on Child A due to his age and was told to watch him carefully. She has not noticed any issues or concerns at this time, and she did not return Child A back to the center for care. Children's Hospital did not make a report noting concern about this incident. On 09/14/2021, I spoke to the complainant. She reported that she did not observe any inappropriate care and supervision while at the center, and that she was only informed of incidents that had occurred thru other parents. All information was given to her second hand. She stated that she thought she would be "a voice for the children" and call and make a complaint, but she was unable to provide any information. 4

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (1) Positive methods of discipline that encourage self- control, self-direction, self-esteem, and cooperation must be used.

On 08/31/2021, I interviewed Janet Stafford in reference to the allegations. She reported that she had been made aware of the incidents. Child Care Staff Member, Lori Baier reported that that she was preparing to take the class outside for playtime. At 9:30 am, they were all inside and were told to use the bathroom. As soon as they got outside, Child B stated he had to use the bathroom. She told him to let her finish setting up the play equipment for the other kids. By 9:35 am Child B had relieved him self outside. It was reported that Child B pulled himself out and peed on the playground. None of the other children saw Child B do this, but the teacher caught him. I called the parent of Child B on 09/01/2021 and 09/14/2021. I left voice mail messages. As of 09/21/2021 no contact has been made. On 08/31/2021, I interviewed Child Care Staff Member, Amanda Jackson. She reported that she never yelled at a child for having a bloody nose. She stated that Child C, was digging in his nose and she told him to stop before he caused an injury. Child C told Ms. Jackson that he was digging for gold. On 09/15/2021 I called Child C's mother on 09/01/2021 and 09/14/2021. I left voice mail messages. As of 09/21/2021 no contact has been made. 5 On 09/14/2021, I spoke to the complainant. She reported that she did not observe any inappropriate care and supervision while at the center, and that she was only informed of incidents that had occurred thru other parents. All information was given to her second hand.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.