• Violation

  R 400.8182 · R 400.8182 Ratio and group size requirements. ...........................................................: (3) In each room or well-defined space , the maximum group size and ratio of child care staff members to children, including children related to a staff member or the licensee, must be as shown in Table 4: Age Child Care Staff Maximum Group Size member to Child Ratio a) Infants and toddlers, 1 to 4 12 birth until 30 months of age b) Preschoolers, 30 months 1 to 8 16 of age until 3 years of age c)Preschoolers, 3 years of 1 to 10 Not applicable age until 4 years of age d)Preschoolers, 4 years of 1 to 12 Not applicable age until school-age 4 e) School-agers I to 18 Not appIic~

  On 2/22/21 I conducted an on-site inspection at the facility. Licensees, Ms. Ferguson and Ms. Williams-Murray stated that they have been scheduling more staff than necessary to keep them from going to find employment elsewhere. The child count has been low in all the rooms so they have more staff than necessary for the minimum ratio. Ms. Ferguson provided me with the attendance records for the center for the time I was onsite. I observed all the rooms and staff that were present. There was a total of 22 children present with eight caregiving staff. In addition to the caregiving staff there were other staff that were working in the office during the time of the inspection. All the rooms were in ratio according to the age group. Ms. Ferguson provided me with the attendance records and staff time sheets for the center for the first week of February. I reviewed the records from 2/1-2/5/2021. All child care rooms were within ratio throughout the day and evening hours for all the days reviewed. On 3/4/21, I interviewed child care staff members Bradlee Manuel and Kaliann Eskilsen. Neither of them had worked when there was not enough staff for the number of children present. Mr. Manuel stated that there usually is more staff than what is required for licensing. He recalled a few hours where they were short on staff but they had enough for the minimum ratio requirements. I interviewed Aaron Jackson a former child care staff member. Mr. Jackson left the center because he had a better opportunity for employment at a school district. He mainly worked with the school age children at the center. They met the licensing ratio of 18 children to one child care staff member. He did not witness any age group being out of ratio while he was employed at the center. 3 On 3/5/21, I interviewed Renee Miller and Payge Brandt, child care staff. They both stated that they are not aware of a time when they would have been out of ratio and they are not aware of anyone having any concerns about ratio at the center. Ms. Miller is a person that cooks and covers for different child care staff if they need a break. On 3/17/21, I interviewed Demarris Blackshear, child care staff member. She is a "runner". This is an extra person at the center who covers breaks, if someone calls in and cannot make their shift, and helps in a room when a new person is being trained. She does not recall a time when she worked and the center was out of ratio. On 3/19/21, I interviewed Phoenix Stricker, child care staff member. There are no issues regarding being out of ratio when she has worked. She is not aware of anyone else having any concerns regarding ratio. I interviewed Child A and Child B's Mother, Child C's Father, Child D's Mother, Child E and Child F's Mother, and Child G's Mother. None of the parents interviewed had a concern with ratio of children to caregivers. They were all happy with the care that their children were being provided and had no concerns. I left a voicemail message for Child H's Mother and Child I and Child J's Mother and did not hear back from them.

The facility is out of ratio.

Disposition: Substantiated