Nest Institute Southfield

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 2/17/2023 I spoke with the complainant. The complainant stated that an unnamed 4-year-old with special needs is usually in the 4- year- old preschool class and sometimes pinches, kicks, and hits others. The complainant has seen the child in the infant room. The complainant did not provide dates or the reason the child was in the infant room. On 2/24/2023, I spoke with program director, lyana Carrothers. She stated no 4- year-olds go into the infant room. On 2/24/2023, I spoke with Staff Member 1 who said that the only time there are mixed ages together are at the end of the day during pick up time, and it is not in the infant room. Consultation was given to Staff Member 1 and Ms. Carrothers that even during pick up time, the infants and toddlers should not be in the preschool room. The preschool room is licensed for ages 2 and older only. Ms. Carrothers 1/2 agreed to keep the rooms separate at all times. On 2/24/2023, I spoke to Staff Member 2 and Staff member 3. They are the infant staff members. They both confirmed that nobody other than infants and toddlers are in the infant room. On 2/24/2023, I observed two children in the preschool room with Staff Member 1, and three children in the infant room with Staff Member 2 and Staff Member 3. On 3/22/2023, Child A's mother stated she loves the care that Child A (female, 2 years) receives. On 3/22/2023, Child B's mother stated she enjoys the staff at the center very much. Child B (male, 1-year 7months) is taken care of very well and is safe in the infant/toddler program there.

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R 400.8155 · R 400.8155 1 Child accidents and incidents; child and staff illness. (5) A center shall have a written policy detailing when children, staff, and volunteers will be excluded from the center due to illness. 4

On 2/17/2023, the complainant stated that there are children with runny noses and coughs at the center and the program director does not send them home. The complainant was not able to provide specific instances when this happened. On 2/24/2023, Ms. Carrothers explained that according to their policies, children are not allowed to be at school if they have a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. I reviewed the written policy on site. Ms. Carrothers stated that sometimes children do have a little cough or runny nose from the change in weather or allergies. But if they show symptoms of anything other than that, they are sent home immediately. She stated they recently closed for a few days when she found out a staff had Covid-19. They take keeping a clean and healthy center seriously. On 2/24/2023, Staff Member 1 stated that sick children are not allowed to come to or stay at school. They do have some children that blow their noses sometimes, but they are not sick. On 2/24/2023, Staff Member 2 and Staff Member 3 stated that sometimes the children will have runny noses, but if it is green, they must go home. They will need a doctor's note to return. On 3/22/2023, Child A's mother did say that while she loves the Staff Members and is happy with the care her child receives, she has had to call into work when the center shuts down due to illnesses. On 3/22/2023, Child B's mother stated she enjoys the staff at the center very much. Child B is taken care of very well and is safe in the infant/toddler program there.

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R 400.8182 · R 400.8182 Ratio and group size requirements. (3) In each room orwell-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:

On 2/24/2023, reviewed the fire and tornado drill logs. It appeared that the center had conducted drills as required. The center had not been open six months yet. The log I observed was from the first five months opened from the end of September to the end of February. The fire drills had been done with no more than three months in between them. Ms. Carrothers and Staff Member 1 both stated that they do conduct fire and tornado drills. APPLICABLE RUL.E... ....... 1 R 400.8161 Emergency prroocceedduurreess.. (5) A fire drill program, consisting of at least 1 fire drill quarterly, must be established and implemented. (6) A tornado drill program, consisting of at least 2 tornado drills between the months of March through November, must be established and implemented. ANALYSIS: On 2/24/2023, I reviewed the fire and tornado drill logs. It appeared that the center had conducted drills as required. Ms. Carrothers and Staff Member 1 both stated that they do conduct fire and tornado drills. CONCLUSION: I VIOLATION NOT ESTABLISHED

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R 400.8365 · R 400.8365 Heating; temperature. (2) The indoor temperature must be at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit in child use areas at a point 2 feet above the floor.

On 2/17/2023, the complainant stated that the center is having a hard time hiring people and the current staff sometimes must call in when they are not feeling well. This causes the center to combine classes or be out of ratio. The complainant did not have specific dates that the is happened. On 2/24/2023, Ms. Carrothers denied having a problem with ratio. She stated that when a staff member tested positive for Covid, they shut the center down. I reviewed the attendance for the previous weeks and found there to be appropriate 5 staff member to child ratio. There are only 15 students enrolled and there are six staff members currently employed with two more starting soon. Ms. Carrothers stated that with such a low enrollment, ratio has never been a problem. On 2/24/2023, I observed two children with one staff member in the preschool room and three children with two staff members in the infant room. Ms. Carrothers was also present to assist in caring for the children. On 2/24/2023, Staff Member 1, Staff Member 2, and Staff Member 3 all agreed that if a staff member were to call in, there would still be enough staff to care for the children, because not that many children come each day.

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R 400.8380 · 1 R 400.8380 Maintenance of premises. (4) Floors, interior walls, and ceilings must be kept in sound condition, good repair, and maintained in a clean condition. 7 I

On 2/17/2023, the complainant stated that the blue room in the back of the building (infant/toddler room) has trouble heating up in the morning. On 2/24/2023, Ms. Carrother confirmed that the heat was not working in the infant/toddler classrooms on 2/14/2023 and that they closed that classroom and got it fixed the next day. Children from that room were sent home or not accepted for care that day. On 2/24/2023, I observed the thermostat to be working and the temperature in the infant/toddler room was a comfortable 71 degrees. A On 3/22/2023, Child A's mother confirmed that there had been a building problem that was out of anyone's control, so Child A's classroom was closed for a day or two in February while they fixed the problem.

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R 400.8525 · R 400.8525 Exits. (6) Means of egress shall be maintained in an unobstructed, easily traveled condition at all times that the center is in operation. Means of egress shall not be exposed to inherent hazards of the building, including the heating plant, flammable storage, commercial kitchen, or other similar conditions.

On 2/17/2023, the complainant was concerned that the infant room only had a thin carpet and that the babies fall hard on the floor. The toddler room also has thin carpet and there is a spot near the cots where you can feel the floor move under the carpet. On 2/24/2023, I observed the infant room carpet to not have padding under it. However, there were several padded matts available for the infants to roll, crawl, and explore. I observed the toddler room and found a "soft spot" in the floor by the cots that was covered by the permanent carpet. It did not seem to pose a hazard. Ms. Carrothers stated that the center has only been open less than a year and that the environmental health inspector that came out was aware of the spot and they still passed the inspection.

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