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 03/22/2023, program director Ms. Heather Benson notified me that during arrival time, when parents were dropping off their children in Toddler Classroom 1, Child A left the classroom, entered the backroom space and then exited the building via the exterior door. He was returned to the classroom by a parent who was entering the building using the same door he had exited through. She reported that none of the child care staff members were aware that he had left the building, until the parent had brought him back into the classroom. It was her understanding that Child A had only gone as far as the bottom of the ramp that leads into the parking lot, which means he was only out of sight of the child care staff members for a few seconds. Child A was not hurt or injured. On 03/22/2023, I interviewed Child A's Mother. She reported that she was immediately informed by the center that Child A had gotten out of the building during arrival time. She said Child A is a "wanderer' and likes to explore. He loves doors that are easy to get out of. The center had bells on a sliding door, "but they don't always ding." She wasn't sure if bells were placed on any of the other doors in the center. When she had dropped him off in Toddler Classroom 1 between 7:00 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. there were other children present, but not more than five. Everything seemed very routine. She stated, "He always goes to a specific area, one [particular] shelf or table activity." She talked and interacted with someone for approximately 5- 10 minutes. The regular lead caregiver was not present on this particular day and Child A's Mother thought that maybe that had messed up the routine for him. "Maybe [it was] a chaotic morning." She did report that now a child care staff member has been assigned to stay at the door during arrival time. She is following up with Child A's Family Service Planner to coordinate with program director Ms. Heather Benson on ways to prevent this from happening again. On 03/27/2023, I interviewed child care staff member (CCSM) 1. She reported that she was the acting lead caregiver on the day the incident occurred. She stated that Toddler Classroom 1 is an L shaped room. On this day, she was over by the kitchen/cubby area greeting parents and was not in a position to see the door parents were entering and exiting with their child. She was working with a parent, who was completing a medication form when she saw Child A and his mother arrive. Child A usually just wanders around the room in the morning, as he has difficulty with staying engaged with an activity. She did not have her eyes on him during the arrival time and therefore, she is unsure of when or how he left the room and ended up outside. Child B's Mother brought him back inside the classroom. She thinks she remembers her saying she had found him outside. She further reported that there is no specific plan in place for him or individual assigned to him to keep track of where he is throughout the day. "At arrival time, the child care staff members are usually in different areas of the room and are overseeing the area and not watching a specific child or set of children. It is hard to watch Child A. We mostly follow him around and try to keep up with him because he is very fast." She said that it is an extremely hard class as there are three students who require extra attention. 4 On 03/27/2023, I interviewed Child B's Mother. She reported that she was present at the center the day the incident occurred. She was dropping Child B (34-month-old female) off and most of the children were at the tables getting ready to eat breakfast. Child A was in the play area playing. As she was leaving, she heard someone say, "Here's Child A." Child D's Mother was coming into the building, and she noticed Child A was with her. That is when she helped bring him back into the classroom. "It happened within a couple of minutes. It wasn't neglectful, Child A just likes to wander and get out of things." She was

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.