• Violation

  R 400.1908 · R 400.1908 Capacity. (1) The licensee shall ensure that the actual number of unrelated children in care at any 1 time does not exceed the number of children for which the child care home is licensed, not more than 6 children for a family child care home and not more than 12 children for a group child care home. .. ..................... ........... ...................

  I conducted an unscheduled on-site inspection on 11/18/2020. Ms. Stump was present, alone, in the home with ten child care children and four of her own children. Two of the four children are under six years of age. Ms. Stump explained that when Covid19 first hit in March the number of children needing care went down and in turn she did not need a child care assistant. Her enrollment when back up when children started school in September. In October it went up enough that she needed the help of a child care assistant. At that time, her regular child care assistant had a baby and went on maternity leave. Ms. Stump's husband, who is a child care assistant on an as needed basis, started helping her out on occasion. He has a job outside of the home, but it able to leave it when Ms. 2 Stump needs help. He is also able to work from home and help provide care at the same time. Ms. Stump said she was likely only out of ratio on Tuesdays and Thursdays in October. In November it might have been more than just those two days. She stated that her regular child care assistant should be returning to work from maternity leave in a week or so. Ms. Stump currently has eleven children enrolled in care. In August she had twelve children enrolled and in September she had nine children enrolled. Ms. Stump stated that she has never operated over her license capacity. I reviewed Ms. Stump's attendance records from August, September, October, and November. Her records reflected her statements that she has been out of ratio at least once or twice a week since October. While I was in the home for the on-site inspection, all children were occupied and being cared for and supervised appropriately. Ms. Stump said that the children are always well cared for and supervised. Adam Stump arrived at the home shortly after I arrived for my on-site inspection. He relayed that Ms. Stump has never had more than twelve unrelated children in her care. He said that she has been home alone with more than six children about once a week since sometime this fall. He is not always present in the home but he is there on days when the number of children is high. When he is not present in the home, he is able to get there within a couple of minutes if Ms. Stump needs him. I spoke with Child A and B's Mother, Child C's Mother, and Child D and E's Mother on 11/25/2020. Child A and B's Mother thought maybe she had seen more than six children present with Ms. Stump a few times, but she could not say for sure, as she does not count the children. Child C's Mother and Child D and E's Mother said they have never noticed Ms. Stump being out of ratio. None of the three parents have noticed more than twelve child care children being present at one time. All three parents said they have never had any concerns regarding Ms. Stump or the care she provides to their children. Child A and B's Mother said "I'm impressed with Heather", the children are "always so manageable to her", and that Ms. Stump is "very much a rule follower". Child C and D's Mother said "I think Heather is amazing", and "I would never take my children anywhere else". NOTE: While I was at Ms. Stump's home, information was provided to her regarding operating child care during Covid19. 3 .................

The facility is operating over capacity. The facility is operating out of ratio. Children are not being appropriately cared for or supervised.

Disposition: Substantiated