TCAPS Child Care - Silver Lake

R 400.8112(1) · R 400.8112(1) Children's records. (1) At the time of a child's initial attendance, a center shall obtain a child information card, using a form provided by the department or a comparable substitute, that is completed, signed and dated by the child's parent and updated as changes occur. The center shall keep current hard copies of the child information cards at the center. Bureau

View state record

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 03/21/2022, I spoke with licensee designee Ms. Jessica Anderson regarding the incident she reported to child care licensing. The incident refers to the allegation that child care staff member (CCSM) Ms. Moore slapped children's hands. She stated the building principal received a complaint from Child A's Mother that Ms. Moore slapped his hand and Child B's hand on 03/17/2022. Child A's Mother reported the incident to local law enforcement, and it was being investigated. TCAPS administration personnel were also conducting an internal investigation into the allegation. Pending the outcome of their investigation, Ms. Moore would not present at the center. On 03/21/2022, I conducted an unannounced onsite inspection at TCAPS Silver Lake's Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP). I interviewed lead caregiver Ms. Melissa Austin, CCSM Ms. Elizabeth Leonhardt, CCSM Ms. Debra Johnston, and school staff member/supervised volunteer Ms. Barb Bostic. During interviews with each staff member, they all indicated that it would be out-of-character for Ms. Moore to have slapped Child A and Child B for any reason. Ms. Melissa Austin stated that she had no direct knowledge of the alleged incident because she was out sick on 03/16/2022 and 03/17/2022. She was made aware of the allegation because Child A's Mother contacted her via text message around 3 5:00PM on 03/17/2022. In the text message, Child A's Mother asked if Child A could call Ms. Austin to explain what was happening in the classroom the past two days. Ms. Austin stated she was unable to participate in a phone call because she did not have a voice due to her illness. Child A's Mother responded to let her know that problems in the classroom had "turned into kids getting their hands slapped." Child A's Mother also informed her via text message that same morning that Child A urinated on himself the previous day during nap time because staff refused to let him use the bathroom. Ms. Austin followed up with Ms. Moore by texting her and was informed that Child A changed his clothes on 03/16/2022 because his pants were wet after playing on the playground. Ms. Austin has worked with Ms. Moore since September of 2021. She did not have any concerns about the way Ms. Moore interacted with children, nor has she seen Ms. Moore engage in any type of physical contact with children. None of the children appeared afraid of Ms. Moore, nor have any children told Ms. Austin that Ms. Moore hit them. Ms. Elizabeth Leonhardt stated that she acted as a substitute in the GSRP room on 03/16/2022 and on 03/17/2022. She was aware of two issues related to Child A. One was about him allegedly wetting his pants on 03/16/2022, and the other was about being slapped by Ms. Moore for swearing on 03/17/2022. On 03/16/2022, Ms. Leonhardt sat by Child A during rest time from about noon until her 30-minute break around 1:30 PM, when substitute child care staff member Ms. Johnson came in. During the hour-and-a-half time period, Child A never asked to use the bathroom. Two other children said their pants were wet from the playground a little while earlier, which made sense because the playground had been very wet that day from melting snow and rain. One child changed their clothes before rest time, and the other child said they did not need to change. When Ms. Leonhardt returned from her break at the end of naptime, Ms. Moore told her that Child A was changing his pants because he was wet from playing outside. Ms. Leonhardt folded up Child A's mat and helped him put his blanket in his backpack. She did not smell urine, nor did she notice that the mat or blanket were wet at that time. On the morning of 03/17/2022, Ms. Moore made her aware of Child A's alleged toileting accident and that he told his mother that yelled at to lay back down during rest time. When she asked Child A why he said he was yelled at and why he did not ask to use the bathroom, he said that he told his mother that so he would not have to go to school. In the a

View state record

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.

There is insufficient evidence to find that Child A urinated in his pants during rest time on 03/16/2022 because he was refused the use of the bathroom. During a Forensic Interview with Child A, he did not talk about urinating in his pants or having a toilet accident at school. None of the staff members who attended to Child A on 03/16/2022 noticed that he smelled of urine or had wet bedding after rest time that day.

View state record