• Violation

  R 400.8182(3)(a) · R 400.8182(3)(a) Ratio and group size requirements. Infants and toddlers, birth until 30 months of age, child care staff member to child ratio of 1 to 4, maximum group size of 12.

  On 05/12/2025 The Infant 2, Toddler 1 and Toddler 3 room were not maintaining the required child care staff member to child ratio at some point prior to 9:00am. The required ratio for this age is 1:4, and the Infant 2 room had 2:12, Toddler 1 had 2:10, and Toddler 3 had 2:10. On 05/13/2025 the Toddler Opening room was operating over ratio prior to 7:45am at 3:14 and the Toddler 3 room was over ratio between 7:44am-8:08am at 1:5.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8182(3)(b) · R 400.8182(3)(b) Ratio and group size requirements. Preschoolers, 30 months of age until 3 years of age, child care staff member to child ratio of 1 to 8, maximum group size of 16.

  On 5/12/2025 the required child care staff member to child ration in the Discovery Preschool was not maintained prior to 8:45am. The children are ages 30 months - 3 years, with a required ratio of 1:8. There were 10 children present with 1 staff. On 5/13/2025 the Discovery Preschool was operating over ratio prior to 9:00am. There were 10 children present with 1 staff.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8182(3)(c) · R 400.8182(3)(c) Ratio and group size requirements. Preschoolers, 3 years of age until 4 years of age, child care staff member to child ratio of 1 to 10, maximum group size not applicable.

  On 5/13/2025 the child care staff member to child ratio in the Preschool room was not maintained prior to 8:35am. The children are 3 years of age so the required ratio is 1:10, and there were 17 children present with 1 child care staff member.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  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.

  Appropriate care and supervision were provided to Child A.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  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 11/01/2022, I spoke with CCSM 2 via telephone about the incident. CCSM 2 explained that she was inside her classroom working with Child A's mother when the incident occurred. Child A was outside with CCSM 1 and CCSM 1 and CCSM 3 at the time. She explained that Child A saw his mom and started crying. CCSM 2's classroom door has a large window on it that Child A can look into and see Child A's Mother. Child A is new to the center and has a hard time when he sees Child A's Mother. CCSM 2 said that Child A's Mother asked CCSM 3 to grab Child A and CCSM 3 moved him away from the door to go play. Child A later went back to the door. CCSM 1 then grabbed Child A by his hand and pulled him aggressively. CCSM 2 said that Child A did not want to move so CCSM 1 grabbed him and pulled him and did not wait for him to move. CCSM 2 thinks that CCSM 1 looked frustrated at the time. CCCSM 2 said that she has worked with CCSM 1 before and she thinks CCSM 1 is "loud, demanding" and "often seemed frustrated." CCSM 2 was the only one who saw the incident. CCSM 2 reported the incident to center director Rebecca Novak and CCSM 1 was put on leave. CCSM 1 later was sending text messages to the CCSM group chat and told them that she was not coming back to work and then messaged several people individually telling them that she was on leave for something she did not do, and that CCSM 2 should have come to her about it. On 11/14/2022, I received copies of text messages that center director Rebeca Novak had collected from CCSMs that they received from CCSM 1. One message that CCSM 1 sent to an unidentified CCSM is regarding her saying that someone told that she had rough hands with a child that day and her denying it. There was also a video recording that appeared to be either a voice mail or a phone conversation where someone is denying rough handling a child and saying that they are on leave and stating that "this is all horse shit." Another message from CCSM 1 to an unidentified CCSM stated, "what is going to happen because I did not do crap! I would never hurt a child." On 01/06/2023, I spoke with CCSM 1 via telephone. CCSM 1 said that they were playing outside and the person accusing her was inside the building. She denied that she did anything inappropriate to Child A. She said that Child A was nonverbal and was screaming at the door to the classroom that CCSM 1 works in. CCSM 1 said that she grabbed his hand and said "ok, let's go." She denied yanking him or hurting him. She said that she was told that his mom supposedly saw her. She believes that the other CCSMs hated her, wanted her out of there and that they wanted her position at the center. 3 On 02/14/2023, I spoke with Child A's Mother via telephone. Child A's Mother reported that her coworker saw CCSM 1 yell at Child A and told her about it. Child A's Mother explained that Child A was having a hard time adjusting to being in child care and had a hard time seeing her through the window. Child A was standing at her classroom door's window crying and she opened the door and said something to the staff about him crying. Child A's Mother said that CCSM 1 came and got him. Later, a coworker said that CCSM 1 yanked his arms, and another said that CCSM 1 yelled at Child A. Child A's Mother did not remember who the coworkers were that told her the information. On 02/24/2023, I interviewed center director Rebecca Novak about the incident. Ms. Novak said that CCSM 2 is the only CCSM that witnessed the incident. Ms. Novak reported that she did not see anything herself and the center's cameras do not record. She said that there were other employment issues with CCSM 1 and this incident was not the only thing that led to the employment termination.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  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 I other forms of corporal punishment.

  On 09/13/2022, I spoke with Child C's Mother who reported that Child C told her that Ms. Lisa (Beuschel) and Ms. Maddie (White) spank him. She said that he pointed to his buttocks when she asked him where he was spanked. I asked if he gave any details about why he was spanked but he had not. Child C is familiar with what a spanking is because spanking is a form of discipline used in their home. On 09/13/2022, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection and spoke with center director Rebecca Novak who reported that CCSMs Madalyn White, Lisa Beuschel and Naomi Becker are CCSMs assigned to work in the Preschool 1 classroom that Child C is enrolled in. 2 I interviewed Ms. Becker who reported that this is her third week, and she works with Ms. White, Ms. Beuschel and CCSM Lydia Zurgable. She reported that the discipline used in the classroom was to talk to the children and ask them to apologize. She said that she has not seen any inappropriate discipline used in the classroom. She has no concerns about her coworkers' interactions with the children. I interviewed Ms. Beuschel who reported that she started working at the center a month ago. She explained that time out and talking to children about their behavior is the discipline methods she uses. She denied the allegation and said that she has never spanked any child care children. She stated, "I'm afraid to spank them, it's not my job." She said that she may have asked the children if they get spanked at home. She asks children who are misbehaving if they do that at home, why they do it at the center, and if they get spanked. She has not seen any one spanking any children at the center. I interviewed Ms. White who reported that their discipline includes, take a break and calm down time. I asked if spanking was used in the classroom and she responded, "oh god, no." They pat the children on their lower backs during nap time and children will ask them to do it. She has never seen any children spanked in the classroom and has not heard any children say that they were spanked by Ms. Beuschel. Ms. White described Ms. Beuschel as strict and thinks that Ms. Beuschel is louder so the children might be afraid of her. I interviewed Ms. Zurgable who worked with Ms. Beuschel last week. She thinks that children may think Ms. Beuschel is mean because she speaks firm with a loud voice. Ms. Zurgable has not seen anyone spank any children at the center. I asked Ms. Novak if there had been any parent complaints about Ms. Beuschel. She said that parents had commented about Ms. Beuschel talking loudly and had conversations that were too adult like for children. Ms. Novak explained that Ms. Beuschel has no prior work experience in child care and she is working on coaching her. I provided technical assistance on using modeling to train Ms. Beuschel. On 09/17/2022, I had face to face contact with Child C and Child C's Mother in their home. I attempted to interview Child C utilizing forensic interviewing protocol but was unable to establish agreement with the ground rules. I asked Child C about his classroom and his teachers. He said that Ms. Maddie and Ms. Lisa are his teachers. I asked what happened when rules are broke and he answered, "time out, take a break." I asked if anything else happens and he said, "I'm going to see my mom." Child C's Mother said that the family was eating dinner and asking Child C about his day. He said something about Ms. Lisa spanking his butt if he is naughty and that she does it to all of us. They tried to ask him open ended questions, but he did not say anything else. Child C's Mother said that Ms. Beuschel is very loud, and she can hear her from the hallway when the classroom door is closed. She thinks that Ms. 3 Beuschel makes rude comments and gave the example of Ms. Beuschel making a comment to another CCSM "whatever work to keep him quiet" when he was having a hard time transitioning in the morning. Child C's Mother is concerned about Child C's care and when they ar

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8125 · ........................................................................................................................ I R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; req.uirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.

  On 07/08/2022, I completed an unannounced on-site inspection and spoke with acting director Rebecca Novak who said that she became aware of the incident when she walked into a conversation taking place between Child A's Mother and Child A's Mother's boyfriend. Child A's Mother told her that Child A was in the hallway by herself when she arrived to pick her up. Ms. Novak then went into the gym to speak with the child care staff members (CCSM). Ms. Novak reported that Child A had been in the care of CCSMs Justyne Towne and Noemy Lopez, and they were unaware that Child A was not with them. Ms. Novak reported that there were three classrooms combined in the gym because it was the end of the day. She saw Ms. Lopez sitting on the floor while interacting with a group of children and Ms. Towne was walking around the gym. I interviewed Ms. Lopez who explained that Child A and Ms. Towne were already in the gym when she joined them. She did not know what happened and was not aware that Child A had left the gym until Ms. Novak came in and asked if they knew she left. She was told by her coworkers that Child A was in the parking lot. She said that there were three classrooms and three different attendance sheets, and she did not know how many children were in the gym at the time. Ms. Lopez reported that Child A has an older sister who sometimes comes in the room to get her before Child A's Mother comes. She wondered if maybe Child A's sister came in the gym and Child A left with her. I interviewed Ms. Towne who reported that she has only worked at the center for two weeks. She was not sure how many children were in the gym as she joined a classroom that was already in there. Ten minutes after she went in the gym, Child A was in the hallway, and she thinks she either left with another child or parent. She said that she was sitting on the floor watching the children, maybe talking to one of them, and then Ms. Novak came in and asked if they saw Child A walk out of the gym. She heard that Child A was by the front desk, but Ms. Novak told her that Child A was by the door. Ms. Towne told me that on her first day working at the center Child B (male, 3 years old) was found by himself in the classroom. Child B has special needs and is nonverbal. She was working with CCSM Esme Arevalo when they took the group to the gym. They thought Child B was with them but when they arrived at the gym, CCSM Heidi Durrsma, brought him to them and told them that he was in the classroom. Ms. Duursma was not working with them but had gone into the classroom to get something. I interviewed Ms. Arevalo who explained that she was leading the group of children to the classroom and told Ms. Towne to look behind to check for children. There were children not listening, running, and not staying with her. Ms. Towne told her they were good but when they got to the gym, they found out that Child B had been left behind. Ms. Durrsma went into their classroom and found him. 3 I interviewed CCSM Heather Pearce who reported that she was not working when Child A left the gym. She said that CCSM Ashley Scott told her that Child A ran into the parking lot. I asked Ms. Pearce about the incident with Child B. She heard that Ms. Durrsma found Child B in the classroom with the lights off and that Ms. Novak said that they did not have to report it to licensing because it was not a long enough time. Child B's parents were not told either. She said that Ms. Towne was a friend of Ms. Novak's and was not trained when she started because Ms. Novak said she did not need training as they had previously worked together at another center. I interviewed Ms. Scott who reported that she forgot to punch in from her break so after she left the building, she came back in and heard Child A's Mother yelling and asking why her child was outside. Ms. Scott said that Ms. Novak is saying that Child A was in between the two doors but Child A's Mother said that Child A was outside by the stairs. There were othe

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8158 · R 400.8158 Incident, accident, injury, illness, death, fire reporting. (2) A licensee, licensee designee, or program director shall report to the child's parent and the department, directly or via phone, fax, or email, within 24 hours of the occurrence of any of the following: (a) A child is lost or left unsupervised.

  On 7/15/2022, I spoke with Child C's Mother who reported that last week, she received a phone call from former director Megan Backoski who informed her that Child C had a bowel movement accident and had no extra shoes, 5 so she had to come pick him up. Child C's Mother said that she asked Ms. Backoski to wash Child C's shoes as he was wearing Croc's so he could stay. Ms. Backoski told her that Child C needed to go home because he needed a bath, and it was against licensing rules to clean his shoes. Child C's Mother found him cleaned up, wearing clean clothes and walking around barefoot when she arrived to pick him up. Child C's Mother asked CCSM Madalyn White if she could clean his Croc's and have him stay. Ms. White told her "I am disgusted, this is gross" as Child C was standing right next to them. Child C's Mother reported that Ms. White has made multiple comments to her, her fiance, and her mom about Child C and other children having accidents and has said she is disgusted and grossed out by having to change their underwear. Ms. White told her mom that she is overwhelmed by the number of children in the classroom and has stated that she does not have time to clean them up if they have accidents. Ms. White told her fiance that Child C needed to wear pull ups because she did not have time to change him. Child C's Mother said that she told Ms. Backoski that she was frustrated by what Ms. White said, Ms. Backoski told her she would address it, but she never heard back from her. Ms. Backoski told her that Child C needed a bath and needed to go back home. The center had put a pull up on Child C that was not his and he had skin issues. Child C's Mother said that Child C did not need a bath as he was completely clean. She was sent a picture of Child C with feces on his leg and in his shoe. On 7/15/2022, I completed an on-site inspection and spoke with Ms. Novak about the incident with Child C. I asked her if it was the center's practice to send children home when they have accidents. She explained that they sent children home "if it's gross, or in their nails." She said that Child C "stunk too" and children were picking on him. She said that she talked to Ms. White and Ms. Durrsma who were both working in the room that day and they both denied that they said anything about Child C being disgusting or gross. I interviewed Ms. White who explained that the group was coming inside from the playground and Ms. Durrsma noticed that Child C had feces down his leg and into his shoe. Ms. White cleaned him up, changed his clothes and put him in a pull up. She then noticed that there were feces on the floor. She said that Child C has had weekly accidents because his mom gives him laxatives and doesn't tell her, and Child C does not tell them when he has accidents. He has only had a bowel movement in his clothes one other time. She has asked Child C's Mother to put him in pull ups because of his accidents. Ms. White said that she took a picture of Child C before she cleaned him up and sent it to his mom because she thinks that his mom doesn't believe her when she tells her things. Child C did not have any clean shoes or underwear. I asked why Child C was sent home. Ms. White said she thought he needed a bath then said it was because of his shoes being dirty, and that Child C smelled but that it was not her that sent him home. She said that when Child C's Mother arrived, she told her that children were saying that Child C smelled like poop, and he was embarrassed so she asked if he wanted to go home or stay. Ms. White explained that she "felt gross" because of the cleaning and she had gotten a little bit on her arm. She acknowledged that Child C was there when she spoke to his mom. I asked her if she thought she had handled it appropriately and she said she was overwhelmed by the amount of stuff all happening at once, had never been through a situation like that before, her assistant was freaking out and the other children were seeing what was

• Violation

  R 400.8140 · R 400.8140 Discipline. (2) All of the following means of punishment are prohibited: (d) Inflicting mental or emotional punishment, such as humiliating, shaming, or threatening a child.

  On 7/15/2022 I spoke with Ms. Novak about the incident with Child D's bottle. Ms. Novak explained that CCSMs Cheryl Plaska, Alanya Foster and Megan Meyers were working in the infant room when the incident occurred. District Manager Shelly Duplin was at the center to talk to the staff and the incident occurred a few minutes after Ms. Plaska went back into the classroom after speaking with Ms. Duplin. I interviewed Ms. Foster who reported that she returned to the classroom after taking an hour lunch break and found the classroom to be a "hot mess" with food everywhere. She said that Ms. Plaska was irritated because she doesn't handle stress well. She said that Child E (female, 7 months old) was fussing so she put her bottle in the warmer and logged it in the app. She was caring for another child who was fussy. Ms. Foster said that Child D then started fussing and that Ms. Plaska was very irritated with him and was saying things about him all morning, was huffing and puffing, running her hands through her hair. Ms. Plaska then put Child D in his crib and took Child E's bottle and gave Child D the bottle while he was in his crib. Ms. Foster finished logging a child's nap start time and went to grab Child E's bottle and noticed it was missing. She said that Ms. Plaska then slammed the bottle that Child 7 D had just drank on the counter and said "[Child D's] finished." Ms. Foster told Ms. Plaska that it was Child E's bottle and Ms. Plaska's response was that well he finished it and that his mom said he had formula over the weekend, he liked it and he seems to be doing great. The bottle had six ounces in it, his shirt was a little wet and Ms. Plaska changed Child D's crib sheet. I asked Ms. Foster why she did not say anything about Child D having a bottle in his crib. Ms. Foster replied that she did not actually see Child D with the bottle in his crib because her back was turned to his crib. I interviewed Ms. Meyers who reported that she was not involved in the incident with Child D's bottle and was not aware of it until after it happened. She explained that both infant classrooms were combined because the Infant 2 room only "2 children present. She said that Child D was in his crib when he had the bottle, but she did not know he had the bottle until Ms. Plaska slammed it on the counter and said "there's [Child D's] bottle." Ms. Foster said that it was Child E's bottle and Ms. Plaska responded, "he drank it, he liked it," She did not see Ms. Plaska give Child D the bottle or see Child D with the bottle in the crib. Ms. Foster then went to report the incident because Ms. Plaska did not seem worried about it and changed her story to say that Child D hardly drank any of it and his shirt was wet. Ms. Foster said that the bottles are labeled with the children's names. I spoke with Ms. Novak again to clarify what happened. Ms. Novak explained that Child D and Child E have the same bottles. She does not believe that Child D was drinking the bottle in the crib, but that Ms. Plaska put it in his mouth as she was lifting him out of the crib, squeezed the bottle and it got all over his shirt. On 09/13/2022, I interviewed Ms. Plaska who reported that Child D and Child E have the same bottles and Child E was visiting the classroom that day. She explained that Child D was in his crib, she grabbed the bottle, handed it to him, and was in the process of picking him up to hold him while in the chair. The bottle cap was not on tight and about half of the contents spilled on Child D. Ms. Plaska said that she did not think that Child D drank much if any of it but his clothes were wet from it. She realized it was not his bottle when she was taking it back from him after noticing the leak. She acknowledged that the center's procedure for bottles was not followed that day, but it has been following since the incident. ............................................................................................................................................

• Violation

  R 400.8340 · R 400.8340 Food services and nutrition; provided by parents. ............................................ .. .................................._........................... ...... ............................... (9) Beverages and food must be fed only to the child for whom the item is labeled. I

  Child D was fed a bottle that belonged to and was labeled for Child E.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: nutrition. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  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 06/18/2021 I spoke with Child A's Mother, she stated Child A has been at this center since . She explained Child A never accused Mr. Adams of touching specifically, however ■ behaviors have chan ed that led to these concerns. e stated Child A has been pott trained since was' years old; however, when they switched to this center began having accidents. She thought this may have been due to Child A transitioning to this center. However, a few weeks ago Child A continued to have accidents and this worsened as was goin through three to four outfits a day. The staff members at the center aske her to put back into a pull up because of the frequent accidents. Child A also exhibited behavior concerns and program director Ms. Graham spoke to her about. She stated Ms. Maddie, unknown last name, is the staff member working primarily in Child A's classroom. She stated staff members have recently switched and she is unsure of what the previous staff members name was. She explained Child A told her was being bullied by other child care children in the classroom; Child A said the of er child care children were was bad. Child A made a recent concerning comment to Child A's Grtaenldlimnogt"heerr at was not If"rom and. "was just she is unsure where else this idea could ave come has never made a comment about before. Child A's Mother believe this may have came from the other child care children since is children and "maybe they have parents". a satartoedu nRe is now wondering if Mr. Adams told was bad or had made = comments, she said she has no evidence to support this and she does not strongly believe this happened, she just does not know what happened. Child A's Mother explained Child A has never had behavioral issues like the ones was exhibiting at the center. She said she became frustrated with the center that s e "had to yell at them, at the staff' as she has emailed staff members on numerous occasions without adequate answers. Ms. Graham told her Child A has been disruptive in the classroom as. would get angry and throw items, push the classroom furniture and have a tantrum that would disrupt other child care children. She explained she is trying to help Child A control emotions and she talks with about the other children, but she is concerned t at Child A has all of this anger a of a sudden". Child A's Mother explained over the past weekend of , her and a friend were outside with Child A while was playing. They were talking to Child A and although she does not remember w at started this conversation, Child A mentioned Mr. Adams. She believed it may have started by her friend asking Child A if any males worked at the center. She stated she knew that the cook was a male and the other male she believed had no interactions with Child A. Child A ran behind 4 the patio chairs, hid from her and her friend and appeared to be scared to speak with them. Child A said Mr. Adams brought to Ms. Graham's second office, closed the door and tried to make ■ sit down. Her friend had asked if Mr. Adams tried to make Child A sit on ■ lap and Child A did not answer so they stopped the conversation about Mr. Adams. Child A's Mother explained she believes Child A is referring to an office located near the front of the center, which has a window that can be seen when entering inside the center. She stated Ms. Graham said it was the center's policy that the door does not clos and if staff member enters that office, the door is open the entire time. She explained she was not sure what happened with Child A at the center, so she put Child A in -. Child A's Mother stated she did not want to accuse anyone of anything, but she knew she had to do something, therefore she sent an email to Ms. Graham advising she had reason to believe Child A may have had some difficult experiences with a man at the center and to no longer allow contact between Child A and any males. Ms. Graham responded to her that they needed to discuss these concerns and asked if Child A needed any

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  MCL 722.115p Offer of employment to person at child care organization; criminal history background check; cost. Child care center, group child care home, or family child care home; potential or current child care staff member convicted of crime. (1) Except as provided in section 5n(14) and (15), a child care center, group child care home, or family child care home shall not allow an individual to be a child care staff member without requesting a criminal history check as required by section 5n.

  Mr. Adams began employment with the center on however he was not fingerprinted, beginning the comprehensive background check process, until 03/15/2021. It is required for all child care staff members to be fingerprinted prior to working at a child care facility.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: background checks. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8112 · R 400.8112 Comprehensive background check; fingerprinting. (2) An applicant or licensee shall do all of the following: (d) Establish and activate an account and accurately enroll each individual listed in subrule (1) of this rule in the child care background check system.

  Ms. Graham did not accurately enroll Mr. Adams to the correct child care facility in CCBC.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: background checks. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8112 · R 400.8112 Comprehensive background check; fingerprinting. (2) An applicant or licensee shall do all of the following: (e) Within the department's child care background check system, accurately complete and maintain the connection, disconnection, or withdrawn status of each individual associated with the license.

  Ms. Graham did not accurately connect and maintain proper status for Mr. Adams as he was never connected to this licensed facility and was not from CCBC timely when deemed _ on 05/06/2021

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: background checks. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8112 · R 400.8112 Comprehensive background check; fingerprinting. (4) For an individual who is determined ineligible by the department, a licensee shall immediately do all of the following: (b) Prohibit the individual from having any contact with children in care. 17

  Ms. Graham allowed Mr. Adams to continue working at the child care center after he was deemed on 05/06/2021 where he has contact with child care children. Mr. Adams was not

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: background checks. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8167 · R 400.8167 Indoor space. (3) A center shall provide a floor plan of all child use areas to the department at initial licensure and before making structural changes or adding any child use space. Only space that has received prior approval for child use by the department may be used for child care.

  Ms. Graham admitted to allowing child care children into the office, which has not received prior approval for child care use by the department.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8122 · R 400.8122 Lead caregiver; qualifications; responsibilities. (5) Lead caregivers shall meet 1 of the following qualifications shown in Table 3: (a) Bachelor's degree or higher in early childhood development, or a child-related field. (b) Montessori credential with 480 hours of experience. (c) Associate's degree or higher in early childhood education or child development (d) Valid child development credential with 480 hours of experience. (e) High school diploma or GED with 12 semester hours of coursework in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or a Child-Related field and 960 hours of experience. (f) High school diploma or GED with 12 semester hours, 18 CEUs, or a combination to equal 180 clock hours of coursework in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or a Child-Related field with 1,920 hours of experience. (g) High school diploma or GED with 6 semester hours, 9 CEUs, or a combination to equal 90 clock hours 3,840 hours of coursework in Early Childhood Education, Child 3 Development or a Child-Related field with 3840 hours of experience.

  On 1/28/2021, during my onsite inspection, Ms. Harris reported that on 1/25/2021, staff member, Heather Pearce came into her office and stated that Amber Matejovitz got upset and yelled at Child C saying, "I don't like you, you are my least favorite child." Ms. Harris called Ms. Matejovitz into her office and asked if the allegations were true. Ms. Matejovitz burst into tears and said she did make that statement. Ms. Harris reported that she "let her go immediately." Ms. Harris added that she was very upset and does not tolerate staff members mistreating children in care. On 1/28/2021, I interviewed staff member, Heather Pearce. She reported that Child C has only been receiving care for a couple of days. Ms. Matejovitz has been upset that Child C was in the Toddler 2 classroom because he is old enough to be in Toddler 3, however due to staff to child ratio issues Child C cannot be moved into the Toddler 3 classroom. Ms. Pearce stated that Ms. Matejovitz has always been unwelcoming and "cold" to Child C. On 1/25/2021, Ms. Matejovitz and Ms. Pearce were discussing transitioning another child into Toddler 3 classroom when there are times of the day that appropriate staffing allows them to do so. Ms. Pearce reported that Ms. Matejovitz immediately got upset and started physically shaking when Child C was not discussed about transitioning into the Toddler 3 classroom, and said "I hate him, I hate that kid," referring to Child C. Ms. Matejovitz then walked over to where Child C was playing, pointed in his face and said, "I don't like you. You are my least favorite child, if anyone could get me to quit my job, it would be you." On 1/28/2021, I interviewed staff member, Anna Hoffman. Ms. Hoffman reported that Ms. Matejovitz always "acted strange" towards Child C. Ms. Matejovitz referred 4 * f' I rf•'• • • f f * f f' • f • r••'. y u[.q:Ju 1uJu t '~ i • f t • fl f f I•' . f f f' i • 1 1. `. .': • • ; • • f • - • • :. I: __ _ 'ri • • . • - • • ' ' ' • r • ' • 1 • IV. RECOMMENDATION Upon the receipt of an acceptable corrective action plan, I recommend modifying the center license to first provisional. 3/5/21 Stephanie Shell Date Licensing Consultant Approved By: 03/15/2021 Katrice Sweet Date Area Manager A

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

• 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: a) Infants and toddlers (birth until 30 months), 1 child care staff member to 4 children with a maximum group size of 12 children. b) Preschoolers (30 months of age until 3 years), 1 child care staff member to 8 children with a maximum group size of 16 children. c) Preschoolers, (3 years until 4 years), 1 child care staff member to 10 children. d) Preschoolers, 4 years until school-age), 1 child care staff member to 12 children. e) School-agers, 1 child care staff member to 18 children

  On 1/21/2021, 1 completed an unannounced inspection at the child care center. During my inspection, I interviewed program director, Tonya Harris. Ms. Harris was receiving help from another program director, Lauren Rybak from the Kalamazoo Rainbow. Ms. Harris reported that her first day at the facility was 12/21/2021 and she is still learning staff and children's names, policy, and licensing rules. Ms. Harris admitted that on Tuesday 1/19/2021, the center did not maintain the required child care staff member (CCSM) to child ratio in the morning for less than 30 minutes. Ms. Harris reported that child care staff member, Alexis Sicillano, called her to let her know that they were out of ratio. Ms. Harris stated that 2 she was already on her way to the facility and arrived around 7:20am-7:30pm. She reported that a child care staff member did not show up for shift that morning which caused the facility to be out of the staff to child ratio. Ms. Harris added that the assistant director quit without providing a two week notice on 1/17/2020. She added that when she started there was no cook for the center. Ms. Harris explained that she had to cook breakfast and lunch for the children most days or she must pull a CCSM from a classroom to help prepare breakfasts and lunches. Ms. Harris provided children and staff attendance records for the weeks of January 11th and January 18th. Ms. Harris escorted to me to the all the classrooms in the facility. I observed all classrooms within the required staff to child ratios: • Infant 1 had 8 infants and 2 Child Care Staff Members (CCSM). • Infant 2 had 7 infants and 2 CCSMs. • Toddler 1 had 5 toddlers and 2 CCSMs. • Toddler 2 had 8 toddlers and 2 CCSMs. • Toddler 3 was closed due to the lack of CCSM. • Discovery Preschool (ages 2 3 years old) had 6 children and 1 CCSM. 1/2- • Preschool (ages 3-4 years old) had 15 children and 2 CCSMs. • PreK (ages 4-5) had 8 children and 1 CCSM. • School aged classroom did not have any children in the classroom. On 1/21/2021, I interviewed CCSM 1. She reported that the center consistently does not maintain the required staff to child ratio. She stated that this typically happens in the morning but does happen at other times of the day. CCSM 1 stated that she is aware that it happens in every classroom and when it does happen it is about 10 minutes or less. On 1/21/20201, I interviewed CCSM 2. She reported that today her classroom has been within the required staff to child ratio guidelines, but classrooms are out of ratio frequently. CCSM added that it usually happens when CCSMs call in sick or do not show up for their shifts. She added there has been a huge staff member turn over since the pandemic and the center is having issues keeping workers. On 1/21/2021, I interviewed CCSM 3. She reported that the center is frequently out of required staff to child ratio in the mornings. She reported on 1/19/2021, the center was out of ratio for about 30 minutes. CCSM 3 stated that all classrooms are out of ratio, but it mainly happens in the preschool and school aged room. I reviewed the attendance records for staff and children. Due to missing arrival and departure times from both staff and child care children, I could not determine if classrooms were following ratio guidelines based on the attendance records. 3

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8143 · .................... R 400.8143 Children's records. (11) A center shall maintain an accurate record of daily attendance at the center that includes each child's first and last name and each child's arrival and departure time. Electronic records may be used. If electronic attendance records are used, then they must be available to the department at the time of an inspection. If the electronic attendance records are not available during an on-site inspection, then the center is in violation of this rule. 5 I

  On 1/19/2020, I spoke to the complainant. The complainant stated that there were concerns that children are not being signed in and out of the facility with exact times of arrival and departure. On 1/21/2021, when I interviewed program director, Ms. Harris she reported that parents drop their children off to the front desk. The parents are greeted by a CCSM and are signed in with a pen and paper, the child's temperature is recorded, and the child is taken to their classroom. Each classroom records their own attendance with each child's arrival and departure time, referred as face to name sheets. Ms. Harris named multiple employees that help sign children in when she is unavailable. Ms. Harris stated that she is unavailable when she is cooking or helping in a classroom. Ms. Harris stated that attendance records should reflect accurate times the children are in care and denied that children were being signed in and out inaccurately. On 1/21/2021, CCSM 1 stated that attendance records are inconsistent. She stated that random CCSMs will greet parents at the door to sign children in and some CCSMs do not record the time the child entered the building; they will just take the child to the classroom. She added that on 1/19/2021, 6 children were not signed in the PreK classroom. CCSM 1 provided a picture on her phone to verify that 6 children were never signed into the PreK classroom even though they were in attendance. On 1/21/2021, CCSM 2 and CCSM 3 also stated that child attendance records were not accurate. They all reported that with all the different CCSMs that are greeting parents, some CCSMs are not signing the children in when they enter the building.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  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 1/19/2021, I spoke to the compliant. The complainant reported that on 1/18/2021 there were two children that were not taken to school and missed the entire day of school because the facility did not know they had school on Martin Luther King Day. On 1/21/2021, Ms. Harris reported that Child A (male, 6 years old) and Child B (male, 6 years old) missed school on 1/18/2021. Ms. Harris reported that the assistant director was responsible for the bussing and keeping track of what children need to go to school on which days they need to go. The assistant program director quit the night of 1/17/2021 without any notice. Ms. Harris stated that it was Martin Luther King Day, and she asked former CCSM 5 to contact the children's school to see if they were in session. Ms. Harris later received a call from Child B's Mother wondering where her child was. Ms. Harris apologized for the confusion but reported that Child B's Mother was very unhappy. Ms. Harris also spoke to Child A's Mother who was also very upset that her child missed the day of school. On 3/4/2021, I spoke to Child B's Mother. She verified that the facility failed to send her child to school on MLK Day, 1/18/2021. Child B's Mother reported that she dropped off her son and later in the day received a picture in the app the center uses to keep in touch with parents throughout the day. She stated that she thought it was weird that he was there, she called his school and they verified that Child B was not in school and they had not received a call excusing his absence. Child B's Mother explained she then called the child care center and spoke to Ms. Harris. Ms. Harris apologized and stated that she did not think any children had school that day due to the holiday. Child B's Mother asked if she could take him to school and Ms. Harris told her that she could not take him because there was not enough coverage for all the classrooms. Child B's Mother added that her child is no longer attending the facility.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8113 · 1 R 400.8113 Program director qualifications; responsibilities. (3) All program directors are responsible for the general management of the center, including the following minimum responsibilities: (b) Administering day-to-day operations, including being available to address parent, child, and staff issues. 7

  Ms. Harris is unable to administer day to day operations, including being available to address parent, child and staff issues due to the low number of staff and having to help cover classrooms and kitchen duties.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8143 · R 400.8143 Children's records. (8) Upon enrollment and annually thereafter, a center shall obtain and keep on file at the center a signed statement from a school-age child's parent confirming all of the following: (a) The child is in good health with activity restrictions noted. (b) The child's immunizations are up-to-date. (c) The immunization record or appropriate waiver is on file with the child's school.

  There was no signed statement from the parent that Child A was in good health, child's immunizations were up to date, and the immunization record or appropriate waiver is on file at the child's school.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: health medication. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8143 · R 400.8143 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 and signed by the child's parent. The center shall keep it on file and accessible in the center.

  There was no child information card on file for Child A.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

• Violation

  R 400.8173 · R 400.8173 Equipment. (4) Play equipment, materials, and furniture, must be all of the following: (b) Safe, clean, and in good repair.

  There was a large bookshelf located in the toddler room that was not safe because it was not secured to the wall.

  Open Not marked corrected in the state record

  Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.

All the classrooms in the facility are consistently not maintaining the required child care staff member (CCSM) to child ratio. Child attendance records do not reflect accurate time in and time out. Appropriate care and supervision was not provided when Child A and Child B were not taken to school and missed the entire day of school on 1/18/2021.

Disposition: Substantiated