• Violation

  R 400.8125 · R 400.8125 Staff; volunteer; requirements. (1) All staff and volunteers shall provide appropriate care and suaervision of children at all times.

  On 10/21/2022 I spoke with Program Director Brenda Kowallic on the telephone. Child A was inadvertently left by himself out on the fenced in playground for approximately five minutes. Child A's mother has been contacted. On 10/25/2022 I called Child A's mother and left a voicemail requesting a return call. On 10/26/2022 I spoke with Child A's mother on the telephone. She is aware of the incident that occurred involving Child A being left alone outside after Ms. Kowallic contacted her. She feels Child A is safe at the child care center and thinks it was an honest oversight by the staff. Child A enjoys being part of the program and likes the staff a great deal. She has no concerns about the care Child A receives while at the center program. On 10/28/2022 I conducted an onsite inspection. Ms. Kowallic was interviewed about the incident. There were 10 children and two staff members on the playground on the day of the incident. They are normally outside between noon and 12:40PM. Around 12:20PM, Ms. Kowallic took a child inside to change their clothes because the child had an accident. Soon after that, it began to lightly rain so child care staff member Amanda McCarthy had the rest of the children line up and brought them 2 inside. Once inside Ms. Kowallic began assisting another child in the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, another school staff member knocked on the door and had Child A with her. Ms. Kowallic acknowledged she did not communicate appropriately with Ms. McCarthy in terms of how many children she was leaving her with, and she did not count the children when they came inside to ensure that they had everyone safely back inside. Since the incident, Ms. Kowallic has begun posting the number of children in care next to the door. Both Ms. Kowallic and Ms. McCarthy also have a post it notes stuck to their name tags with the number of children present. Ms. Kowallic spoke to Child A's mother who did not seem upset and understood that it was an error that would be corrected and not repeated. I then spoke with Ms. McCarthy. After Ms. Kowallic went inside, it began to lightly rain, and she lined up the children to take them inside. She counted twice and got the same number twice. She scanned the playground and then counted again. All three times she counted eight children. Ms. McCarthy did not realize that she was supposed to have nine children. She got to the classroom and Ms. Kowallic began helping another child in the bathroom. At that time, the school staff member knocked on the door and advised Child A was outside alone. The incident should not have happened and was the result of poor communication and not paying attention to the number of children she was supposed to have. She and Ms. Kowallic have taken steps to improve in these areas, so the incident is not repeated. I conducted an exit conference with Ms. Kowallic while onsite.

Child A (2.5-year-old male) was left outside on the playground alone for several minutes.

Disposition: Substantiated