The facility submitted a plan review for a remodel to their building and it was approved by the Department on 03/30/2020. They are moving classrooms around in the building and adding a new child use space. They are also remodeling the front entryway of the building so that they can have better use of the space. On 11/23/2020 I completed an unannounced onsite inspection at the center. The front entryway/lobby area of the building is under construction. There is around 5 to 6 feet from the front door of the lobby to the front door of the main building. There is a second door at the main building, which leads into the currently approved child use space. It was clear upon inspection that they are in the middle of remodeling it, but there were no tools, equipment or hazardous materials accessible to children in that space. I spoke with child care staff member Stephanie Meyer, who is in charge of 2 daily operation at the center while the licensee and program director, Kristi Deur, is out of the center for two weeks. She stated that the construction crew has been mostly trying to work when child care children are not present, but due to COVID restrictions and issues with the construction crew, they needed to work during the day over the week of 11/16/2020. "They were not here working at pick up or drop off, just during the day when the kids were already inside." They also hung plastic partitions on either side of the small walkway through the lobby to protect anyone who had to walk through while they were working. Parents walked their children through the lobby door to the main entrance, and then would pass off the children to a staff member at the door to the child use space. She said that no parents brought up concerns to her about it, and she didn't see anything that she thought could potentially be hazardous. While inspecting the center, I noticed that a new child use space inside the main building was being used by children, but it has not yet been approved by the Department. Upon inspection, I found that the space is not finished and there was construction equipment and materials in the room, including a large ladder, several metal saw-horses, boxes of calk and other equipment. I also found a large screw lying on the floor. There were around 5 school aged children in the room doing virtual school work. Ms. Meyer stated that the district's schools went to virtual on-line learning this past week due to COVID concerns in the community and they had some school aged children come for care when they normally would not. They did not have a quiet enough space for them to learn and so they put them in the unapproved room. Ms. Deur and Ms. Meyer are hoping that the construction will be complete in the next several weeks and at that time the Department will complete a modification to approve the renovated spaces at the facility.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.