R 400.8125(2) · PR19-R 400.8125(2) Staff; volunteer; requirements. All staff and volunteers shall act in a manner that is c onducive to the welfare of children.

Based on our findings, investigation, and review - which includes considering the investigation and findings of MDHHS -CCLB determines child care staff members are conducive to the welfare of children and is eligible to be associated with a child care organization.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: recordkeeping. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.8140(2)(a) · PR19-R 400.8140(2)(a) Discipline. Hitting, spanking, shaking, biting, pinching, or i nflicting other forms of corporal punishment.

Child Care Staff Members did not use corporal punishment to cause injury to Child A’s forehead. Child A fell while playing on the playground causing bruising and soreness. New Rule 400.8280(2)(a)

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.8525(4) · PR19-R 400.8525(4) Exits. Exit doors and all doors in the means of egress shall be side-hinged and equipped with knob, lever-type, n on-locking-against-egress, or panic-type hardware.

The exit door in the classroom had a plastic safety lock on the doorknob.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Open / not marked corrected.

R 400.8170(10) · R 400.8170(10) Outdoor play area. An outdoor play area and any equipment located on the center's premises must be maintained in a safe condition and inspected daily before use to ensure that no hazards are present.

No hazards were present on the playground.

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: physical safety. Open / not marked corrected.

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

On 022108/2022, 1 met with Child A, B and C's Mother to discuss the allegation. Child A, B" anl PsMother said she does not know why Mr. Edwardson touched Child A's pants or what happened before or after. She said that her husband usually drops Child A off at Head Start and he told the director that Mr. Edwardson touched Child A's private part, and not that he touched her pants. She stated that there was miscommunication regarding what took place and that her husband understood Child A to say her private part, but she understood Child A saying he touched her pants. When she picked Child A up from the center later that day, she informed them that Mr. Edwardson touched Child A's pants, and that Child A did not say Mr. Edwardson touched her privates. She did not have any concerns for Mr. Edwardson and noted he treats Child A well. She did not know why he would need to touch her pants or why Child A would say that. On 02;1012022, 1 spoke with Child B (Female, age 7) at West Kelloggsvilie Elementary School. Child B was interviewed using the forensic interview protocol. Child B stated that Child A was in the "room where they watch television" (living room) talking to their dad while she was getting ready for school and Child C was doing her hair in the bathroom. Their dad was getting Child A dressed when she said that a boy touched her private part. Child B identified the boy as Mr. Edwardson. Child B heard Child A tell her dad and then heard Child C talking to Child A about it. She noted that she then came into the living room to hear what was said. She could not remember what day this conversation took place and did not know what additional was said about the incident. She was not able to provide additional details. On 02110/2022, I spoke with Child C (Female, age 14) at West Kelloggsville Middle School. Child C was interviewed using the forensic interview protocol. Child C reported that last week Child A and her father, were in the living room getting ready for school. She was in the bathroom doing her hair and their mother was at work. Their father told Child A to put her pants on and she said "no." Their father said "why," and Child A said the teacher, Mr. Edwardson pulled her pants down to look at her "ching ching." It should be noted that Child A calls her private part a ching ching. During this interaction, Child A said Mr. Edwardson said sorry afterwards. She said Child A said, "Mr. Edwardson said sorry" after he did what he did. Child C did not understand what specifically she was talking about or referencing when she said sorry. Child C was confused as she was explaining to us. She said her dad asked Child A, "he pulled down your pants?" Child A said. "no, he pulled them up." Child C and her sister, Child B came into the living room because they heard the conversation. They both asked her to clarify if Mr. Edwardson helped her pull her pants up or down. Child A was only giggling and laughing but did not answer them. She noted that Child A was confused about if her pants were pulled up or down. She did not know if Child A's pants were pulled up or down. Child C said her dad talked to the Head Start about the incident the next day. He did not talk to the Head Start the day Child A disclosed this information. Child C said she asked Child A about the situation later that week while helping her wash up and get dressed. She asked Child A if she was lying or being truthful. Child A said she lied. She said that Child B asked Child A the same thing and Child A told her she lied too. At this point, Child C was concerned about missing class and was anxious about getting back. She did not have anything additional. B and Before the interview of Child A, an interview was conducted with her parents. We all spoke with Child A, B and C's Father about the complaint. He said when he told Child A to change her pants because she was wearing shorts and she needed to wear pants Child A said that Mr. Edwardson touched her. He asked her if he touc

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

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 11/09/2021 Program Director Alena Gessner sent Child Care Licensing Consultant Stacia Thrower an incident report which stated, in part, that on 11/08/2021 she received a phone call from Child A's parent stating that Child A said he did not want to go to school because child care staff member Nikki Hall "was hitting his head when he was on the floor." The child did not give a specific day on which this occurred. I completed an unannounced on-site inspection at the center on 11/15/2021. I interviewed Program Director Alena Gessner, who stated that on Monday November 8, 2021, Child A's parent called and said Child A told them that morning that he didn't want to come to school because "the teacher hit him on the head when he was on the ground." "The teacher" identified by Child A was child care staff member Nikki Harris. Child A was in attendance at the school November 8 — November 10. On Thursday, November 11 Child A's parent called and said Child A told them it had happened again. "He said caregiver Nikki Harris touched him on the head, and then when the parent repeated it the second time, they used the word 'hit' him on the head. I clarified with them, and they said he told them Ms. Harris "hit him on the head with two fingers." Child A was not in attendance at the center on November 11. Ms. Gessner said that Ms. Harris has been working in Child A's classroom for the past several weeks as the lead caregiver. The Friday before the first alleged incident, November 5, the school held parent teacher conferences and Child A's parents were in attendance. "No concerns were brought up at that time." Ms. Gessner said Child A is reportedly a calm child with no behavior problems or previous incidents. The center has video feeds in each room which record. Ms. Gessner watched video playback from the week prior to Child A's report. "Since he didn't give a timeframe, it was hard to know when to watch." She watched some video from Monday November 1 and Thursday November 4, and did not see anything concerning in the video. After Child A's parent called on Thursday November 11, she went back and watched the video from the previous day, Wednesday November 10th. From the footage she watched, "there was no inappropriate contact between Ms. Harris and Child A. At one time she tapped him gently on the head as she walked by, but it was totally appropriate. She was talking with the kids as she was walking, and just touched a few of them on the head as she was going by. It wasn't inappropriate." However, while watching the video footage from November 10, Ms. Gessner observed several other interactions that Ms. Harris had with other children in the room that caused pause. In one instance, a child was sitting on a bean bag when Ms. Harris "went up behind him, pushed him forward a bit and grabbed the bean bag and pulled it out from under him, so he kind of dropped down onto the ground." At another time, Ms. Harris used some language with a child that Ms. Gessner thought was threatening. "At circle time she said to a child, "do we need to call dad?" or something to that effect. And later she said to another child, "Come sit down, I already have to call another child's dad, I don't want 3 to call yours too." Ms. Gessner said that this language combined with the video footage of Ms. Harris pulling a bean bag out from beneath a child led to the center putting her on temporary administrative leave while they decide next steps. She reported that Lorraine Bode works with Ms. Harris almost everyday, that Krystyna Klonan subbed with her on 11/10/2021, and intern Allera Keller works in the room at times as well. No other child care staff members work in the room. Lorraine Bode is a child care staff member in the same classroom as Ms. Harris. She stated she has worked at the center for over 24 years and has worked regularly over the last few weeks with Ms. Harris. She stated that she has not had any concerns for how Ms. Harris interacts with children, physically o

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.