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Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation that the facility was out of ratio. The allegation is substantiated based on the following information:
RSMo 210.254.2. which states: "The notice of parental responsibility shall include the following:"
AND
RSMo 210.254.2.(3) which states: "The staff/child ratios for enrolled children under two years of age, for children ages two to four and for those five years of age and older as required by the department of health and senior services regulations in licensed facilities, the standard ratio of staff to number of children for each age level maintained in the exempt facility, and the total number of children to be enrolled by the facility;"
On January 18, 2023, caregiver Grace Sheehan stated that she has had six infants, alone, when someone will step out of the classroom for a couple of minutes.
On January 18, 2023, caregiver Sharayah Taylor stated that there had been a couple times where staff arrived late, so they sometimes would have 6 babies until the other infant/toddler teacher arrived. Their ratio for infant/toddlers would be 1:5 or 1:6 on those occasions.
On January 18, 2023, CI Radney reviewed the facility's Notice of Parental Responsibility form (NPR) that was signed August 1, 2022. The staff/child ratios for under 2 years of age is listed as 1:4 and for children 2-5 years of age is 1:10. When CI Radney arrived to conduct the investigation, one preschool caregiver was present at the front door, along with director Samantha Jones, leaving the preschool classroom with a ratio of 1:15.
On February 1, 2023, former caregiver Megan Lund stated that there were times when caregivers would leave the infant/toddler room, leaving the room out of ratio. Caregivers would leave to get cleaning supplies out of a closet in the hallway, go to the bathroom, or answer the door. This was an ongoing issue. In the preschool rooms, when they have 20 children especially during naptime, they don't have enough employees to step in for teachers to take a bathroom break. The preschool staff have to radio for someone to give a break and staff from the infant room would usually be the ones to relieve them, which meant the infant room was out of ratio.
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