|
Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation that Parents E and F reported their child, Child F, came home on December 30, 2022 with bruise on his right cheek. Parents E and F were not told about the bruise. When Parent F told Child F they would talk to Melissa about the bruise, Child F became hysterical and said "No. Melissa hits me in the face." Child F told them there is a punishment room, where Melissa takes kids for discipline. There are no cameras in this room. A former employee, Jackie, told him "you need to move him because Melissa doesn't like him because he is whiny and they allow him to bring toys to school." Parent A walked in to pick up Child A (4 years old). Child A told him that "Melissa (Melissa Shatzer, owner/director) pinched him and hit him." Child A had a bruise and scratch mark on his stomach. Parent A confronted Melissa and she denied pinching him. Child A was kicked out of daycare because of the report. Caregiver Jackie Mate reported that Child A came to her with fingernail marks on his hand. She witnessed Melissa talking to and pinching Child A's hand. She isn't sure what day this occurred. She wanted to go to Child A's dad about it but Melissa told her she wasn't allowed to. Certain kids are physically harmed, but Child A is the only one she's seen marks on. Caregiver Tammy Ford reported she knows that Child A was pinched and was told to "leave it alone". Child A told her Melissa pinched him on the hand and continuously says Melissa pinched him. Child A is truthful. Melissa kicked Child A out of daycare because the police were there. The allegations are substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)8 which states No discipline technique which is humiliating, threatening, or frightening to children shall be used. Children shall not be shamed, ridiculed, or spoken to harshly, abusively, or with profanity.
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)7 which states Physical punishment including, but not limited to, spanking, slapping, shaking, biting, or pulling hair shall be prohibited.
On January 12, 2023, CI Radney conducted a walkthrough of the facility and interviewed staff and children regarding the allegations. During the interview with LLC Member/Director Melissa Schatzer stated that she had a conversation with Parent A when he came to her at pick-up and asked what happened to Child A's stomach. She told Parent A that she hadn't seen or heard about the bruise and didn't know what happened. Parent A told her at that time that Child A told him that she (Melissa) had pinched him. Child B stated he is scared to go to Ms. Melissa's office and he has been there. Child C stated Ms. Melissa grabbed her arm with her long nails and it really hurt. She does not like to go to Ms. Melissa's office; she is scared of Ms. Melissa. Child C appeared visibly upset when discussing Ms. Melissa's office as evidenced by Child C's trembling lip and watery eyes.
On June 14, 2023, CI Radney conducted a telephone interview with Parent A. When asked about the incident involving Child A, Parent A stated that when he picked Child A up, before he said anything to Child A, Child A showed him his stomach and started to tear up. There was a mark above his belly button was red, bruised and looked like it might bleed. Child A said "Melissa pinched me." He went to Melissa immediately, and asked about the mark on his belly. Melissa looked at Child A very sternly and said "Who pinched you?" Child A said to Melissa, "You pinched me. You hurt me." Melissa said "I didn't do that." Child A was in tears, and said "Yeah, you hurt me." Melissa bent down to him and said "I didn't do that, you know I didn't do that."
On January 13, 2023, Child D reported to CI Radney that Ms. Melissa hurt Child E in her office. He is not scared of Ms. Melissa. Child E reported he is scared of Ms. Melissa because he "doesn't like her because she is very mean but she is not mean anymore." Child E appeared visibly upset, as he would not look at CI Radney once Ms. Melissa was brought up in conversation and quickly ended the conversation by saying "I am done talking."
On February 3, 2023, CI Radney interviewed former Caregiver Tammy Ford. She reported that she worked in daycare for about four months as a preschool teacher. Melissa made the comment to her "I don't know why they're scared of me. I don't like to be the warden." When she opened the daycare and Child A was present, he would tell her that Melissa pinches him. She never saw Melissa hurt a child but she saw the effects afterward. She saw children crying and children scared and children reported to her they were hurt.
On February 3, 2023, CI Radney interviewed Parent F who reported when she asked Child F about going to the punishment room, Child F said "yes" and she asked why and he said because he was in trouble. She asked what happened and he said "Melissa hit me." She asked where and he said "Melissa hit me in the face."
On February 3, 2023, Parent E reported to CI Radney that one teacher told them that Melissa has been pinching the kids. Parent E reported one teacher said Child F got in trouble and Melissa told her "We don't say anything about this to parents."
On June 14, 2023, CI Radney conducted a telephone interview with Caregiver Jackie Mate. She worked at A Touch Above Child Care LLC from June of 2022 to December of 2022. She reported that she observed Melissa come outside and grab Child A by the hand, his hand turned red and he was saying "ow ow ow lissa that hurts. She went to check on him later and you could see red marks on his thumb.
|