| Conclusion Summary |
|
On October 18, 2023, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that Child A (4-years-old) was left alone on playground for three minutes. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Ian Fyfe has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.192(5)(A), which states that: "In case of accident or injury to a child, the provider shall notify the parent(s) immediately. If the child requires emergency medical care, the provider shall follow the parent's(s') written instructions."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1., which states that: "Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent adult supervision."
On October 24, 2023, Compliance Inspector (CI) Ian Fyfe conducted an unannounced inspection to Missouri Ozarks Community Action, Inc. and interviewed staff members Ashley Clark, Rebecca Maples, Susan Barton, Kirsytn Kimberough, and Arianna Maldonado. CI Fyfe also interviewed Child A while present at the facility. All staff members interviewed by CI Fyfe provided consistent information. On October 17, 2023, Ms. Maples, Ms. Barton, and Ms. Kimberough were on the playground with Child A's class. Child B kept running out of line when it was time to go inside, so Ms. Barton remained on the playground to collect him. While Ms. Barton remained on the playground, Ms. Maples and Ms. Kimberough brought the rest of the children into the building. The three staff members believed that only Child B was still outside prior to re-entering the building and did not realize that Child A was also still on the playground. Child A was hiding behind the greenhouse that is located on the playground. Ms. Barton returned to the classroom after collecting Child B. After about three minutes of being outside by himself, Child A re-entered the building by himself. Ms. Maldonado saw Child A re-enter the building and took him back to his classroom. Child A was not upset and just kept telling staff members that they did not find him while he was hiding. Ms. Maples completed an accident report for this incident. Parent A (parent of Child A) was informed of the incident when she came to pick up Child A at the end of the day. Child A informed CI Fyfe that he likes to run and hide from his teachers when he is outside. Child A likes his school and likes his teachers. Following the incident, all staff members reviewed the facility's safety policies. All staff members will also be completing a training on active supervision on October 26, 2023. The three staff members involved in the reported concerns received a write-up.
|