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On October 26, 2023, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that: Several times when the reporter picked up her child from the facility, other infants were asleep in swings. On 10/25/23, the reporter picked up her child between 3:15pm and 3:45p and a really small infant was asleep in a swing with a blanket wrapped around him holding in a pacifier. The reporter has seen this multiple times over the time period her child has been attending. This is occurring in the younger infant classroom. The staff have also told her, that her child sleeps in a swing as well. Her daughter usually naps between 12:00p and 2:00p. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.132(2)(B)3: which states, "Shall prohibit covering cribs or playpens with blankets or bedding."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.092(1)(B)2.1: which states, "Sitting devices such as car safety seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers, infant slings, and other sitting devices shall not be used for sleep/nap time. Infants who fall asleep anywhere other than a crib, portable crib, or playpen shall be placed in the crib or playpen for the remainder of their sleep or nap time."
On November 2, 2023, CI Honea conducted an unannounced inspection to the facility and interviewed program manager Angel Morrow, caregiver Ivy Gielow, and caregiver Kerry Hayward. All caregivers stated they did not know blankets could not be used in swings, bouncers, and cribs. All caregivers stated they did not know that swings and bouncers could not be used for sleeping infants/toddlers. All caregivers stated they check on the infant/toddlers in cribs located in the separated area about every five minutes. All caregivers stated they have taken the safe sleep training.
On November 2, 2023, CI Honea observed two infants/toddlers asleep in baby swings and bouncer covered in blankets. CI Honea observed two infants/toddlers being held by caregivers. CI Honea observed two infant toddlers in cribs covered in blankets in a walled off separate area of the infant/toddler room in which the children are not visible to caregivers in the other half of the room. CI Honea stood in the infant/toddler room for longer than ten minutes and observed no caregivers getting up to check on the children sleeping in cribs located in the separated area. CI Honea observed caregivers removing blankets off the infants/toddlers and place the sleeping children into cribs.
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