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Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegations that there is exposed drywall in the kitchen over the dish pit. There is chipping paint in the classrooms and it is covered with posters in the Explorers, Adventurers, Navigators and investigators classrooms. Children are in unlicensed rooms over the summer and during movie days. The unlicensed rooms are intended for college students' use. Children are leaving the classroom unattended resulting in teachers having to leave the entire classroom unattended to retrieve them. Sometimes the children make it up flights of stairs or get in the elevator alone. There have been occasional incidents of children making it to the road and street. The allegations are substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(C) - Children shall have no access to areas not approved for child care.
On January 4, 2024, CI Radney conducted interviews with Jennifer Crouch, Chelsey Wright, Hillary Walker, Jayme Cruse, Lori Dean, Sally Drennan and Samantha Davis. Jennifer Crouch reported they have a college classroom and they did use it for gross motor play on days that were too hot to go outside. It is not approved child care space. Chelsey Wright reported that they will do a fun day and watch a movie and have snack in one of the college classrooms. She does not know if it is approved space or not. Jayme Cruse reported over the summer they did use a downstairs college classroom and used it as a recreation room. She does not know if it is approved child care space.
On February 28, 2024, CI Radney conducted a review of the physical plant section of the facility's file and observed that the college classroom used by the child care program is not listed as approved space in the physical plant section of the facility file.
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)3. - Caregivers shall provide frequent, direct contact so children are not left unobserved on the premises.
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1. - Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision.
On January 4, 2024, CI Radney conducted interviews with Jennifer Crouch, Chelsey Wright, Hillary Walker, Jayme Cruse, Jennifer Crouch, Lori Dean, Sally Drennan and Samantha Davis. Chelsey Wright reported Child A runs out of the classroom. They disenrolled him because they could not keep him safe. They required an extra staff member to ensure supervision because of Child A. Child A has run out of the classroom and up the stairs. She is not sure if he has gone in the elevator. Child A made it out of the building and when that happened is when they decided to disenroll him. She didn't see it happen, she just heard about it. She heard Ronda Buckner, a college professor with an office here, ran after him and he went out the emergency door and made it to the street. Jayme Cruse reported she was downstairs during her planning time and she heard on the walkies that Child A had run out of the classroom. Samantha was standing in the doorway looking panicked but she couldn't leave her class unattended to get Child A. Child A ran out the classroom, down the hallway and through emergency exit door and she heard he got to the sewage drain, extremely close to the road. She heard Ms. Buckner made it to him. There was a time he made it out of the classroom, up the stairs, down the hall and out of the front door and ran into a car parked there. Melina and Hailey were both running after him and tried to get him back downstairs. The storage room was frequently where he would run to and make it in to, so they began locking it. He was disenrolled around the Thanksgiving break time. Hillary Walker reported around October, in a different classroom than her own, Child A ran outside of the building. She was using her planning period downstairs and Rhonda came in shaking because she had to chase Child A who ran outside the back door and up the ramp and to the intersection. Sally Drennan reported Child A is autistic and an eloper. Typically they were right behind him if he left the classroom. He no longer attends their school due to their concerns that they could not keep him safe. At one point, he made it upstairs with the teacher behind him but he made it out the front door. Melina Switzer was the teacher's name that followed him. The second time he left the room she was not here. The teachers were in the room and he ran out the emergency door. One of the instructors was in her office and heard him run out the door and ran out after him. They talked to mom about it being a safety concern and that they cannot continue caring him. Samantha Davis reported she was the only teacher in the room and they were cleaning up. Child A had his backpack on and he left the classroom. She yelled "Stop that's not safe". She went to the door and by that time he was out the fire safety door. They had a professor right there and the professor physically went after him and she stayed in the classroom and called on the walkie talkie for help. The professor got him and brought him back. He would also try to go to the storage room. There were usually two caregivers so one could stay with class and one could follow him.
On February 6, 2024, CI Radney attempted to reach Melina Switzer by phone. A voicemail was left but no return call was received.
On February 7, 2024, CI Radney conducted a telephone interview with Ronda Buckner. She is an early childhood development instructor for Ozarks Technical Community College. She is not a staff member for the daycare, she is a faculty member of the college. Her office is directly across from the classroom. She heard their classroom door open and heard the emergency exit door open and close. She felt like something wasn't right. She walked out and opened the door and ran out and saw Child A at the corner of the sidewalk by the intersection of two roads. She estimates it was under a minute that he was unsupervised. She did not observe any marks or injuries. She kind of corralled him and said "Child A lets go inside." She walked him inside. Samantha was there and she walked Child A over to Samantha. Samantha was the only teacher in the classroom at the time of the incident.
On February 21, 2024 and March 1, 2024, CI Radney attempted to reach Parent A. Voicemails were left but no return call was received.
On February 21, 2024, CI Radney interviewed Child B, Child C, Child D and Child E. The children did not provide information relevant to the complaint investigation.
Caregivers did not provide frequent, direct contact when Child A left his classroom and walked out the emergency exit door to the sidewalk by the road. Child A was unobserved on the premises for approximately less than one minute. Caregivers left Child A without competent supervision during this period of time.
5 CSR 25-500.082(2)(A)6. - Walls, ceilings and floors shall be finished with material which can be cleaned easily and shall be free of splinters, cracks and chipping paint. Floor covering shall be in good condition. Lead-free paint shall be used for all painted surfaces.
On January 4, 2024, CI Radney conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility. CI Radney observed the wall behind the sink in the kitchen was deteriorating, leaving exposed and chipping drywall. CI Radney observed chipping paint down to the drywall in one classroom. Neither surface would be cleaned easily.
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