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On March 7, 2024 the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that upon watching the video footage from the classroom, it appeared that two teachers in the classroom, Parent C (Parent of Child C and also a teacher at the facility), and Ms. Tara, were physically and verbally abusing children, including Child A (age 4-years-old), between 9am and 3pm on March 06, 2024. The teachers were pushing children and they popped them with a ruler. One teacher punched Child A and the child fell. This has caused Child A having a knot on the top of the head. Child A has a scratch above the eye as well. During the video footage the teachers were stepping out of the classroom multiple times and leaving children unattended. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Jade Stewart-Martin and Compliance has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)5, which states: "Brief, supervised separation from the group may be used based on a guideline of one (1) minute of separation for each year of the child's age."
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5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)3., which states: "Only constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline shall be used to help children develop self-control and assume responsibility for their own actions."
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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."
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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."
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5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)9., which states: "Punishment or threat of punishment shall not be associated with food, rest, or toilet training."
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5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1., which states: "Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision."
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5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)3., which states: "Caregivers shall provide frequent, direct contact so children are not left unobserved on the premises."
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5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)5., which states: "A caregiver shall remain in the room with preschool and school -age children while they are napping or sleeping and shall be able to see and hear them if they have difficulty during napping or when they awaken."
On March 7, 2024, Compliance Inspector (CI) Jade Stewart Martin conducted an interview with director, Dorothy Miller, and staff member Laricia Dixsion. The facility was closed and not caring for children. Dorothy Miller stated that on March 6, 2024, Parent A came to pick up Child A (4-years-old) and Child B (3-years-old) from the facility at approximately 4:36 P.M. Upon approval Parent A noticed a bump and scratch on Child A's head. Parent A asked the teacher who was in the room at pick up, Tara Robinson, what had happened to Child A's head and Tara Robinson could not provide an explanation. Tara Robinson is the two-year-old teacher and just helps in Parent C's (Parent of Child C/ teacher at the facility) classroom when Parent C is on break or leaves for the day around 4:00 P.M. Parent C is the preschool classroom teacher with children ages 3-years-old to 5-years-old. On March 6, 2024, Parent A approached Dorothy Miller asking if she could watch the video footage, where she complied and watched the footage with Parent A. When reviewing the footage, she observed Parent C hitting multiple children with a paint stirrer and pulling on their arms to sit down. She was unaware of paint stirrers being used or why they were even in Parent C's classroom. Dorothy Miller stated that when reviewing the footage, she did not see how Child A received the injuries to his head but assumed it might have happened when Tara Robinson flipped him over on his cot at nap time. Dorothy Miller stated she had no previous concerns with Parent C or Tara Robinson and there had been no reports made to her about either one of the teachers and they had both been employed at the center for about two years. She stated that she is very rarely in the classroom due to staff shortages and oversees transportation, cooking, shopping, cleaning, and other administrative type duties and only gets to pop into the classroom about three times a week. The facility's discipline policy does not involve any form of physical discipline, but they do utilize time outs and standing in the corner. Tara Robinson and Parent C are on administrative leave but she intends to fire them. The facility is shut down until she can hire staff to replace Tara Robinson and Parent C so she can adhere to the proper staff/child ratios. Laricia Dixsion is a floater and helps with administrative like duties. She had worked at the facility for two years and had no concerns about Tara Robinson or Parent C nor had any parents complain to her about these teachers. Ms. Dixsion stated she had never observed paint stirrers in the classrooms but assumes it could have been from mixing paint colors for crafts.
On March 7, 2024, CI Stewart-Martin observed that the facility was closed to childcare. CI Stewart-Martin observed the video footage from March 6, 2024, in Parent C's (parent of Child C and teacher at the facility) classroom. CI Stewart-Martin observed Child A (4-years-old) Child B (3-years-old), Child C (3-years-old), Child D (3-years-old), Child E (3-years-old), Child F (5-years-old) and Child G (3-years-old) enrollment forms. CI Stewart-Martin also observed Tara Robinson and Parent C's employment paperwork including their Background Checks and Family Care Safety Registry's.
On March 7, 2024, Compliance Inspector (CI) Jade Stewart-Martin observed video footage recorded from classroom cameras at the center with Dorothy Miller, director. The footage labeled "Video 1" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 9:59 A.M. and ending at 10:08 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C (parent of Child C and teacher at the facility) who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A (4-years-old) Child B (3-years-old), Child C (3-years-old), Child D (3-years-old), Child E (3-years-old) and Child F (5-years-old) and Child G (3-years-old).
-When the video starts at 9:59 A.M., Parent C is out of the room leaving the children unattended, she reenters the room at 10:01 A.M.
- At 10:01 A.M. it is observed that Parent C pulls out the paint stirrer.
- At 10:01:46 A.M. Parent C walks back out of the classroom leaving the children unattended, it is observed in the left side of the video that Parent C is in the other classroom (2-year-old classroom) talking to the children in her classroom through the window.
-At 10:02:26 A.M. Parent C renters the classroom where she uses the paint stirrer in an intimidating manner, by waving the stick in Child B's face resulting in Child B flinching. Parent C then proceeds to put Child B against the right wall in the classroom making her face the wall.
-At 10:03:31 A.M. Parent C hits Child G in the right arm with the paint stirrer resulting in him crying and falling to the ground.
-At 10:03:44 A.M. Parent C hits Child C on the left arm with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:04:35 A.M. Parent C hits Child C with the paint stirrer on the left arm causing her to cower to the ground.
-At 10:04:49 A.M. Parent C leaves the classroom again and does not reenter the classroom until 10:05:54 A.M.
-At 10:06 A.M. Parent C smacks Child C on the rear end with paint stirrer multiple times resulting in Child C crying.
-At 10:06 A.M. Parent C uses the paint stirrer to intimidate Child D by waving it in his face.
-At 10:06:48 A.M. Parent C leaves the room again.
-At 10:07:24 A.M. Parent C reenters the room.
-At 10:07:30 A.M. Parent C uses the paint stirrer in an intimidating manner waving it in Child G's face.
-At 10:07:37 A.M. Parent C leaves the room again. When leaving, she takes the paint stirrer and hit Child E in the head with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:08 A.M. Parent C reenters the room.
The footage labeled "Video 2" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:08 A.M. and ending at 10:16 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-At 10:09:02 A.M. Parent C hits Child C and Child D with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:10:25 A.M. Parent C hits Child C multiple times with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:10:35 A.M. Child B moves the bookshelf that she was standing next to resulting in Parent C moving her to the corner where she makes her stand in the corner facing the wall.
-At 10:10:56 A.M. Parent C leaves the classroom.
-At 10:14:30 A.M. while left unattended by Parent C, Child D and Child G get into a physical altercation.
-At 10:15:55 A.M. Parent C reenters the room and says something to Child B resulting in Child B turning back around to face the wall.
-At 10:16:27 A.M. Video ends with Child B still being left in the corner.
The footage labeled "Video 3" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:16 A.M. and ending at 10:25 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-At 10:16 A.M. when video begins Child B is still in the corner.
- At 10:16:35 A.M. Parent C hits Child C on left arm with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:17:30 A.M. Parent C hits Child D with the paint stirrer on right side of his face.
-At 10:20:33 A.M. Parent C hits Child C on the right arm with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:22:14 A.M. Parent C hits Child D on his right side of the abdomen and right arm with the paint stirrer and Parent C grabs Child D by the arm making him sit down and he is crying.
-At 10:23:55 A.M. Parent C takes her left hand and hits Child D in the head with her hands approximately 3 times and then hits Child D with the paint stirrer on the top of the head.
-Video ends at approximately 10:25 A.M. with Child B still being left in the corner.
The footage labeled "Video 4" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:25 A.M. and ending at approximately 10:30 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
- At 10:26: 12 A.M. Parent C hits Child A in the head with the paint stirrer multiple times.
-At 10:28:34 A.M. Parent C hits Child C on the top of the head with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:28:28 A.M. Parent C says something to Child B (who is in the corner for a time out) resulting in Child B turning back towards the wall.
-At 10:29:05 A.M. Parent C hits Child C with the paint stirrer multiple times on the arm and on the rear end.
At 10:31:37 A.M. Parent C hits Child F on the left arm with the paint stirrer.
-Video ends at approximately 10:30 A.M. with Child B still in the corner.
The footage labeled "Video 5" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:33 A.M. and ending at approximately 10:37 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-Video starts at 10:33 A.M. with Child B still being left in the corner.
-At 10:36:05 A.M. Parent C takes Child A by the left wrist and forcefully slings Child A to the ground next to her.
-Video ends at 10:36:48 A.M. with Child B still being left in the corner.
The footage labeled "Video 6" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:37 A.M. and ending at approximately 10:41 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-Video starts at 10:37 A.M. with Child B still in the corner of the classroom.
-At 10:37:21 A.M. Parent C speaks to Child B and Child B moves from the right corner of the classroom to an area that it is not visible on the video in the back left side of the classroom.
-At 10:37 A.M. Parent C hits Child D with the paint stirrer and then proceeds to grab his left arm and drag him towards her and then grabs his left arm lifting him up into the air and forcefully sits him down next to her, Child D is visibly upset and crying at this time, she then hits him with the paint stirrer.
-At 10:28 A.M. Child D is crying, and Parent C hits him with a book and then uses her hand to slap him on the top of the head.
- At 10:39 A.M. Parent C hits Child C in the face with the paint stirrer and then hits her on her left arm with the paint stirrer.
-Video ends at 10:41 A.M. with Child B in the back corner still not visible.
The footage labeled "Video 7" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:46 A.M. and ending at approximately 10:49 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-At 10:48:11 A.M. Parent C hits Child C on her right arm.
-At 10:48:30 A.M. Parent C hits Child G with the paint stirrer and then proceeds to lift him by the arm and pull him to the blind spot on the camera.
-At 10:49 A.M. Child B is finally allowed back with the other children.
The footage labeled "Video 8" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 10:55 A.M. and ending at approximately 10:58 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-At 10:55 A.M. Parent C takes Child A by his hand dragging him towards her on his knees.
- At 10:57 A.M. Parent C hits Child C in the head with the paint stirrer and then Parent A grabs Child A by the arm forcefully dragging him towards her again.
- At 10:58 A.M Parent C grabs Child A again by the hand/arm and forcefully drags him towards her.
The footage labeled "Video 9" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 11:07 A.M. and ending at approximately 11:09 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-At 11:08:09 A.M. Parent C approaches Child A in the corner and hits him in the head with her hand a couple of times and then proceeds to grab him by the hand and then guided him to the ground.
The footage labeled "Video 10" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 11:16 A.M. and ending at approximately 11:17 A.M. There is one teacher in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-When the video starts at 11:16 A.M. Parent C is out of the classroom leaving the children unattended.
- Parent C renters the room at 11:16:36 A.M. and proceeds to hit Child G and Child D in the head multiple times with her hand on the top of their head's.
The footage labeled "Video 11" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 12:10 P.M. and ending at approximately 12:18 P.M. There are two teachers in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The second teacher in the video is Tara Robinson who is wearing a long blue t- shirt with black sweatpants and black Nike flip flops. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
-At 12:14:45 P.M. Parent C leaves to take her lunch break according to director, Dorothy Miller. Tara Robinson the teacher next door is observing not only the children in her classroom but also the children in Parent C's classroom via the window on the left side of the video.
-At 12:17:30 P.M. Tara Robinson enters the room and takes a cot off the floor and leaves the room.
The footage labeled "Video 12" took place on March 6, 2024, starting and ending at approximately 12:46 P.M. There are two teachers in the room Tara Robinson who is wearing a long blue t- shirt with black sweatpants and black Nike flip flops. The video shows Child A (4-years-old) Child B (3-years-old), Child C (3-years-old), Child D (3-years-old), Child E (3-years-old), Child F (5-years-old) and Child G (3-years-old).
- At 12:46:19 P.M. Tara Robinson enters the room and approaches Child A's cot and hits him in the face with her hand's multiple times and then takes him by the arm and aggressively flips him over onto his cot.
The footage labeled "Video 13" and "Video 14" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 2:14 P.M. and ending at approximately 2:16 P.M. There are two teachers in the room Parent C who is wearing pink crocs and a beige cardigan with a black shirt and black pants. The second teacher in the video is Tara Robinson who is wearing a long blue t- shirt with black sweatpants and black Nike flip flops. The video shows Child A (4-years-old) Child B (3-years-old), Child C (3-years-old), Child D (3-years-old), Child E (3-years-old), Child F (5-years-old) and Child G (3-years-old).
-At 2:14:59 P.M. Tara Robinson approaches Child A's cot and rips it aggressively from underneath him and the cot makes contact with Child A's head. (Video 13)
-At 2:14:16 Tara Robinson pulls Child A from a lying position aggressively, it seems she checked to see if he had an accident, and then sends him out of the room. (Video 14)
The footage labeled "Video 15" took place on March 6, 2024, starting approximately 2:25 P.M. and ending at approximately 2:26 P.M. There is one teacher in the room Tara Robinson who is wearing a long blue t- shirt with black sweatpants and black Nike flip flops. The video shows Child A, Child B, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child F, and Child G.
- Parent C is not present in the room.
- At 2:26:13 Child A re-arrives in the classroom, Tara Robinson following him then proceeds to hit him in the face or head region multiple times with her hand (hard to see with the footage).
On March 8, 2024, CI Stewart- Martin re-interviewed Dorothy Miller and asked what she plans to do to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future she stated she would hire more staff including a cook so she can be more present in the classrooms and more training on appropriate discipline. When asked about Tara Robinson standing in the two-year-old classroom and watching the children in Parent C's classroom during naptime while Parent C was on break, she stated that she thought that this was acceptable supervision during nap time.
On March 8, 2024, Compliance Inspector (CI) Stewart-Martin conducted an announced inspection at the facility. CI Stewart-Martin observed the facility being closed. CI Stewart-Martin observed the video footage again and had Dorothy Miller identify what each children's name was and what they were wearing in the March 6, 2024, footage. CI Stewart-Martin observed the termination letters that were to be sent that day to Parent C (Parent of Child C and a teacher at the facility) and staff Tara Robinson.
On March 12, 2024, CI Stewart Martin conducted interviews with Parent A, Parent D, and Tara Robinson. Parent A (parent of Child A and Child B) stated that Child A and B have been at the facility since April of 2022. Child A is autistic and non-verbal. Parent A stated that when she picked up Child A and Child B from daycare on March 6, 2024, she observed a bump in the middle of the forehead with a scratch on top and through Child A's eyebrow. Parent A asked the teacher in the room when she picked up who was Tara Robinson what had happened, and she was unable to answer for what had happened to Child A's head. Parent A asked director, Dorothy Miller, to observe the video footage for the day and Ms. Miller complied. Parent A and Dorothy Miller observed the video footage from March 6, 2024. While observing the footage Parent A observed Parent C use excessive aggression swinging rulers, hitting children, dragging children by the arm, and leaving them unsupervised multiple times. When asked when she believed Child A was punched, she stated that she thought it occurred at nap time between Child A and Tara Robinson because she saw a fist and Child A fall to ground, but Parent A and Dorothy Miller were watching it in fast forward, so it was hard to tell. Parent A then stated that during the review of this footage, Tara Robinson told her that she had not harmed Child A, but she had observed Parent C hit Child A multiple times. Regarding the director, Dorothy Miller, possibly knows what is going on but she has no proof. Parent A also noted that Child A in the last year and a half has started to flinch when anyone calls his name or comes towards him.
Parent D (parent of Child D) stated that on two separate occasions in March 2024, Child D has come home with unexplained marks on his face. Parent D stated that Child D has recently began to start acting different and flinching and acting in general scared. When Parent D asked Child D what Parent C has done to him, he is able to demonstrate that Parent C hits him in the face with a book.
Tara Robinson, two-year-old teacher, stated that she was unaware of what happened to Child A's face on March 6, 2024 and that she is very rarely in Child A's classroom except when Parent C is on break. During Child A's naptime on the cot, she was not being physically abusive but was told if a child is playing on their cot to replace it with a foam mat and that is what she was doing in the footage from March 6, 2024. When asked if she had ever witnessed Parent C use a paint stirrer to hit children, she stated she had not witnessed this or any other inappropriate discipline from Parent C. Tara Robinson admitted to leaving her two-year-old class unattended to talk to Parent C in her classroom about Easter plans for the kids, and that the director did not know about this.
On March 14, 2024, CI Stewart-Martin conducted an interview with Parent EE who stated that he became aware of the incident with Parent C by another state agency. Child E was complaining about not going to daycare recently. Parent E and Parent EE brought it to Dorothy Miller's attention, and she said, "Parent C (parent of Child C and teacher at the facility), was the best teacher she had." Parent EE is unaware of any marks on Child E, but Child E can show where Parent C hit her.
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