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On May 9, 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that 1- and 2-year-old children are mixed in the 3-year-old room. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Jade Stewart-Martin has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(C) - Children shall have no access to areas not approved for child care.
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5 CSR 25-500.112(1)(A)., which states: "The staff/child ratio and group size shall be followed as outlined in the below chart unless it meets an exception in subparagraphs (1)(B)-(G) below: Infants, toddlers, and 2-year-olds shall have one caregiver for every four children with no more than eight children per group; Groups composed solely of children 24 to 36 months shall have one caregiver for every eight children with no more than 16 children per group; Groups composed solely of children 3 to 4 years shall have one caregiver for every 10 children with no more than 20 children per group; Groups composed solely of children 5 years or older shall have one caregiver for every 16 children with no more than 32 children per group; A mixed group of children consisting of no more than four children age 2 years, and at least one child older than 3 years shall have one caregiver for every 10 children with no more than 20 children per group; A mixed group of children consisting of more than four children ages 24 to 36 months, and at least one child older than 36 months shall have one caregiver for every eight children with no more than 16 children per group."
On May 16, 2024, CI Stewart-Martin conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed regional director Christine Hughes and teachers: Lexi Keown, Kalyn Bidwell, and Chelsiee Mort. All staff interviewed stated that at the end of March 2024, there were times where there were 1-year-olds combined with the 2-year-old and 3-year-old classrooms. Ms. Keown recalls that there were three 1-year-olds combined with 2-year-old and 3-years-old. Ms. Bidwell stated that there were approximately twenty kids total in the room with 2 teachers when the 1-year-olds were combined with the 2-year-olds and the 3-year-olds. Ms. Hughes stated that to prevent this from occurring in the future, she is hiring four new staff and is in the process of hiring a new director since they had to let their previous director go on May 10, 2024.
On May 16, 2024, CI Stewart-Martin conducted an unannounced inspection and observed that there were no 1-year-olds in the combined 2-year-old and 3-year-old classroom.
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