| Conclusion Summary |
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On July 10, 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that a 2-year-old child was found in the middle of the street without supervision. After conducting the investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Cole Eddins finds the allegation is substantiated. This conclusion is based on the following evidence of licensing rule violations which occurred at the facility:
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."
On July 10, 2024, CI Eddins conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed LLC Member Jaqueline Thomas, Caregiver Rickees Presley, and Caregiver Stephanie Hollins. Child A and Child B were not present at the facility to be interviewed. Rickees Presley and Stephanie Hollins both stated that Child A had gone missing on July 9, 2024. Jaqueline Thomas stated that Child A was alone outside for around two to three minutes at around 6:00 pm. on July 9, 2024. She thinks that Child A had escaped from inside his classroom through the connecting outside door. She stated that Caregiver Nakia Smith and Caregiver Matilda Maiden did not notice Child A leaving the classroom. She was not sure exactly how Child A escaped without being noticed.
On July 10, 2024, CI Eddins conducted a walkthrough of the facility and observed Child A's classroom. CI Eddins observed a door leading outside the facility that faces Noland Road. CI Eddins did not hear a chime when the door was opened.
On July 10, 2024, CI Eddins interviewed Nakia Smith and Matilda Maiden. Nakia Smith and Matilda Maiden stated that they were Child A's caregivers on July 9, 2024. After Nakia brought her children inside from recess sometime in the afternoon, they discovered that Child A was not in attendance. They did not hear Child A trigger the door alarm or leave the facility. Nakia Smith observed an adult female with Child A banging on the outside door that connected directly to their classroom. Matilda Smith observed two unknown female pedestrians who had Child A in their custody at the facility door. Shortly after Child A was brought back to the facility, Nakia Smith and Matilda Maiden observed an unknown police officer who arrived at the facility. Nakia Smith stated that the police officer contacted Jaqueline Thomas over the phone. Nakia Smith and Matilda Maiden were unsure exactly how long Child A was missing from the facility.
On July 11, 2024, CI Eddins interviewed Parent A, who stated that she heard that two female pedestrians observed Child A wandering around Noland Road outside and then they called 911. Jaqueline Thomas called her, and she seemed like she was not worried on July 9, 2024. Jaqueline Thomas tried to blame the incident on Child B and told her that Child B might have been involved in some way. Jaqueline Thomas told her that Child A had gotten out of the daycare for a few minutes, but she did not believe that Child A had gone for only a few minutes.
On July 26, 2024, CI Eddins received a copy of the police report written by Officer Ryan Easley with the Independence Police Department. The police report stated that Ryan Easley responded to a call that a 2-year-old child was in the middle of Noland Road on July 9, 2024. The report stated that Pedestrian Krystan Ellifrits was the first person to notice Child A in the roadway. Krystan Ellifrits had stopped her car, and her passenger got out and secured Child A. It was later determined that Child A had somehow gotten out of the daycare facility.
On July 31, 2024, CI Eddins interviewed Ryan Easley. Ryan Easley stated that Kirstan Elifrits called the police about Child A being out on the road on July 9, 2024. He arrived at the daycare facility and observed Child A in his classroom. Child A was outside for an unknown amount of time. Child A was discovered heading northbound on Noland Road by Kirstan Elifrits. Child A had already been taken back inside the facility by Kirstan Elifrits when he arrived at the facility.
On August 1, 2024, CI Eddins interviewed Nakia Smith, Female Pedestrian Chandra Silkwood, and Female Pedestrian Krystan Ellifrits. Nakia Smith reiterated that she observed Child A outside at the classroom side entry door and the main entry doors of the facility with the two female pedestrians on July 9, 2024. Chandra Silkwood and Krystan Ellifrits provided consistent information. They were riding in the same car on July 9, 2024, at around 4:30 p.m., when they observed Child A running around on Noland Road. They contacted the police and quickly took Child A to the nearest building. Krystan Ellifrits first tried knocking on the side door to the facility. They were told to go around the facility and meet an unknown caregiver at the front door. After they took Child A back to the facility, they waited for the police officers to arrive. Krystan Ellifrits told the police officers what she observed.
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