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Compliance Inspector (CI) Jessica Graham investigated the allegation that on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at approximately 4:00 PM, Child A (age 21-months-old), was left unattended on the Toddler Playground for a few minutes. This allegation is substantiated based on the following information.
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1. which states: "Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision."
AND
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 August 14, 2024, director Natalie Sullivan stated that Child A was left unattended on the playground after his caregivers Nikki Alty and Abagai Watz took his class inside. It appeared from video footage that he was outside unattended for two to three minutes. Child A was found by other teachers who had taken their class outside.
Nikki stated that she guesses that she counted a child twice and that is how Child A got left outside. She was training Abagail at the time on how to do the name to face sheet. After another class went outside, they knocked on the playground door saying that Child A was outside. Neither her or Abagail realized he was missing. Both caregivers were terminated.
Abagail stated that was her fist day in the classroom. She did not observe Nikki do any head count when bringing the children in from the playground or once they got inside. It was not until another teacher knocked on their door that they realized that Child A was still outside.
On August 19, 2024, CI Graham observed video footage from August 7, 2024 in the Butterfly Room.
3:53:29
-door opens and children start coming inside from the playground
-Nikki is at the door and five children go inside
-no head count was observed
-parent walks in the classroom for pick up
-Nikki use iPad to mark out the child that left
-Abagail answers a knock at the playground door
-both caregivers go to the door
-Child A comes in the classroom
Video footage from the playground was observed.
3:55:22
-Child A runs to the opposite side of the playground and climbs in the tree house after his class goes inside
-Child A then walks over the classroom door and stands in front of it
-Denise, caregiver, walks outside with her class
-Lauren, caregiver, comes outside and picks up Child A
-both caregivers go to Child A's classroom door and puts him inside
On August 19, 2024, caregiver Lauren Rositz said that she found Child A outside on August 7, 2024, once she had taken her class outside. Child A was sitting on a bike outside. She took Child A back to his classroom and he went with his teachers.
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