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On August 23, 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that on April 29, 2024, Child A (age 3-years-old), was left unattended for 20 minutes in a breezeway at the facility. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspection Supervisor (CIS) Marla Chrisco and Compliance Inspector (CI) Christy Hughes have found this allegation to be 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 29, 2024, CIS Chrisco and CI Hughes conducted interviews with director, Julie Knocke, assistant director Chelsea Overbeck, music teacher, Katherine Bissey and caregivers Destiny Watson and Lauren Racer. Julie stated she was not in attendance on April 29, 2024 when Child A was left in the breezeway. She received a call from Chelsea letting her know that Child A was left in the breezeway between the South Building and the Main Building. Child A's class was moving from the classroom in the South Building to the Main Building to go to music class at the time. Maddie Erb and Hannah Zoppe were walking through the breezeway with Child A's class when one of the children took off from the group. Maddie went to get the child leaving Hannah with the group. Hannah took the class to the music room and didn't realize Child A had been left in the breezeway. She had counted the children once in the music room and thought she had everyone. Hannah stated to Julie that she thought that Child A had been left unattended for about 2 to 5 minutes.
Music teacher, Katherine Bissey stated that the class arrived in her room. She passed out instruments and sang 2 songs before Child A was brought into the room. She thought it was about 10 minutes from when the class arrived until Child A as brought into the room.
Caregiver Lauren Racer stated that she was taking her class outside when she heard a child crying. She found someone to attend to her children while she went to retrieve Child A in the breezeway. Child A was distraught when she got to her. Lauren took Child A into the Main building where caregiver Destiny Watson was. Lauren thought that Child A had been unattended for approximately 5 minutes. Child A is familiar with Destiny and calmed down. Destiny said she would take Child A back to her class so Lauren returned to her own class.
Destiny stated that Lauren came into the Main building with Child A and stated that she found Child A alone in the breezeway. Destiny then took Child A to rejoin her class in the music room. She stated to the teachers of Child A, "You left Child A outside." Destiny stated that Hannah and Maddie were not aware that Child A was missing. Destiny thought Child A had been unattended for approximately 15 minutes.
Chelsea stated she was notified by staff at 10:46 AM of the incident, and she then contacted Julie at 11:10 AM. Chelsea placed a call into Parent A by 11:15 AM to explain what had happened. She thought that Child A could not have been left unsupervised for more than approximately 10 minutes from the time her class went into the Main building and Lauren took her class outside and found Child A in the breezeway.
On September 9, 2024, CIS Chrisco and CI Hughes conducted an interview with caregiver Maddie Erb via phone. She stated she was at the beginning of the line taking her class including Child A through the breezeway from the South building to the Main building to music class. Another child ran from the line. While she retrieved the child her co-teacher, Hannah Zoppe continued to take the class to music. Maddie stated that she rejoined the class in the music room. She thought Hannah counted and had all the children so she did not do a head count once she got back into the music room. She did not know Child A was missing until caregiver Destiny brought her into the music room and said she had been left in the breezeway. She does not know how long Child A was unattended.
Hannah Zoppe was also interviewed via phone. She stated that a child had ran from the line on the way to music class. Her co-teacher, Maddie had gone after the child. She continued to take the children to music class. Maddie rejoined the class in the music room. Hannah stated that when she entered the class, she counted all the children and the number matched with her number on the IPAD. She stated that Destiny then brought Child A into the classroom stating that she had been left outside. Her numbers did match up due to moving a child into their classroom and that child had not been updated in the IPAD so she counted that child instead of Child A.
On August 27, 2024, Parent A was contacted via phone. Parent A stated that she received a call from Chelsea Overbeck stating that her child, Child A, had been left out in the breezeway for 15 to 20 minutes. She stated that Destiny brought her back to her teachers and they did not know that she was missing.
CIS Chrisco and CI Hughes could not determine the exact amount of time Child A was left unattended in the breezeway due to there being no video footage and conflicting staff statements. From the information gathered, it was approximately anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
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