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On September 20, 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that a girl was left outside the daycare this morning for at least twenty minutes when her class went inside. It happens all the time. One staff saw this child left outside in a different area of the outside. That staff was not allowed to leave her kids to get the child. As of now, that child is still left outside. A friend of the staff who saw this grabbed the kid. Her teacher didn`t even notice the friend had her for two minutes. 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."
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 September 20, 2024, CI Eddins conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed Director Sarah Thayer, Caregiver Ashton Walker, Caregiver Blythe Ast, and Caregiver Lisa Raps. Sarah Thayer stated that she heard that Child A was left outside at around 10:15 a.m. on September 20, 2024, for a few minutes. Child A's caregiver, Lisa, had made a mistake when she counted children before transitioning back inside. Ashton Walker stated that she heard that Child A was left outside for a few minutes while under the care of Lisa Raps. Child A was brought back inside by Blythe Ast, who was outside on the other side of the playground with her class. Blythe Ast stated that on September 20, 2024, she observed Lisa take her classroom back inside from the neighboring playground. A few minutes later, she observed Child A playing with rocks under some of the playground equipment. She thought that this happened sometime after 10:00 a.m. She brought Child A back into Lisa's classroom. Lisa Raps stated that she was Child A's primary caregiver on September 20, 2024. During her morning recess time, at around 10:10 a.m., she began to transition her class back inside. She miscounted her children, and she did not see that Child A was hiding under the playground equipment before she went back inside. Child A was gone for only a few minutes. Blythe brought Child A back inside her classroom.
On October 17, 2024, CI Eddins interviewed Parent A. Parent A stated that Child A was left outside on September 20, 2024. She was notified over the phone by Sarah Thayer. Sarah Thayer stated that she notified Parent A over Procare soon after Child A was left outside, but she did not see the notification. She heard that Child A was left outside for one to two minutes.
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