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On December 30, 2024, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that the parents have witnessed staff using the same sink to wash hands and clean bottles. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Cole Eddins has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-300.080 (3)(F) which states: "The diapering and handwashing areas shall be separate from food service areas and food-related materials."
On January 9, 2025, CI Eddins conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed Assistant Director Regan Henning, Caregiver Kristina Wyatt, Caregiver Rebecca Pain, Caregiver Stacie Harris, and Caregiver Vickie Storz. All staff members provided consistent information. All staff members stated that infant room teachers would clean bottles using the handwashing sinks located in their classrooms. There was not a separate area for washing bottles. This had been an ongoing practice up until around October of 2024.
On January 9, 2025, CI Eddins interviewed Environmental Health Specialist Maura Roberts and Parent B. Maura stated that the handwashing sink should be for handwashing only. Bottles should be washed in their own designated sink area separate from handwashing. She recommended that bottles should be washed in the kitchen sink using the three-step method. Bottles need to be washed, rinsed, and sanitized in a kitchen sink since classrooms only have one sink. Parent B stated she heard that the daycare used to wash bottles in the infant room sinks.
On January 10, 2024, CI Eddins interviewed Parent E, who was a former caregiver. She stated that the facility cleaned bottles at the same sink where staff cleaned their hands when she started working at the facility at the beginning of November 2024. She heard that staff had washed bottles in the handwashing sink for years.
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