| Conclusion Summary |
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On January 21, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that Child A (18 months) was restrained in a highchair for up to two hours as punishment for biting and hitting. After conducting the investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Curtis West found the allegation substantiated. This conclusion is based on the following evidence of licensing rule violations which occurred at the facility:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)3. Which states: "Only constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline shall be used to help children develop self-control and assume responsibility for their own actions."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)5. Which states: "Brief, supervised separation from the group may be used based on a guideline of one (1) minute of separation for each year of the child's age."
On January 22, 2025, CI West conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed Assistant Director Shaynee Mowrey, Caregiver Linzie Bliss, Caregiver Carly Hinds, and Caregiver Allwynne "Allee" Munsterman. Shaynee stated around 3:00 p.m. on January 14, 2025, Linzie requested help to keep Child A from biting while she and Carly changed the diapers of a few of the other children in the classroom. She instructed Linzie to place Child A in a highchair while they changed the other children's diapers. Around 4:00 p.m. Allee came into her office and explained that Child A was still in the highchair, and it was unacceptable. Child A had been in the highchair for 45 minutes to an hour.
Linzie stated that last Tuesday, January 14, 2025, she asked Shaynee for help with Child A because she had a few diapers to change, and Child A had bitten Child B (20 months old) four or five times.. Shaynee advised her to put Child A in a highchair while she changed the other children's diapers. She placed Child A in a highchair with a toy dinosaur to play with. She changed the diapers and began an arts and crafts project with the other children. She left Child A in the highchair with his toy dinosaur while she cleaned the classroom to be closed. Around 4:00 p.m., she closed the classroom and moved the remaining children into the classroom next door. She brought Child A into the next classroom still in the highchair. She watched the video from the classroom and saw that Child A had been in the highchair for almost an hour.
Carly stated that she was the co-teacher along with Linzie on January 14, 2025. Linzie was told it was ok to put Child A in a highchair while they changed a few diapers. She took several of the children to the carpet to watch an episode of Bluey on the tablet. Linzie put Child A in a highchair while she changed a few diapers of the other children. After about 15 minutes when the episode of Bluey was over, she asked Linzie if they could remove Child A from the highchair. Linzie told her that Child A was fine in the highchair and that he had a toy to play with.
Allee stated that last Tuesday, January 14, 2025, around 4:00 p.m., Linzie was taking over her classroom so she could go home. Linzie rolled Child A into the classroom; Child A was sitting in a highchair. It was not meal or snack time, so she questioned why Child A was in the highchair. Linzie stated Child A was hitting and biting friends.
On January 23, 2025, CI West interviewed Parent A, who stated she was told at pick-up that Child A was having some behavior issues so she reached out to Child A's previous teacher, Allee, to find out how long these behaviors have been going on. She was told that in the new classroom, Child A was placed in time-out in a highchair for 30 minutes or more. She reached out to Shaynee, who confirmed the highchair incident.
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