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On February 13, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that on February 11, 2025 around 8:30 a.m., a staff member, Kim Brewer, forcefully grabbed Child A by the arm to pull the child closer and yelled at Child A when Child A threw an object at another child. Kim then made Child A sit under the changing table in the bathroom. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation and found it to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)3. - Only constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline shall be used to help children develop self-control and assume responsibility for their own actions.
On February 14, 2025, CI Radney conducted interviews with Director Jaime Cornelsen, Caregiver Tessa Sheppard and Ellie Rocco. Jamie and Tessa reported Kim's reaction was not age-appropriate. Jaime reported Kim lost her composure and yelled at Child A (2-years-old), called Child A over and grabbed her arm with force. Tessa reported she did not see the incident but she heard it from her classroom. Kim's volume and tone was what was concerning to her about the interaction. Ellie reported she doesn't feel like Kim helped Child A understand what the problem was.
On March 28, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Caregiver Kim Brewer. She reported she had a child on the changing table. Child A and another child got into a conflict where Child A threw a toy and hit the other child in the eye. She pulled Child A by the arm into the bathroom to the changing table where the other child was still on the changing table. She used one hand on Child A's one arm to pull her into the bathroom. She feels like she should have handled things differently. Her actions did not help Child A to develop self-control and was not age-appropriate. She spoke to Child A more harshly than she would normally speak to a child.
On March 28, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent A. Jaime called them and told them that Child A had thrown something at another kid and Kim was changing a diaper and raised her voice and grabbed Child A's arm.
On February 24, 2025, CI Radney received and reviewed a video clip from Missouri State University from inside the neighboring classroom, which shares a half wall. The video is 45 minutes and 17 seconds long and dated February 11, 2025. Kim is in the bathroom at the changing table. At 8:37:29, Kim appears to be speaking to a child in the classroom (but the child cannot be seen in the video). At 8:37:31, Kim appears to comfort a child who appeared to be crying. At 8:37:35, Child A appears in the frame and is facing Kim. At 8:37:37, Child A walks toward Kim, who remains in the bathroom squatted on the floor, still comforting another child. At 8:37:47, Child A appears to turn away from Kim, and then Kim pulls Child A by her left arm to a sitting position beside her (under the changing table). At 8:37:53, Child A appears to stand up, take a couple steps backward away from Kim and then a couple steps toward Kim, while it looks like Kim is speaking to Child A. At 8:38:35, Child A runs away.
Caregiver Kim Brewer did not use constructive, age-appropriate methods of discipline that would help Child A develop self-control and assume responsibility for her actions when she grabbed Child A by the arm and yelled at her.
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