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On February 21, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that: At pick up time in the preschool room, there were about 5 kids and no teacher. A teacher was leaving the room while a teacher was in the bathroom changing kids. There were no eyes on the kids in the main room. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
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 February 26, 2025, CI Honea conducted an unannounced inspection to the facility and interviewed Director Andrea Orwig and Assistant Cheryl Turner. Andrea stated that there are a couple of the 3-year-olds still in diapers in the preschool room that get changed on a mat in the bathroom. The facility has been short staffed and low on attendance due to sickness. Teacher Heather Sayre was with the preschoolers on Friday February 21, 2025. Andrea was working in the infant room. Teacher PJ Brown went in the preschool room so Heather could change a child in the bathroom. PJ then left the classroom to relieve another teacher who had to leave which then left the preschool children alone in the classroom. She understands there was a lack of communication with the teachers and herself will have a meeting so that everyone can get on the same page.
On February 26, 2025, CI Honea reviewed video footage from Friday February 21, 2024, at 3:02 PM through 3:10 PM. The video showed teacher Katrina walking by the preschool room heading to the main door and teacher PJ Brown stepping out of the preschool room. The video showed teacher Heather Sayre going into the bathroom with a child to change their diaper. The video showed that PJ did not say anything to Heather about leaving the preschool area. The video showed that from 3:03 PM until 3:04 PM, four children were unsupervised in the preschool room while Heather was in the bathroom and PJ had left to relieve Katrina.
CI Honea conducted a phone interview with teacher Heather Sayre who stated that she was alone in the preschool room and called PJ for assistance so diapers could be changed. A teacher left the toddler room, so PJ left the preschool room and went to the toddler room to assist. No one said anything to her about leaving the room and she was already in the bathroom changing diapers. When she came back in the preschool room, the children were by themselves.
CI Honea conducted a phone interview with teacher PJ Brown who stated that she was helping out in the preschool room so Heather could change diapers. Katrina (from the toddler room) needed to leave. She left the preschool room unattended while Heather was still in the bathroom to go assist in the toddler room and did not think to tell anyone.
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