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On May 15, 2025 the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging "Amy Rogers put thieves, an essential oil she keeps on her desk, in a little boy's mouth when he's being "bad". It burns his mouth. Amy Rogers will get in kids' faces and scream at them, including the kids under 2. She grabs kids by the face and squeezes their cheeks out of anger." After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz has found these allegations to be substantiated based on the following evidence and rule violations:
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)8 which states "No discipline technique which is humiliating, threatening, or frightening to children shall be used. Children shall not be shamed, ridiculed, or spoken to harshly, abusively, or with profanity."
On May 22, 2025, CI Caylin Mertz conducted an unannounced inspection and walkthrough at the facility. Over the course of this investigation, CI Mertz interviewed Director Amy Rogers, Caregiver Brinley Sisney, Caregiver Hailee Berliew, Caregiver Kimber Golden, Parent A (Child A's Mother), Parent B (Child B's Mother), Parent E (Child E's Mother), Caregiver Jaylin Barringer, and Child D (5 years old). Amy admitted to having put the essential oil, thieves, in Child A's mouth as a consequence for biting. Parent A indicated she never gave permission for this nor was she notified this occurred. Kimber indicated she observed Amy put thieves oil in Child E's mouth as a consequence for biting. Child E cried when it was in his mouth. Parent E (Child E's Mother) indicated she was never told this occurred nor did she give permission for essential oils to be used for biting. Hailee indicated Child C ran into her classroom one day and was upset. While Hailee was holding Child C and consoling her, Amy entered the room with a bottle of thieves and asked Hailee to hold Child C down. Hailee refused and let Child C go. Jaylin witnessed this incident and confirmed what happened. Hailee and Jaylin both reported that Child C and Amy left the room and when Child C returned, she smelled like thieves oil. Hailee indicated she witnessed Amy threaten to put thieves oil in Child B's mouth. Brinley indicated she witnessed Amy attempt to put thieves oil in Child B's mouth. Child B started crying and looked terrified. She thinks it happened the previous Monday or Tuesday. Parent B (Child B's Mother) has heard Amy threaten this, and she said not to do that. CI Mertz observed a small bottle of Young Living Thieves oil on Amy's desk at the facility.
Amy admitted to having squeezed Child B's face but indicated she was told to do so by the child's mother. Upon further interviewing, she indicated it wasn't that hard but she shouldn't have done it. Parent B denied ever having told Amy to do that. Brinley indicated she witnessed Amy grab Child B's face and tell her that her teeth are not for biting. When that happened, Child B started crying and looked terrified. Child D indicated Ms. Amy yells at them to be kind. Kimber, Hailee, and Jaylin all indicated that Amy has come into their classrooms and yelled at children. They indicated children cried and/or appeared frightened or scared when this has occurred. Hailee indicated Amy is loud enough to be heard over the rest of the classroom noise, and it is excessive. Amy was subsequently terminated from the facility.
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