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On June 16, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that: Out of ratio in mornings. On 6/16/25, starting at 7:05am, there was 1 person (a teacher) who was handling the front desk. Children began to arrive and the person at the front desk just put the kids behind the front desk. There was one 1-year-old, two 3-year-olds, one infant and one 2-year-old. The Yellow Room (3-5) is out of ratio. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.112(1)., which states: "Staff/child ratios shall be maintained at all times."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.112(1)(A)., which states: "The staff/child ratio and group size shall be followed as outlined in the below chart unless it meets an exception in subparagraphs (1)(B)-(G) below: Infants, toddlers, and 2-year-olds shall have one caregiver for every four children with no more than eight children per group; Groups composed solely of children 24 to 36 months shall have one caregiver for every eight children with no more than 16 children per group; Groups composed solely of children 3 to 4 years shall have one caregiver for every 10 children with no more than 20 children per group; Groups composed solely of children 5 years or older shall have one caregiver for every 16 children with no more than 32 children per group; A mixed group of children consisting of no more than four children age 2 years, and at least one child older than 3 years shall have one caregiver for every 10 children with no more than 20 children per group; A mixed group of children consisting of more than four children ages 24 to 36 months, and at least one child older than 36 months shall have one caregiver for every eight children with no more than 16 children per group."
On June 17, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea conducted a phone interview with Parent A who stated the following. There was one teacher in the morning, on June 16, 2025, at drop-off around 7:00 a.m. with five children Child A (age 3-years-old) sitting behind the desk. There were a variety of ages from several rooms. This is not the first time recently that Lea was alone with children behind the desk. No issues since June 16, 2025.
On June 18, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea conducted an unannounced inspection to the facility and interviewed teacher Lea Raiti-Belt and Program Manager Michelle Neuser.
Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea interviewed staff Lea Raiti-Belt who stated the following. There has been an issue with ratio in the morning while the director was on vacation and the schedule was not fixed before the director left. She works the front desk in the morning until other teachers arrive and then she goes into the classroom so there are children at the desk with her. This only happened once or twice during the last week, and the schedule is now fixed. She is the teacher for the yellow room and this room has never been out of ratio.
CI Honea interviewed Program Manager Michelle Neuser who stated the following. The director does the scheduling but is out on vacation. Only recently there was an issue in the morning where they were out of ratio. It has now been corrected.
On June 18, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Michelle Honea observed the teacher schedule sheets from June 9, 2025, through June 18, 2025. The teacher schedule sheets show two teachers from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. on June 9, 2025, through June 13, 2025, and for June 17, 2025, through June 18, 2025. The teacher schedule sheet for June 16, 2025, shows one teacher Lea Raiti-Belt from 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. CI Honea observed the children clock in sheets (for all four classrooms: yellow room 3-year-old to 5-year-old; blue room 2-year-olds; red room toddlers / 1-year olds; and the infant room from 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. The children clock in sheets from June 9, 2025, through June 13, 2025, shows there was a range of four children to eight children with combinations from all four rooms. On June 16, 2025, the children clocked in showed from 6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m., there were five children from three of the rooms with one teacher. On June 17, 2025, there was six children from 6:45 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. with one teacher.
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