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On July 2, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that on July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025, preschool teacher Briana Thornton left two children unattended on the playground. After conducting the investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Curtis West finds the allegation is substantiated. This conclusion is based on the following evidence of a licensing rule violation that occurred at the facility:
5 CSR 25-300.060 (1)(A), which states "Children shall not be left without adult supervision."
On July 9, 2025, CI West interviewed Director Alexis Miceli, Assistant Director Baylee Rock, Caregiver Susely "Susie" Meraz-Tafolla, and Caregiver Laura Dickinson. Alexis stated that she received a call over the radio from Caregiver Bri Thornton on the morning of June 30, 2025, advising that Child A (3 years old) was left outside but was back inside. On July 2, 2025, Baylee told her that on July 1, 2025, around 5:15 p.m., Bri had left Child B (3 years old) and Child C (3 years old) outside on the playground without adult supervision.
Baylee stated that on June 30, 2025, she was in the office with Alexis when the call came over the radio about Child A being left outside. She reviewed the footage of the incident with Alexis. The footage showed Bri opening the door to let Child A inside the classroom. On July 1, 2025, around 5:15 p.m., she received a call on the radio from Laura about two children who were in Bri's care being left outside on the playground without adult supervision.
Susie stated that on June 30, 2025, just after returning to the classroom, she sat down to read to the children while they were waiting for their turn to change clothes. She was shocked to see Bri open the door and let Child A inside of the classroom.
Laura stated that on July 1, 2025, around 5:15 p.m., she was outside on the infant/toddler playground with two children. One of the parents had just picked up and returned to the fence and said there are two children on the other playground without adult supervision. Just as the parent approached the fence, Bri came back outside with the rest of the children.
On July 9, 2025, CI West conducted a walkthrough of the facility and observed video footage from June 30, 2025. The camera was in the top corner of the room and angled down. The video begins at 10:42:44. Bri opens the door to let the classroom inside. Susie and Jollie walk in with the children, and no one has completed the name-to-face attendance. The door shuts at 10:43:22. Bri and Jollie walk off camera while Susie sits down to read and engage with the children. The video ends at 10:44:48. The second video begins at 10:46:49. It shows Susie sitting on the carpet reading with the children. At 10:48:12, a child walks over to the window next to the door and looks outside. At 10:48:15, someone says "Oh my God" and Bri walks toward the door. Bri opens the door at 10:48:22 and the child walks in. The video ends at 10:48:48.
On July 14, 2025, CI West interviewed Jollie and Bri. Jollie stated that on June 30, 2025, she was in the classroom as a support teacher with Bri. Three to four minutes after returning from outside, she looked up and thought she heard a knock at the door. She looked over and could see Child A standing outside at the window beside the door. She let Child A inside the classroom. Bri stated that she was the lead teacher in the preschool classroom on June 30, 2025. On June 30, 2025, just after returning from outside doing water play, she heard a knock on the window next to the door. Jollie confirmed that she had also heard a knock on the window. She went over to the window, and she could see Child A standing outside the door. She opened the door to let Child A inside the classroom. On July 1, 2025, around 5:00 p.m., she was alone on the playground with five or six preschool-aged children. She took the children inside to use the bathroom and to get popsicles. When she took the children back outside to the playground, she saw that two children had been left outside.
On July 16, 2025, CI West interviewed Parent A, who stated that she was notified by the daycare on June 30, 2025, about Child A being left outside alone.
On July 23, CI West interviewed Parent B, who stated that she was notified immediately on July 1, 2025, when Child B was left on the playground without adult supervision.
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