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On July 17, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that Child A (6 years old) was found outside in the street by himself today, July 17, 2025, around 10:00 a.m. After conducting the investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Cole Eddins finds the allegation is substantiated. This conclusion is based on the following evidence of licensing rule violations that occurred at the facility:
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 July 17, 2025, CI Eddins completed an unannounced inspection and interviewed Assistant Director Colleen Speers, Director Michelle Dautenhahn, and Caregiver Larissa "Rue" Cepeda. Colleen stated that she heard from Therapist Kelly Talley and Parent B that they observed Child A walking around the parking lot at 10:00 a.m. on July 17, 2025. Child A was observed alone by Talley and Parent B, who both arrived at the daycare around the same time. Talley and Parent B immediately brought Child A inside the facility and informed her about the incident. She guessed that Child A was gone for around 10 to 15 minutes. Larissa normally kept her classroom door open, but she placed a gate in the doorway so children couldn't easily escape. She does not know why the gate was not placed in the doorway. Michelle stated that she first heard that Child A was found in the parking lot by Talley and Parent B at around 10:00 a.m. when Colleen called her over the phone to inform her of the incident. Child A was observed alone by Talley and Parent B, who both arrived at the daycare parking lot around the same time. Talley and Parent B immediately brought Child A inside the facility and brought Child A to Colleen.
Larissa stated that she was Child A's sole caregiver on the morning of July 17, 2025. She last remembered observing Child A standing in front of the classroom TV before she had to address two other male children who were arguing. She did not observe Child A leave her classroom, and she assumed Child A walked out of the classroom while she was talking to the other boys who were arguing. She normally kept a gate up in the doorway so Child A could not easily walk out of the classroom, but she forgot to put the gate up on the morning of July 17, 2025. Once she realized Child A was missing, she began looking for Child A in her classroom. Before she called for assistance, she observed Talley and Parent B walking Child A back to her classroom. She guessed that Child A was gone for about 10 minutes, but she was not sure.
On July 17, 2025, CI Eddins interviewed Therapist Kelly Talley. Kelly stated that on July 17, 2025, at around 10:00 a.m., she parked in the daycare parking lot and observed a woman holding a small child, and she was standing next to Child A. Child A was walking with the woman (Parent B), and Parent B looked very concerned. She took Child A by the hand and led him inside the facility. She walked Child A to his classroom and told his teacher. She observed Child A's classroom door to be open when she dropped off Child A.
On July 17, 2025, CI Eddins reviewed footage from July 17, 2025, at the facility. Video one shows Child A leaving his classroom, and video two shows Child A returning to his classroom. The camera angle was faced down from the ceiling when the video began at 08:55:09 a.m. on video one. Michelle stated that the time on the video should be 09:55:09 a.m., and she did not know when the time was set incorrectly. Larissa cannot be observed in camera view as she was standing to the right of the classroom wall with the majority of the children who were getting ready to watch a movie. Child A can first be observed walking to the classroom door from the right side of the classroom at 08:55:33 a.m. At 08:55:38 a.m., Child A can be observed walking out of the classroom and turning right down the hallway towards the front office. Video two begins at 09:03:58 a.m. Larissa can still not be observed at the beginning of the video as she is sitting with her children during the movie. Caregiver Nicholas Brewer is the first caregiver to walk into the classroom, followed immediately by Kelly, Child A, and then Parent B in that order at 09:04:05 a.m. All adults can be observed turning towards Larissa, who was still off-camera view to the right of the classroom.
Based on video observation of Child A's classroom camera, Child A was outside of his classroom for around eight-and-one-half minutes.
On July 24, 2025, CI Eddins interviewed Parent A, who stated that Michelle texted her immediately after Child A was found outside. Michelle told her that Child A was found outside in the parking lot and had been outside his classroom for around nine minutes. Child A would often wander at home, so she was not surprised that he left the daycare.
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