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On August 18, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that there is an infant that is allergic to eggs. This child has been given food containing eggs four plus times in the past five weeks. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation and found it to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.102(1)(E) - Caregivers shall have knowledge of the needs of children and shall be sensitive to the capabilities, interests, and problems of children in care.
On August 25, 2025, CI Radney conducted interviews with Ashley Bozeman, Cassidy Moore, Jenna Helton and Alyssa Vanzant. Alyssa Vanzant reported Child B has a documented allergy to egg. Child B was given hot dog breading that had eggs in the batter. She took the hot dog breading before Child B was able to eat it. Another time, Child B was given a food that was cooked in a facility with eggs. They contacted Parent B both times. Jenna Helton reported Child B is in her class. Their cook wasn't double checking that food didn't contain egg before serving it to Child B. Cassidy Moore reported she is the cook. She verifies that food served to Child B's classroom doesn't contain eggs. Twice, Child B had a waffle that contained egg. She is not sure how it happened. She was not the cook at that time. Ashley Bozeman reported the allegation is accurate. Child B was given a food that contained eggs. The classroom is now an egg-free classroom, and Child B sits in a high chair to limit accidental exposure to other children's food. Child B has a form from a physician and epi-pen available at the daycare now.
On September 9, 2025, CI Radney and Director Lori Hutchings communicated by email. Lori provided the following information: Parent B notified them in person that they suspected Child B had an egg allergy on July 24. Parent B stated that Child B had a reaction at a birthday party, and they were fairly certain it was from eggs but they requested testing to confirm. On July 25, lunch included alfredo sauce. Alfredo sauce has eggs in it. On July 29, another child brought a waffle for breakfast. Child B grabbed a bite from them. On August 14, corn dogs were served for lunch. There is egg in the batter. They received the paperwork for Child B's allergy on August 15, 2025.
On September 9, 2025, CI Radney received and reviewed Child B's Food Allergy Emergency Care Plan, which is dated August 15, 2025 and shows that Child B has an allergy to egg (all forms and cross-contamination).
On October 8, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent B. She told them first in May that there was a suspected egg allergy. She requested no eggs be provided to him at that point. In August, they did additional testing and confirmed the allergy to egg. There were several incidents when he was given eggs in alfredo sauce and a couple other things between the time when she requested they not give him eggs or products with eggs and August, when the additional testing was completed. The last known incident was July 29, to her knowledge.
Based on the information provided, the caregivers did not have knowledge of Child B's needs when Child B was exposed to eggs when they served him food that contained eggs. Parent B notified them of the suspected egg allergy on July 24. They acknowledged they wouldn't serve eggs but did anyway.
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