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On September 22, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that Big Little Kids Childcare Center LLC staff Kristin Gassel was leaving children ages 3-years-old to 4-years-old in highchairs at the end of the day or at nap time when understaffed. During nap time when children were in the highchairs, they will fall asleep in the highchairs, and she will leave them there. After conducting an investigation, it was found that toddler age children from 12-months-old to 23-months-old were being left in highchairs at the end of the day, not during naptime and not children ages 3 and 4-year-old. Compliance Inspector (CI) Patrick O'Malley has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.182(2)(C)1., which states: 'Developmental and exploratory play experiences and free choices of play appropriate to the interests, needs, and desires of infants and toddlers;'
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(2)(C)5. C., which states: "Individual attention and play with caregivers, including holding, cuddling, talking, and singing."
On September 23, 2025, CI O'Malley conducted a phone interview with staff Charlyne Hinkle, who stated that Kristin was the primary teacher in the infant/toddler room. Kristin was supposed to be an administrator, but the facility was chronically short-staffed. Every day around 4:30 p.m., Kristin would place all the toddlers in highchairs to watch television until they were picked up by their parents. Some children would spend more than an hour sitting in their highchairs before their parents arrived.
On September 25, 2025, CI O'Malley conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility at 4:45 p.m. and observed three children, ages 12-months-old to 14-months-old, in highchairs with attached trays and no food, watching television. CI O'Malley conducted interviews with lead staff Kristin Gassel and staff Janet Berry.
Lead staff Kristin Gassel affirmed that she usually sat toddlers in highchairs to watch television for most of the time they were in her care after naptime. On September 25, 2025, she had placed three toddlers in their highchairs at 3:30 p.m. for snack and left them in the highchairs to watch television until they were picked up by their parents. Kristin was not aware that children could not be left in highchairs for extended periods of time. Kristin had been placing toddlers in highchairs for the remainder of the day since she started regularly working in the infant/toddler room, several months prior. Kristin denied ever letting children sleep in highchairs. Kristin was familiar with safe sleep regulations and knew that infants could only sleep in cribs.
Staff Janet Berry affirmed that toddlers usually sat in highchairs to watch television for most of the time they were in care after naptime. Janet was not aware that children could not be left in highchairs for extended periods of time.
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