|
On November 4, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that the director has been doing things against the policies. On October 20, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., the reporter walked in from outside and saw Child A being hit on the arm by the director, Karen Davis. She repeatedly said, "Do you like that?" over and over again because he was caught hitting another child. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegations and found them to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)7. - Physical punishment including, but not limited to, spanking, slapping, shaking, biting, or pulling hair shall be prohibited.
On November 6, 2025, CI Heather Radney conducted an interview with Nichole Menck. She worked at Bullfrogs and Little Fishes until recently. She observed Karen Davis smack Child A repeatedly in the arm because he had hit someone else. Child A cried. Karen saw that she (Nichole) had seen what happened and said to her "I'm sorry, but he needs to know how it feels to be hit. I don't feel bad for him crying." Child A had a red circle patch on his arm for a little bit.
On November 10, 2025, CI Radney conducted interviews with Director Karen Davis and Caregivers Brigette Johnson, Twila Kennemer, and Cassandra Reese. Karen reported she did smack Child A's hand with her hand. "I know we aren't supposed to." Child A was hitting kids, and she wasn't in ratio in the classroom, but she was passing through and saw him hitting, so she went over and smacked his hand. Child A cried. It was for discipline because he was hitting other children. Brigette reported she wasn't here when Karen hit Child A. She heard about it a few days later when Nichole was talking about it. Cassandra reported she didn't see Karen hit Child A. She heard about it from Parent A. Twila reported she did not see Karen hit Child A's arm. She heard about it from Parent A.
On December 22, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent A. She reported she was told about Karen hitting Child A in the arm about a week after it happened. She did not observe red marks on Child A's arm. They asked Child A if Karen did anything to him and he said "Yeah, she hit me on the arm like this" and proceeded to hit his arm in the forearm area. He did not say why it happened or anything else.
Physical punishment was used by Director Karen Davis when she smacked Child A's arm/hand because he was hitting other children.
Additional violations identified during the complaint investigation:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)9. - Punishment or threat of punishment shall not be associated with food, rest, or toilet training.
On November 6, 2025, CI Heather Radney conducted an interview with Nichole Menck. She worked at Bullfrogs and Little Fishes until recently. Karen has taken Child A's food away. This was for discipline for misbehaving.
On November 10, 2025, CI Radney conducted interviews with Director Karen Davis and Caregiver Cassandra Reese. Karen reported she did take breakfast away from Child A one time. He didn't get breakfast because he was misbehaving and not listening to his teacher. Child A said "No, I'm not going to listen to you," so she didn't serve him breakfast that morning. Cassandra reported that a few weeks ago, Child A came in and he didn't want to sit and eat breakfast, so Karen took his food away and said "I guess you don't eat then." It was taken away for discipline because he wasn't listening to his teacher to sit down.
On December 22, 2025, CI Radney conducted an interview with Parent A. She reported that Karen told her that she withheld breakfast from Child A. He had been there for 15-20 minutes and he was telling his teacher "no", so she didn't provide him breakfast.
On December 22, 2025, CI Radney interviewed Board President Kristy Carr. She was aware that Karen had withheld food from a child because Karen told her about it. Karen told her the child was misbehaving. Karen shouldn't have withheld breakfast.
Punishment was associated with food when Karen did not allow Child A to eat breakfast because he would not listen to his teacher and sit down."
5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(C) - Children shall have no access to areas not approved for child care.
AND
5 CSR 25-500.112(1)(A) - 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 November 6, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an interview with Nichole Menck. She worked at Bullfrogs and Little Fishes until recently. At the beginning or end of the day, she would sometimes have an infant or two in the preschool classroom by herself with preschoolers. They would open in the preschool room until the infant/toddler teacher arrived and then move the infant/toddlers to their room. At the end of the day, they would close the infant/toddler room and move the infant/toddlers to the preschool room until they were picked up.
On November 10, 2025, CI Radney conducted interviews with Director Karen Davis and Caregivers Brigette Johnson and Cassandra Reese. Karen reported at the end of the day, they will bring the 1-year-olds up to the front room when there are just two caregivers left. There are usually 10 children total in the group, including the infants/toddlers. The infant/toddlers stay in the preschool room with the preschoolers until their parents arrive for pick up. Brigette reported they do move the 1-year-olds to the preschool room with the preschoolers when there is just one baby left. This is around 5:00 p.m., when they are down to about seven preschoolers. Cassandra reported from 5:30-6:30 a.m., the infants are in the preschool room with the preschoolers. There are usually between five to 15 children total, with two of them being infant/toddlers. When they get their second infant, they move the infant/toddlers to their classroom.
Infant/toddlers are in space not approved for infants/toddlers when they are in the preschool classroom with preschoolers for a period of time in the morning and afternoon. Additionally, the infant/toddler group size was exceeded when caregivers reported between seven and 15 children are cared for in one room, including infants/toddlers.
|