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On November 6, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that infants who are not yet able to roll over have been placed on their stomachs to sleep, and babies have been left sleeping in bouncers, swings, and highchairs for extended periods of time instead of being placed in cribs. Compliance Inspector (CI) Heather Radney conducted an investigation of the allegation and found it to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.092(1)(B)2.I. - Sitting devices such as car safety seats, strollers, swings, infant carriers, infant slings, and other sitting devices shall not be used for sleep/nap time. Infants who fall asleep anywhere other than a crib, portable crib, or playpen shall be placed in the crib or playpen for the remainder of their sleep or nap time.
AND
5 CSR 25-500.182(2)(C)4.A. - A child under twelve (12) months of age shall be placed on his/her back to sleep;
On November 6, 2025, CI Radney conducted interviews with LLC Manager Sara Hendrix, Director Shauntrel Linton-Smith, and Caregivers Parent A, Peggy Wade, Nedzida Ramic and Jacey Wright. Sara reported Parent A, who is also a caregiver, reported to her that Nedzida put Child A (5 months old) down for a nap on his tummy. Child A is not yet able to roll. Parent A reported she observed Child A, her son, face down in his crib after she came back from lunch. She flipped him over and told Nedzida he has to be on his back as he cannot roll over. Nedzida said she was watching him, but Child A's face was facing away from her. Jacey was also in the classroom and said that she had put Child A in his crib on his back and Nedzida turned him over on his belly because he started to get fussy. She has observed babies asleep in swings and bouncers for between one to three minutes. She would go to move them, and Nedzida would tell her to stop because she didn't want them to wake up. Jacey reported she was in the infant room with Nedzida. She laid Child A on his back in his crib, and he woke up. Nedzida was sitting right next to his crib. She looked over later, and Child A was asleep on his stomach. She just thought Child A had rolled over onto his stomach. When Parent A came in and asked why Child A was on his stomach, she learned he couldn't roll over. She assumes Nedzida rolled him to his stomach and patted his back until he was asleep again. She has seen babies asleep in a bouncer a lot, specifically Child A. She would estimate they sleep in the bouncer for approximately 20 minutes if no one notices and moves them. Nediza reported Child A is 5 months old. She saw him asleep on the floor on his belly, so she put him to sleep in the crib on his stomach. Small babies fall asleep in the swing, and they leave them if they are fine. She will feed them, burp them and if they're asleep, put them in their crib. If they're awake, she will put them in a swing. They will be in the swing for three to five minutes maybe before they are moved. Shauntrel reported Parent A talked to her about Child A being placed on his belly in his crib. She has observed one baby sleeping in a bouncy seat. She asked Nedzida how long he was alseep and she said 15-20 minutes and that it was the only way he would sleep. She told Nedzida they can only sleep in a bouncer for five minutes and then they have to be moved to their crib.
Based on the information provided, it appears that Child A (5 months old) was placed to sleep on his belly. Additionally, caregivers would allow children to remain in a sitting device, such as a swing or bouncer, for between one and 20 minutes before being moved to their crib.
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