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On November 10, 2025, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that staff will vape and smoke in classrooms. Most the time, it is normal nicotine vapes. They will go into the closet and grab their vape, then hit it and go back into the classroom, but the closet is still open and sometimes the kids will follow the staff into the closet. 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 which occurred at the facility:
5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(K) which states: "No person shall smoke or otherwise use tobacco products in any area of the child care facility during the period of time when children cared for under the license are present."
On November 12, 2025, CI Eddins conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed Director Amber Medlin, Caregiver Alisha Henderson, Caregiver Natalie Johnson, Caregiver Ashton Morron, Caregiver Callie Newkirk, Caregiver Chelsie Larison, Caregiver Hunter Pryer, Caregiver Lacie Stamps, Caregiver Maracra Abrev, and Caregiver Rashon White. All staff members, except for Amber, had not observed a staff member vape at the facility first-hand and had only heard rumors that caregivers had been terminated due to vaping. Amber stated that she had issues with two staff members in the past because of vaping at the facility during daycare hours. She personally observed smoke in the staff bathroom and could smell vape smoke. She guessed that she observed vape smoke in the staff bathroom around early August 2025. Savanna had just used the restroom so she asked Savanna about the smoke. When she asked Savanna about the smoke, Savanna immediately admitted to smoking her vape in the bathroom. Savanna was immediately terminated following the incident. Sometime around October 2025, she received a phone call from Parent A, who had observed Katherine smoking a vape device in the classroom around the children. After talking with Parent A, she immediately asked Katherine if she was vaping in her classroom. Katherine originally denied the concern. After further questions, Katherine eventually admitted to vaping and was also immediately terminated.
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