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On December 4, 2025, the Office of Childhood received an allegation that on December 4, 2025, a teacher named Dejha left eight students, age 2-years-old, alone six times with a therapist who was working with one child and was not supposed to be counted in ratio. She left the room anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes. After completing an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Jackie Ruth found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following rule violations:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1. which states: "Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.112(1) which states: "Staff/child ratios shall be maintained at all times."
AND
5 CSR 25-500.112(1)(A) which states: "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 December 5, 2025, CI Ruth conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility and observed all classrooms to be maintaining the correct staff to child ratios.
On December 5, 2025, CI Ruth conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility and held in person interviews with Pastor Lee Furnace and Dejha Munson. Dejha stated that a therapist was there to work with a 2-year-old child in her class. The therapist asked if the child had eaten breakfast yet, and she had not because the child arrived a little later than normal that day. She went to the kitchen to get the child breakfast and went back and forth a few times to grab multiple items. Dejha said she was only gone for a few seconds each time and there was no other staff member in the room at the time. She said she does not usually leave the kids alone to get breakfast and stated she only did so because the therapist had asked for breakfast for the child she was working with.
Pastor Lee stated that it was not Dejha's intention to leave the children alone with the therapist. He believes this was just a mistake because the therapist asked for breakfast for a child, so Dejha went to grab it without realizing she was leaving the room out of ratio. He said that there was another staff member available to stand in for ratio. He said this was a fluke and not regular practice, a mistake made without thinking it through.
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