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On December 15, 2025, Office of Childhood (OOC) received a complaint alleging that the reporter to the agency who submitted this complaint found 10mg melatonin gummies in the cabinet of the daycare. The director reported giving children gummies for cleaning up, and they looked the same as the melatonin. This was seen around 11:15. The children are all asleep now. Children have been known to wake up aggressively in the past. The mother of one child who was seen with it said she did not give permission for him to have melatonin. Compliance Inspection Supervisor (CIS) Romena Fox conducted an investigation and found the allegation to be substantiated based on the following information:
5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(B) All medication shall be given to a child only with the dated, written permission of the parent(s) stating the length of time medication may be given.
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5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(I) The date and time(s) of administration, the name of the individual giving the medication and the quantity of any medication given shall be recorded promptly after administration. This information shall be filed in the child's record after the medication is no longer necessary.
On December 16, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Child C, Caregiver Shelby Hill, Caregiver Sage Judy, Parent A (Child A's parent), Child F, Caregiver Alyssa Young, Parent F (Child F's parent), Junior Aide Jordan Love, and Parent D (Child D's parent). Heather stated she does have melatonin in the facility. She indicates the melatonin observed in the cabinet is for her son. Her son does not attend the facility but used to. Her son is 8 years old and has not attended in years. She then stated the melatonin is hers and she takes it every day about 30 minutes before she leaves to go home to take a nap. She has never gotten permission from any parents to give their children melatonin.
Shelby stated she did not see the melatonin be given; she was told by Sage. There are a few children in her room that seem to always have a hard time waking up. Sage stated that yesterday, December 15, 2025, they were cleaning up the large classroom. It was about 11:15-11:20 a.m. Heather said something to the effect of, "Let's clean up." Then Heather passed out "candy" to all the children. She heard Heather saying she was handing out candy. Sage did not see what "candy" Heather gave the children as she was still picking up toys. She thinks they had about 10 children at this time. She has seen Heather give children fruit snacks in the past. Child A came over to her, pulled the "candy" out of his mouth, and showed it to her. What he pulled out of his mouth was a circular reddish colored gummy with dots on it. Once the children went to sleep, she wanted some candy herself, so she went to the kitchen and began to look for candy. She did not locate any candy but located the bottles of melatonin gummies in the cabinet. She immediately opened the bottle and recognized the gummies in the bottle to be consistent with what Child A had earlier pulled out of his mouth. Every single child napped yesterday, and that is unusual. Child I is usually awake and doesn't nap but napped great yesterday. When Parent A found out that Child A had been given melatonin, she was very upset. She witnessed Parent A wake up Child A and take him into the kitchen. Parent A took the bottle of melatonin out of the cabinet, opened it, pulled out a gummy and asked Child A what it was. Child A indicated it was candy. She did not see anyone with Sour Patch Kids candy yesterday. She brought Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids a while back but has not seen them recently.
Parent A, who is also a caregiver, stated she is Child A's mother and a caregiver. She has seen candy and fruit snacks be given as rewards. Sage came to her yesterday and said "I need to talk to you. I think Heather is giving the kids melatonin." Sage told her that Child A had pulled a gummy out of his mouth and explained she had gone looking for candy and located melatonin gummies that looked like what Child A had in his mouth. She has observed children to be more irritable and her son, Child A, does not want to wake up. She gives her son a small dose of melatonin at home. When Child A wakes up at daycare, he has similar symptoms to when he wakes up at home but worse; he is groggier and harder to wake up. Alyssa told her that she saw Heather give Child F a gummy. After Sage told her about this, she woke Child A up and took him to the kitchen. Child A was groggy and was shuffling his feet on the floor. She took out a melatonin gummy and asked him what it was. He told her it was candy and got upset when she would not let him have it. She has never given any consent for the facility to give him melatonin or any other medication. Child G and Child H are kiddos who don't usually sleep well. Everyone napped yesterday, which is very unusual. Child H is always awake and so is Child I.
Child C stated that he gets candy, and the candy he gets is red. Child F stated that she gets candy from Ms. Heather. She described the candy as red and smooth. She sees other kids get candy. Sage stated that Heather's child who took melatonin is 8 years old and has not attended in years. Alyssa stated that Sage told her about the melatonin and showed it to her. She saw Heather give Child F a small purplish gummy around 11:40 a.m. When she saw the melatonin later, she realized they matched. There were two children who came into that classroom after nap had started, and they were the only two kids who didn't fall asleep. When the kids wake up, they are very groggy. Last week, she had to wake up Child K like four times, because she had slept until 4:30 p.m., and she is 3 years old. She took a melatonin gummy out of the bottle yesterday, showed it to the kids, and asked them if they had those gummies. They all said yes. She asked Child J, Child K, and Child I. She asked Child J, Child K, and Child I. She is not aware of anyone having permission to have melatonin.
During a follow-up interview with CI Mertz and Compliance Inspection Supervisor (CIS) Sundee Bumgarner-Neff, Heather stated that the reason she has the melatonin is so she can sleep. She takes it herself, and she gives it to her son at night. She takes it at 10:30/11:00 a.m. and then goes home and naps until around 3:00 p.m. She had ordered printer ink and melatonin, and it was delivered to the facility the other day. That's why there are two bottles. She is not sure why she didn't take it home. She just didn't think about it. She just didn't lock up the melatonin. During a follow-up interview with CI Mertz, Parent A stated that when she got Child A up from his nap on Monday, after she was concerned that Heather had given him melatonin before naptime, Child A was very tired and was shuffling his feet as if he was struggling to walk.
On December 16, 2025, CI Caylin Mertz observed three bottles of 10 mg melatonin gummies located in the upper cabinets to the right of the stove. The gummies were observed to be about the size of a nickel, red wine colored, and circular with bumps on the top and a smooth bottom.
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner-Neff interviewed Caregiver Sage Judy and Parent A. Sage stated she didn't see a bag or anything in Heather's hand. She was over by the toy table. Heather usually goes to each child and gives them a piece of candy. She didn't hear anything. Child A pulled the melatonin out of his mouth and said that Ms. Heather gave it to him. She didn't realize it was melatonin at the time. She went looking for candy that afternoon and found the melatonin. Child A was pretty groggy when Parent A woke him up. Child A is usually pretty mean when they wake him up, but he wasn't mean on Monday. Alyssa asked Child K if Heather gave her a melatonin and she said yes.
Parent A stated she woke Child A up and asked him what the gummy was. Child A said it was candy. When Child A would take a nap here, he would wake up screaming and irritable. Five days ago, Child A started taking Ollie melatonin at home because he wasn't sleeping. That Ollie melatonin gummy would not work, and now she understands why. Since Child A has been gone from this facility, he has had no issues related to sleep. When Sage told her about the melatonin, they woke up Child G, Child I, Child F, and Child A. They showed all four children a melatonin gummy and asked them what it was. They all said it was candy.
On December 19, 2025, CIS Fox interviewed Caregiver Shelby Hill and Junior Aide Jordan Love. Shelby stated she has seen Heather give out gummies that look just like the melatonin. Heather had the gummies in her pocket. Heather would look around to see if anyone was watching and then pop the gummy in the children's mouths. This didn't happen in her room. She saw this happen in the big room when they were combined for lunch. The gummies were round purplish circles with little bumps on the top. Heather only gave these to specific children. She saw Heather give these gummies to Child T, Child F, Child G, Child H, Child K, Child A, and Child M. Heather was giving fruit snacks over the summer to the older children. The fruit snacks were in a bag. Heather started bringing the gummies in her pocket since the older children left.
Jordan stated she was in the big room laying down when Sage saw something in Child A's mouth. Child A said it was candy, and then they found the melatonin. There was no candy there on Monday. The candy is kept on top of the fridge, and there wasn't any candy up there.
Additional violations found during the investigation are as follows:
5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(C) Children shall have no access to areas not approved for child care.
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5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(I) All flammable liquids, matches, cleaning supplies, poisonous materials, medicines, alcoholic beverages, hazardous personal care items or other hazardous items shall be inaccessible to children.
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5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(E) All medication shall be stored out of reach of children or in a locked container.
On December 16, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Caregiver Shelby Hill, Caregiver Sage Judy, Caregiver Alyssa Young, and Jeffrey Hawkins. Heather stated that she does have melatonin in the facility. Yesterday she did set a handful of melatonin on the kitchen counter before she left. She was getting ready to go home yesterday, and she knew she needed to take some melatonin home with her, so she got some out of the bottle and set it on the counter. She didn't have any baggies. When asked why she did not place the melatonin back into one of the bottles in the cabinet and take them home that way, she indicated she did not know why she didn't do that; she just didn't think of it. She just didn't lock up the melatonin. She denies letting kids in the kitchen. When CI Mertz reminded her a child had run into the kitchen just earlier this morning, she indicated that some kids just don't listen, and they run in the kitchen. Heather stated that children do come to her in the kitchen and in her office when they are misbehaving, and then she spends time with them one on one. Child N has been in the kitchen several times. Heather stated that Child G is sent to her a lot for his behavior. If he is rambunctious, she has him come to the kitchen with her while she does paperwork. She gives medication to two children here: Child M and Child N. It's stored in the kitchen.
Shelby stated that she observed a purple gummy on the floor in the large classroom by the kitchen door. The gummy had bumps on it. This occurred within the last couple of weeks. When Sage told her about the bottles of melatonin in the cabinet and then showed her, she realized the gummy she observed on the facility floor was a melatonin gummy. Sage stated that she wanted some candy, so she went to the kitchen and began to look for candy. She did not locate any candy but located the bottles of melatonin gummies in the cabinet. Sometimes children are put in the kitchen to calm down. Heather told her she left about 15 melatonin on the counter yesterday, and a kiddo might've gotten it. Shelby has seen melatonin on the floor.
Alyssa stated that Heather is telling them (the employees) this morning that she had some melatonin on the counter and that the kids must've grabbed it. She did see a gummy on the floor in the last couple of weeks. She didn't realize what it was at the time. Jeffrey stated that some children don't listen and go in the kitchen. Jordan stated that the kids aren't supposed to be in the kitchen, but if they're bad, they get sent to the kitchen to sit on a stool.
On December 16, 2025, CI Caylin Mertz observed three bottles of 10 mg melatonin gummies located in the upper cabinets to the right of the stove. One of the bottles did not have the lid secured and there were a handful of gummies spilling out of the bottle. CI Mertz observed several other prescriptions in the cabinet.
CI Mertz observed Child G to walk through the open kitchen door and begin opening drawers. The child was able to open several drawers before being redirected by Heather. CI Mertz observed a prescription on a low shelf in the facility office for Child N. This medication was not locked and was located on a shelf children could easily reach. There was no lock observed on the cabinet. CI Mertz and CIS Bumgarner-Neff observed half of a white oblong pill located on the silver metal "desk" in the kitchen amongst a bottle of hand sanitizer, a stocking hat and some other miscellaneous items. CIS Bumgarner-Neff discussed taking a thorough look at hazards within the reach of children with Heather. CIS Bumgarner-Neff pointed the pill out to Heather and said, "Like this Heather, here is half of a pill." She denied it. CIS Bumgarner-Neff pointed it out again, specifically pointing to it. Heather again denied it, but then she picked it up, looked at it, and dismissively threw it away.
On December 17, 2025, CIS Fox conducted a review of the Natrol website (https://www.natrol.com/products/melatonin-gummies-sleep-support-strawberry-10mg) on the appropriate usage of the supplement. Specifically, a serving of two gummies contains 10mg of melatonin. The suggested use is for adults to take two gummies 30 minutes before bed. The website states "Consult a healthcare professional before using this product if you are pregnant, nursing, under the age of 18, are taking medications or other products containing magnesium, or have a medical condition (including kidney disease); if adverse reactions occur, discontinue use. Use only as directed and do not exceed suggested use. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE." Under Frequently Asked Questions, it asks "Can children use Natrol supplements?" The answer is "Some Natrol products are made for kids, but always read the label and talk to your child's doctor first."
On December 17, 2025, CIS Fox conducted a review of a peer-reviewed article on the Pub Med Central (PMC) archive hosted on the National Institute of Health's website (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10968776/) titled Melatonin Use in Pediatrics: A Clinical Review on Indications, Multisystem Effects, and Toxicity. Specifically, Melatonin Pharmacology in Children: "Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone synthesized by the pineal gland. The synthetic manufactured forms have prevalent use in pediatric medicine as a medication to treat sleep disorders because of its perceived safety profile and minimal side effects." "In childhood, melatonin levels generally increase until puberty at sleep onset and then start to decline with age...Typically, children will have higher levels of melatonin production than adults, which is important to consider when considering supplementation." Dosing-"Administration of 0.3 mg of melatonin can reach levels similar to physiologic concentration, while doses above 1 mg are above physiologic levels. The higher doses (>10 mg) of oral melatonin can produce concentrations that can persist for more than 24 h with concentrations more than 100-fold higher than those normally found in adults." "The optimal dosing of exogenous melatonin in children requires careful consideration, as it should be tailored to each child's specific needs, age, and the indication being treated." "...universal dosing and administration timing guidelines for melatonin in healthy pediatric patients remain unestablished..."
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Grandparent A, and Caregiver Sage Judy. When asked about children going into the kitchen, Heather stated that Parent A puts Child A's cup in the fridge, so he thinks he can get in there whenever he wants. The other caregivers were always bringing the children to the kitchen, which is where she usually works. Child M's pockets are always full with cars and other items from the facility. She put the cars in the kitchen, and Child M went into the kitchen to get them. When asked why Child N has been in the kitchen several times, she stated that Parent N (Child N's Mother) opened the kitchen door and let Child N into the kitchen so he could get into the refrigerator to get out a banana.
Grandparent A stated that Child N, Child M, and Child G run into the kitchen. The medications used to be on the wooden table behind the silver counter in the kitchen. Sage stated that there were two bottles of melatonin on one side of the cabinet and one on the other side in the kitchen. Child G was sitting in the corner of the kitchen doing homework on his tablet last week. Child G was sitting right under the cabinet where the melatonin was found.
On December 18, 2025, CIS Fox and CIS Bumgarner-Neff completed a walkthrough of the kitchen and looked in every cabinet and drawer. The following was observed: There is a door to the kitchen to the left directly after walking in the front door to the facility. If one enters the kitchen and keeps walking straight, the microwave and cabinet where the melatonin was found is directly in front on the other side of the kitchen. There is a wooden table to the right, where Heather stated she usually works so she can see and hear the children better. There is an island that the wooden desk butts up to that has a silver counter. The stove is against the outside wall. The dishwasher is against the hallway wall. A prescription pill bottle with the lid on and no label was in the cabinet above the microwave, where the melatonin was observed before. There were four intact white pills and two pieces of other white pills. There appeared to be one pill that did not match the others, as its markings were different. The pills were worn at the edges. One pill had a break line in it. The pills had a U shape and a number. There was a loose white pill in the cabinet. Heather stated she had no idea who the pills belonged to. There was an inhaler attached to a spacer and mouthpiece in the same cabinet. There were two bottles of nonprescription Amoxicillin in the top drawer by the sink across the kitchen from the dishwasher. One bottle only had a few pills left while the other bottle was mostly full. Heather explained that the bottles contained fish Amoxicillin that she was taking a while back and had forgotten she had them in the drawer. The Amoxicillin bottle said "Keep out of reach of children." There were supplements found in the lower drawers located in the same place. The supplements were Vitapod Beauty +, Vitapod Energy +, Arbonne SkinElixir Collagen Builder, and Armra Colostrum Health Revival. All supplements said to keep out of the reach of children. Under the sink by the dishwasher, there was bleach, Dawn dishwashing soap, Comet, Lysol toilet cleaner, Lysol disinfecting spray, and liquid Zud. The upper cabinet over the sink by the dishwasher had ant killer. The drawer by the stove had old medications from children who no longer attend and some fruit snacks. The old medications included asthma inhalers, children's Ibuprofen, cough medicine, and cough drops.
On December 18, 2026, CIS Bumgarner-Neff conducted a review of the drugs.com website (https://www.drugs.com/imprints/45-14185.html) after uploading pictures taken of the pills, the color of the pills, and the markings on the pills. The following was identified: The pills with "45" on them showed: "The pill with imprint 45 (White, Round, 6mm) has been identified as Lamotrigine 25 mg and is used for Bipolar Disorder, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Epilepsy, Seizure Prevention, and Seizures. It belongs to the drug class triazine anticonvulsants and is not a controlled substance." This pill is only available by prescription. The pill with U 135 on it showed: "Clonidine lowers blood pressure by decreasing the levels of certain chemicals in your blood. This allows your vessels to relax and your heart to beat more slowly and easily. Clonidine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). The Kapvay brand is an extended-release tablet used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Onyda XR is an extended-release oral suspension used to treat ADHD in children 6 years and older."
5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(C) Prescription medication shall be in the original container and labeled with the child's name, instructions for administration, including the times and amounts for dosages and the physician's name. This may include sample medication provided by a physician.
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5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(D) All nonprescription medication shall be in the original container and labeled by the parent(s) with the child's name, and instructions for administration, including the times and amounts for dosages.
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5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(F) Medication shall be returned to storage immediately after use.
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5 CSR 25-500.192(3)(H) Medication shall be returned to the parent(s) or disposed of immediately when no longer needed.
On December 16, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Caregiver Shelby Hill, Caregiver Sage Judy, Parent A, Child C, Child F, and Caregiver Alyssa Young. Heather stated that yesterday she did set a handful of melatonin on the kitchen counter before she left. She was getting ready to go home yesterday, and she knew she needed to take some melatonin home with her, so she got some out of the bottle and set it on the counter. She didn't have any baggies. When asked why she did not place the melatonin back into one of the bottles in the cabinet and take them home that way, she indicated she did not know why she didn't do that; she just didn't think of it. She just didn't lock up the melatonin. Shelby stated that she observed a purple gummy on the floor in the large classroom by the kitchen door. The gummy had bumps on it. This occurred within the last couple of weeks. When Sage told her about the bottles of melatonin in the cabinet and then showed her, she realized the gummy she observed on the facility floor was a melatonin gummy.
Sage stated that yesterday, December 15, 2025, they were cleaning up the large classroom. It was about 11:15-11:20 a.m. Then Heather passed out "candy" to all the children. She heard Heather saying she was handing out candy. Sage did not see what "candy" Heather gave the children as she was still picking up toys. Child A came over to her, pulled the "candy" out of his mouth, and showed it to her. What he pulled out of his mouth was a circular reddish colored gummy with dots on it. She told him to put the candy back in his mouth, which he did. Once the children went to sleep, she wanted some candy herself, so she went to the kitchen and began to look for candy. She did not locate any candy but located the bottles of melatonin gummies in the cabinet. She immediately opened the bottle and recognized the gummies in the bottle to be consistent with what Child A had earlier pulled out of his mouth. Heather told her she left about 15 melatonin on the counter yesterday. Shelby has seen melatonin on the floor.
Parent A stated that Alyssa told her that she saw Heather give Child F a gummy. Sage came to her yesterday and said "I need to talk to you. I think Heather is giving the kids melatonin." Sage told her that Child A had pulled a gummy out of his mouth and explained she had gone looking for candy and located melatonin gummies that looked like what Child A had in his mouth. After Sage told her about this, she woke Child A up and took him to the kitchen. Child A was groggy and was shuffling his feet on the floor. She took out a melatonin gummy and asked him what it was. He told her it was candy and got upset when she would not let him have it.
Child C stated that he gets candy, and the candy he gets is red. Child F stated she gets candy from Ms. Heather. She described the candy as red and smooth. She sees other kids get candy. Alyssa stated that Heather is telling them (the employees) this morning that she had some melatonin on the counter. She saw Heather give Child F a small purplish gummy around 11:40 a.m. When she saw the melatonin the later, she realized they matched. She took a melatonin gummy out of the bottle yesterday, showed it to the kids, and asked them if they had those gummies. They all said yes. She asked Child J, Child K, and Child I. She did see a gummy on the floor in the last couple of weeks. She didn't realize what it was at the time.
On December 16, 2025, CI Caylin Mertz observed three bottles of 10 mg melatonin gummies located in the upper cabinets to the right of the stove. One of the bottles did not have the lid secured and there were a handful of gummies spilling out of the bottle. There were no names, instructions, or times on the melatonin bottles.
CI Mertz and CIS Bumgarner-Neff observed half of a white oblong pill located on the silver metal "desk" in the kitchen. CIS Bumgarner-Neff pointed the pill out to Heather and said, "Like this Heather, here is half of a pill." She denied it. CIS Bumgarner-Neff pointed it out again, specifically pointing to it. Heather again denied it, but then she picked it up, looked at it, and dismissively threw it away.
On December 18, 2025, CIS Fox and CIS Bumgarner-Neff completed a walkthrough of the kitchen. A prescription pill bottle with the lid on and no label was in the cabinet above the microwave. There were four intact white pills and two pieces of other white pills. There appeared to be one pill that did not match the others, as its markings were different. The pills were worn at the edges. One pill had a break line in it. The pills had a U shape and a number. There was a loose white pill in the cabinet. Heather stated she had no idea who the pills belonged to. The drawer by the stove had old medications from children who no longer attend. The old medications included asthma inhalers, children's Ibuprofen, cough medicine, and cough drops.
On December 18, 2026, CIS Bumgarner-Neff conducted a review of the drugs.com website (https://www.drugs.com/imprints/45-14185.html) after uploading pictures taken of the pills, the color of the pills, and the markings on the pills. The following was identified: The pills with "45" on them showed: "The pill with imprint 45 (White, Round, 6mm) has been identified as Lamotrigine 25 mg and is used for Bipolar Disorder, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Epilepsy, Seizure Prevention, and Seizures. It belongs to the drug class triazine anticonvulsants and is not a controlled substance." This pill is only available by prescription. The pill with U 135 on it showed: "Clonidine lowers blood pressure by decreasing the levels of certain chemicals in your blood. This allows your vessels to relax and your heart to beat more slowly and easily. Clonidine is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure). The Kapvay brand is an extended-release tablet used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Onyda XR is an extended-release oral suspension used to treat ADHD in children 6 years and older."
On December 19, 2025, CIS Fox interviewed Caregiver Shelby Hill, who stated that she has seen Heather give out gummies that look just like the melatonin. Heather had the gummies in her pocket. Heather would look around to see if anyone was watching and then pop the gummy in the children's mouths. The gummies were round purplish circles with little bumps on the top. She saw a gummy that looks like the melatonin on the floor a couple weeks ago and threw it away.
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1. Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision.
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5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)3. Caregivers shall provide frequent, direct contact so children are not left unobserved on the premises.
On December 16, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz interviewed Parent A and Caregiver Sage Judy. Parent A stated that sometimes Heather will tell Child G he can walk the stroller around the kitchen with the baby in it. Child G would be left alone with the baby for five to six minutes. Sage stated that Child G does go in the kitchen with the baby. If Heather walks out briefly to get something, then he might be alone in the kitchen with the baby.
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Caregiver Sage Judy, Caregiver Alyssa Young, and Shelby Hill. Sage stated that sometimes Heather steps out of the kitchen for maybe five minutes, while a child is in the kitchen. Alyssa stated that Child G pushed the stroller. Heather wasn't always in there when Child G pushed the stroller. Heather would leave them unsupervised for a few seconds to a minute.
Heather stated the other day she heard crinkling paper. She went into the hallway and found Child M standing in the alcove by the water fountain. He was eating candy. She asked Child M where he got the candy, and he said he got it from his backpack. His backpack was down the hall and was zipped up. Another child's backpack was at his feet and was unzipped. Nobody else was in the hallway with Child M.
On December 19, 2025, CIS Fox interviewed Parent A, Caregiver Shelby Hill, and Junior Aide Jordan Love. Parent A stated she does have Child M in her room before lunch. When Child M got out of the classroom and was found eating candy in the alcove by the water fountain, she did not realize he was gone from her class.
Shelby stated that sometimes Child G would push the baby cart around in the kitchen. Heather was not always with Child G and the baby in the kitchen. Heather left them alone for five to 10 minutes at the longest. Jordan stated that she gets Child G and Child H's names mixed up. She knows their faces, but their names get mixed up. Sometimes Child H (she thinks) pushed the stroller in the kitchen with Heather in there. Heather would step out to answer the door, but that's the only time Heather left the kitchen when they were in there.
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)6. Preschool children who do not sleep shall rest on cots or beds at least thirty (30) minutes, but shall not be forced to remain on cots or beds for longer than one (1) hour. They shall then be permitted to leavethe napping area to engage in quiet play.
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Caregiver Sage Judy, and Caregiver Alyssa Young. Sage and Alyssa indicated the children have to stay on cots until everyone starts waking up. Heather stated she gives the children something small to play with on their cots if they are awake during naptime.
On December 19, 2025, CIS Fox interviewed Caregiver Shelby Hill and Junior Aide Jordan Love. CIS Fox conducted a follow-up interview with Parent A, who stated children have to stay on their cots the entire time from about 11:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Shelby stated she was told by Heather that children have to stay on the cots the whole time. Jordan stated that all the children stay on their cots for the whole nap time.
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(C)9. Punishment or threat of punishment shall not be associated with food, rest, or toilet training.
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Parent A, Child C, Child D, and Child L. Heather stated she started using candy as a reward when children would use the potty. She started with M&Ms. It worked well, and everyone got potty-trained. She was using candy as an incentive to help with things, such as picking up toys. She used candy because many parents use candy, and it works. If a child didn't help pick up or whatever they were doing, they did not get the candy. She used to use chocolate, but she stopped and started using fruit snacks. She's been using different kinds of candy, such as sour straws. She would cut sour straws into bite-size pieces and use them. She thought she ran out of candy on Monday, so she gave some of the children candied apricots. She gave Child A a bite-sized sour straw. Parent A, who is also a caregiver, stated that she has seen candy and fruit snacks be given as rewards. Child C stated he gets candy to clean up. Child D stated she gets candy if she picks up toys. Child L stated that she picks up toys. She does get a reward. She gets candy.
5 CSR 25-500.082(4)(A) A safe diapering table with a waterproof washable surface shall be used for changing diapers. The diapering table shall be located within or adjacent to the group space so the caregiver using the diapering table can maintain supervision of his/her group of children at all times.
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5 CSR 25-500.042(18) The number and ages of children a group child care home or child care center is authorized to have in care at any one (1) time shall be specified on the license and shall not be exceeded except as permitted within these rules.
On December 16, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Caregiver Sage Judy, Parent A (Child A's parent), Child G, Child F, Caregiver Alyssa Young, and Junior Aide Jordan Love. Parent A stated Heather's baby is about 3 months old. He comes to the facility every day and stays in the kitchen. Child G stated Heather has a baby. He babysits him. Child F stated she sees Heather's baby in the kitchen. Sage stated Heather's baby is normally here. Alyssa stated Heather's baby is here every day, in the kitchen. Heather is normally here until nap and sometimes Mr. Jeff comes. Heather stated her 2-month-old son comes every day. She didn't know he needed to be enrolled. He hangs out with her in the kitchen. Jordan stated Heather's baby stays in the kitchen with her. The baby is almost always here.
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Grandparent A, Caregiver Sage Judy, Parent A, and Caregiver Alyssa Young. Heather stated when asked where she changed her baby's diapers, Heather stated she would usually change him in the stroller or on a blanket on the table in the kitchen. Grandparent A stated when Heather's baby was a newborn, Heather brought him into the facility. Heather was stuck in the hospital the first week after having her baby, and she came back to work the second week after having the baby. Heather brought her baby to the facility daily until last week or this week. Heather kept her baby in the kitchen with her. She thinks Heather changed her baby on towels on the metal counter in the kitchen. Sage stated when Heather's baby was a newborn, Heather brought him into the facility. Heather was stuck in the hospital the first week after having her baby, and she came back to work the second week after having the baby. Heather laid blankets down on the silver counter in the kitchen and changed the baby's diaper there and on the counter under where the melatonin was found.
Parent A stated Heather's baby is 3 months old. Heather was out for about a week when she had her baby, so she started bringing her baby to the facility every day about two-and-one-half months ago. Heather would change the baby's diaper on a blanket on the silver island counter. Alyssa stated Heather brought her baby into the facility daily since she started. Heather cared for her baby in the kitchen, in the big room, or wherever she was. Heather changed her baby in the car seat or on blankets on the counter in the kitchen.
Shelby stated Heather came back to work one week after she gave birth. Heather's baby was there when Heather was there. Heather changed the baby's diapers in the kitchen. Heather put blankets on the silver counter and changed the baby there. Jordan stated that Heather had her baby at the facility every day that she was there. Heather cared for the baby in the kitchen. Heather changed her baby on a blanket on the silver counter.
On December 16, 2025, CIS Fox observed the Child Care Regulation Information System (CCRIS) show that The Crayon Academy, LLC is licensed to care for 60 children, ages 24 months to 12 years.
5 CSR 25-500.102(2)(A)2. Center directors and group child care home providers routinely shall be on duty during the hours of highest attendance a minimum of forty (40) hours per week. If the facility operates less than forty (40) hours per week, the center director or group child care home provider shall be on duty at least fifty percent (50%) of the operating hours.
On December 16, 2025, Compliance Inspector (CI) Caylin Mertz interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins and Junior Aide Jordan Love. Heather stated that she leaves every day about 12:30 p.m. and naps until 3:00 p.m. before returning to the facility. Jordan stated that Heather usually leaves around 12:45/1:00 p.m. and comes back around 2:45 p.m.
On December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Grandparent A, Caregiver Sage Judy, Parent A, and Caregiver Alyssa Young. They stated that Heather arrives at the facility between 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., leaves between 11:40 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and returns between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
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 December 18, 2025, Compliance Inspection Supervisors (CIS) Romena Fox and Sundee Bumgarner- Neff interviewed LLC Managing Member and Director Heather Hawkins, Grandparent A, and Caregiver Shakeela Bowman.
Grandparent A stated she witnessed Shakeela slap a child yesterday. Shakeela slapped Child G. Child G was chucking woodchips at teachers. Shakeela was on the phone. Child G threw dirt. She saw Shakeela's hand come up and hit Child G. She isn't sure where Child G was hit. Heather stated she was told that Child G spit and threw mulch in Shakeela's face, and Shakeela said it was a reaction to hit Child G. Shakeela stated that Child G threw mulch at everyone yesterday. The teachers asked him to stop multiple times. Child G went up to her, and the teachers kept saying to stop. "He threw and I hit." He just threw the mulch in general. She hit him on his left shoulder. She showed that it was on his upper arm/shoulder area. It was mostly a tap. It was open-handed.
On December 19, 2025, CIS Fox interviewed Caregiver Shelby Hill and Junior Aide Jordan Love. CIS Fox conducted a follow-up interview with Parent A. Parent A stated Child G was running around the playground. Child G threw mulch at Shakeela. Shakeela turned around and slapped Child G on his back near where his shoulder is. It wasn't an accident. Staff heard it across the playground. Shelby stated that Child G was throwing wood chips, and he threw wood chips in Shakeela's face. She turned to start getting the kids ready to go inside. She turned back around and saw the caregivers' faces. Parent A told her that Shakeela had hit Child G. She saw Shakeela walk away angry. Jordan stated Child G was throwing mulch and called her the "B" word. Shakeela said it was disrespectful. She doesn't know if Shakeela said something to Child G or if he spit in her face, which is what she was told, but Shakeela hit Child G with an open hand on his back near his shoulder blade. It may have been a reaction but if that's a reaction, Shakeela probably shouldn't work in child care. It was not an accident. Shakeela raised her arm and hit him.
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