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On December 29, 2026, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that today, December 29, 2025, around 9:00 a.m., Child A (18 months old) was in a crib and was able to reach out of the crib and grab a cord for a bottle warmer. The bottle warmer was on, and the bottle warmer fell on child. Child A sustained a large burn to the lower right arm. After conducting the investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Curtis West finds the allegation is substantiated. This conclusion is based on the following evidence of a licensing rule violation that occurred at the facility:
5 CSR 25-500.082(1)(I), which states "All flammable liquids, matches, cleaning supplies, poisonous materials, medicines, alcoholic beverages, hazardous personal care items or other hazardous items shall be inaccessible to children."
On December 30, 2025, CI West conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed Director Stacie Simpson and Caregiver Alicia French. Stacie stated that on December 29, 2025, Child A was able to pull the cord on a bottle warmer that was in use and sitting on the ledge of a half wall.
Alicia stated that she was the support teacher for Caregiver Stacie Loeffler and the older toddlers on December 29, 2025. She heard Child A cry out just after hearing a loud crash. Child A had pulled the bottle warmer off the ledge of the half wall onto herself.
On December 30, 2025, CI West conducted a walkthrough of the facility and observed the video footage from the older toddler classroom taken December 29, 2025. The camera is angled down from the corner of the ceiling. There's a crib pulled away from the wall. Stacie Loeffler is finishing with changing Child A's diaper. Stacie Loeffler places Child A on the ground. At 9:03:58, Stacie Loeffler pulls out her phone and looks down at it while typing. At 9:04, Child A walks over to the outlet behind the crib. From 9:04:11-9:04:23, Child A is behind the crib and the cord to the bottle warmer is moving. At 9:04:23, the bottle warmer falls from the ledge onto Child A.
On December 30, 2025, CI West interviewed Parent A (Parent of Child A), who stated that she was working with the younger toddlers at the daycare on December 29, 2025. She heard Child A scream out in pain. She ran over to the half wall and asked what was going on. Stacie Loeffler told her that Child A had pulled the bottle warmer off the ledge and could be injured.
On January 16, 2026, CI West interviewed Stacie Loeffler, who stated that she was working at the daycare on December 29, 2025, in the older toddler classroom. She had a co-teacher with her named Alicia. She pulled out the crib that was used to block the wall outlet so she could plug in the bottle warmer. She finished changing Child A's diaper, so she returned Child A to the floor. The bottle warmer sits on the ledge directly above the outlet. She heard a loud noise, and then she heard Child A scream. She noticed that Child A had pulled the bottle warmer off the ledge. She could see that the hot water from the bottle warmer had fallen on Child A.
Additional violations found during the investigation:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(E)2., which states "The diapering table shall be cleaned thoroughly with a disinfectant after each use."
And
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(E)6., which states "Caregivers changing diapers shall wash their hands with soap and running water each time after changing a child's diaper."
And
5 CSR 25-500.192(6)(B), which states "Caregivers shall teach children to wash their hands before eating and after toileting."
On December 30, 2025, CI West conducted a walkthrough of the facility and observed the video footage from the older toddler classroom taken December 29, 2025. CI West observed Stacie Loeffler finish changing Child A's diaper and place Child A onto the floor. Stacie Loeffler didn't wash Child A's hands or her own. Stacie Loeffler didn't clean the diapering table after changing Child A's diaper.
On January 16, 2026, CI West interviewed Stacie Loeffler, who stated that she didn't wash her own hands after the diaper change. She didn't wash Child A's hands after the diaper change. She didn't wash or disinfect the diaper changing table after the diaper change.
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