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On February 11, 2026, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received a report alleging that on February 10, 2026, a child was unintentionally left outside upon returning from recess to the classroom. The playground is not right by the facility, and there is no way to access it without walking through an unoccupied parking lot beside the building. The teachers and other class members arrived back in the building at 10:37 a.m. At 10:38 a.m., one teacher counts the children again and discovers the child is not present. Two other teachers leave the classroom to look for the child, which left the classroom outside of child staff ratio, because one teacher was left in the classroom with 11 children. At 10:44 a.m., the child appears at the front door and rings the doorbell. The teacher leaves the classroom without any staff members remaining in it to go to the door and get the child. 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 25-500.182(1)(A)1., which states "Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision."
And
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)3., which states "Caregivers shall provide frequent, direct contact so children are not left unobserved on the premises."
And
5 CSR 25-500.082(6)(A)3., which states "Adult supervision shall be provided at all times when children are outside. For children three (3) years of age and above, staff/child ratios may be one and one-half (1 1/2) times the indoor staff/child ratios. The required indoor staff/child ratios shall be maintained on the premises 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 February 13, 2026, Compliance Inspector (CI) Curtis West conducted an unannounced inspection and interviewed Director Kelsey Jo Cordray, Caregiver Chasity Rardon, Caregiver Kayla Henry, and Child A (3 years old). Kelsey stated that on February 10, 2026, she was outside on the playground with Chasity, Kayla, and 11 children ages 3 years old to 5 years old. After transitioning inside from the playground, she realized she should have 12 children because she recalled that a child had been dropped off late while they were already outside. She scanned the room and noticed that Child A wasn't with the group. She left the classroom to see if Child A was in the hallway. Chasity and Kayla were still inside the classroom with 11 children ages 3 years old to 5 years old. She told Chasity that she was going to go outside and see if Child A was still outside. Chasity followed her outside of the classroom and started checking every room in the building. Kayla stayed inside the classroom with the 11 children. Chasity came outside and told her that Child A was back inside the classroom.
Chasity stated that on February 10, 2026, when the group arrived back in the classroom the children were putting away their coats. Kelsey counted the children and said there should be 12, not 11, because one child came late. Kelsey stated that Child A wasn't with the group. Kelsey went out into the hallway to look for Child A. Child A wasn't in the hallway, so Kelsey went to look outside. She went to the hall to check the empty classrooms. Kayla stayed in the classroom with 11 children ages 3 years old to 5 years old. She checked all the classrooms and Child A wasn't in any of them. Kelsey came in and asked if Child A had been found. She continued searching the building for Child A. Kayla came and told her that Child A was back inside the classroom.
Kayla stated that on February 10, 2026, once they were in the classroom, Kelsey noticed that Child A wasn't with the other children. Kelsey and Chasity went to search for Child A. She stayed in the classroom with 11 children. She heard the front doorbell ring. She left the 11 children inside the classroom while she went to answer the front door. Child A was at the front door, so she let him back in and notified Chasity that he was with the group again.
Child A stated that he remembered leaving the playground by himself. He couldn't say why he left the playground alone. He went to the front door to get back inside.
On February 13, 2026, CI West conducted a walkthrough of the facility and observed the speed limit on both streets is 25 miles per hour. The distance from the playground to the back door where Child A was first seen on the video is 250 feet. The distance from the back door to the street is 66 feet. The distance from the street to the top parking lot where Child A was seen coming from is 58 feet. The distance from the top parking lot to the front door is 27 feet. Two cars drove past the daycare in the time it took to take the measurements.
On February 18, 2026, CI West interviewed Jenny Lewis, who stated that on February 10, 2026, Kelsey called her and advised that Child A had went missing while transitioning indoors from the playground. Child A was seen on the video footage alone walking down the back stairs trying to get in the back door at the time when the caregivers stated they were still on the playground. Child A was off camera for a few minutes, and she couldn't be sure how far up the street he went. Child A came back to the front door and then was let in the building.
On February 18, 2026, CI West received an email communication with with the two videos from February 10, 2026. The first video begins at 10:35:03 on Tuesday February 10, 2026. The camera angle is facing down at the parking lot and the stairs leading down into the kitchen area of the building. Child A is seen walking down the stairs alone. The second video is time stamped 10:44:23 Tuesday February 10, 2026. Camera is angled down facing the street. Child A is seen walking alone coming from the parking lot directly next to the front door. At 10:44:42 Child A walks under the camera and into the front door.
On February 23, 2026, CI West interviewed Parent A (Parent of Child A), who stated that she received a call from Kelsey on February 10, 2026, and was told that Child A walked ahead of the group while transitioning from the playground back inside. Kelsey told her that from now on they would keep a closer eye on Child A during transitions. Kelsey called her back and stated the cameras showed that Child A didn't walk ahead of the group. Child A left the playground alone prior to the group leaving the playground and was outside alone without adult supervision for about 10 minutes.
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