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On May 15, 2026, the Office of Childhood (OOC) received an allegation that on May 15, 2026, Child A (4-years-old) left KinderCare Education LLC and was found riding a bike on Hampton Avenue a few blocks away. Parent A (parent of Child A) was informed by lead staff Nicole Hornbeck that staff were looking for Child A. Parent A was told that Child A probably got out of the building when the classroom was transitioning from outside to inside. After conducting an investigation, Compliance Inspector (CI) Patrick O'Malley has found this allegation to be substantiated based on the following evidence:
5 CSR 25-500.182(1)(A)1. which states: "Caregivers shall not leave any child without competent supervision."
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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."
On May 15, 2026, CI O'Malley conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility. CI O'Malley observed two gates that open from the facility's playground onto the facility's parking lot. CI O'Malley was able to open both gates simply by pushing on them with one hand. CI O'Malley also observed that there is a side walk directly in front of the Kindercare Building that is on Hampton Ave. Hampton Ave is a six lane road with three lanes going north and three lanes going south. There is a large grassy median with trees in the middle separating the directions of travel. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour.
CI O'Malley also conducted interviews with lead staff Nicole Hornbeck, cook Christina Gilbert, staff Holly Scherck, Child A (4-years-old), and Parent A (parent of Child A).
Holly stated that on the afternoon of Friday, May 15, 2026, Child A refused to lie down for a nap. Child A was yelling, disturbing the other children. Child A was also hitting and kicking her. Holly took Child A to Christina in the kitchen for one-on-one supervision.
Christina stated that Holly brought Child A to the kitchen around noon because Child A was being disruptive during naptime. Child A sat on a chair just outside the kitchen door. After a few seconds, Child A asked to use the restroom. Christina asked Child A to wait for a few seconds while she got some snack ingredients out of a cupboard. When she returned to the chair, Child A was gone. The kitchen was located at the end of a short hallway, perpendicular to the facility's main hallway. Christina went to the end of the short hallway and did not see Child A to her right or left. Christina decided to turn right into the main hallway because that was the direction of Child A's classroom. Christina met Holly at the preschool classroom, but Holly reported that Child A had not returned. Christina reported Child A was missing to Nicole at the front of the facility, next to the front door. As she and Nicole were talking, they saw Child A riding a tricycle on the sidewalk in front of the facility. Nicole immediately exited the facility in pursuit of Child A.
Nicole stated that she exited the facility as soon as she saw Child A on the sidewalk in front of the facility. Child A was riding on one of the facility's tricycles. Nicole caught up to Child A before he crossed the street onto the next block. Nicole and Child A walked the tricycle back to the facility's playground. Nicole asked Child A to demonstrate how he got out of the playground. Child A demonstrated pushing the tricycle down a set of wooden steps that led to a gate which opened onto the facility's parking lot. Child A demonstrated opening the gate by pushing it with one hand. Nicole and Child A went to the office, and she called Parent A, to inform her of the incident. Nicole never told Parent A that Child A had been found multiple blocks away or near the highway. Parent A informed her that Child A had a history of elopement, which the facility had not been aware of at enrollment. Child A must have turned left at the main hallway, which led to the playground door. An incident report had not been completed yet. The facility did not have cameras.
Child A (4-years-old) demonstrated pushing the tricycle down a set of wooden steps that led to a gate which opened onto the facility's parking lot. Child A demonstrated opening the gate by pushing it with one hand. Child A was unable to describe leaving the building.
Parent A (parent of Child A) stated that she was contacted by Nicole at 12:34 p.m. Nicole informed her that Child A had gotten out of the facility and been found riding a bicycle several blocks away near a highway. Parent A arrived at the facility about twenty minutes later, Child A and Nicole were in the facility's office. Parent A was not given an incident report. Parent A contacted the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, and the Missouri Office of Childhood. Parent A was not sure if Child A would be returning to the facility.
On May 19, 2026, CI O'Malley received three colored photographs from the facility that show the upright posts of both gates had chains looped around them to prevent them from opening. The chains appear to be high enough to prevent a child from removing them.
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