complaint·October 3, 2022

On 10/03/2022 at 1:00 PM, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Lynch conducted an unannounced closing complaint inspection and met with the assistant director. It was alleged that parents are not allowed into the facility. At 8:30am on 6/23/22 the director denied the allegation. The director, Wendy Hill, said their policy is to screen children in the lobby and staff brings the child to and from the classrooms to avoid unnecessary COVID exposure (this policy is no longer in effect). The director said, if a parent requested, they would be able to bring their children to and from the classroom. The director provided names of parents who had been brought their child to the classrooms instead of dropping off in the lobby. She also said the parents would be allowed in the attached observation rooms in which they are able to see and hear the activities in the classroom. Eight witnesses were interviewed including four parents and four staff. Witnesses said the policy to check children at the door (sanitize, take temperature and check for symptoms) were to keep COVID from spreading and that they are no longer following this policy. None of the parents said they had been denied entry and some said they had come into the classroom; one witness said after looking back now thinks it was ‘weird’. None of the teachers were aware of any parent who had asked and been denied entry and said they have an observatory room that parents can use to observe the classrooms. The policy is no longer in effect and all parents went back to bringing children straight into the classroom. The facility provided a copy of the facility roster and staff contacts. Although the allegation may have happened or is valid, there is not a preponderance of the evidence to prove that the alleged violation occurred, and the findings are unsubstantiated. An exit interview was conducted with the assistant director.