Incident investigation·September 28, 2022

On 09/28/2022, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Suzette Ornelas conducted an unannounced case management visit at CCRC Head Start - Reseda for the purpose of investigating the incident that occurred at the facility on 09/13/2022. The department received an Unusual Incident Report via phone call on 09/14/2022. According to the report, on 9/13/2022 around 4:00 p.m. someone came into the facility. A homeless man came in to the center through an unlocked door in the outside. Homeless man walked into the courtyard two Teachers saw him an closed off facility. He just peeked in and he just walked out. Children did not see the individual. Children were playing in the outdoor yard located at the back of the facility. They were not able to see anything. Only 10 children present at the time of the incident. LPA observed the facility to be located on the premises of the church/mission where outreach services are provided. There are 2 ways to access the facility. One is through the church and leads you to the back area of the facility and the other is through a parking lot which grants access to the main entrance. LPA met with Director Elizabeth Flores during the visit and toured the facility. LPA observed 29 children in care and 8 adults. Facility is equipped with a security camera system which monitors the gate in question. LPA conducted an observation of the gate in question and observed an iron double gate which is accessible from the parking lot. The right gate closest to the main office remains closed by a magnet security system with a buzzer which facility personnel use to allow entry into the facility. The left second gate does not have a magnet security system but instead uses a lock with a key to prevent access; however, when an attempt was made to open the gate, with the lock placed, it opened. After placing the lock in a different direction, director was able to ensure a specific placement of the lock that would prevent access from outsiders and would not interfere with lock-down protocols. LPA and director discussed means of ensuring all staff were aware of placement (lock to be placed on the closest and lower bar). Director immediately created an sent an email to all personnel with the new information regarding the proper way to lock the gate which includes pictures and demonstration meeting information. All staff will then sign a form confirming new directives and director will send proof of documentation to LPA via email. An exit interview was conducted and a copy of this report and Notice of Site Visit were provided to Director.