complaint·January 23, 2026

The subject staff member denied the allegation of hitting or mistreating the subject child or any child in care. The subject staff member stated that teachers are instructed not to touch children, except when providing necessary care such as cleaning children while wearing gloves, or patting and rubbing children\342\200\231s backs during nap time. The subject staff member stated they were surprised by the allegation and reported they have never hit a child throughout their childcare career. Other staff interviews consistently denied witnessing any incident involving the subject staff member hitting or mistreating a child in care. These staff interviews also stated that they would report any concerns if they were to observe a teacher mistreating a child while in care. The facility director stated she conducted an internal review regarding the allegation by interviewing staff and reviewing video footage. The facility director stated she did not observe any incident consistent with the reported allegation on the facility\342\200\231s video recordings. It was noted the allegation did not include a specific date, time, or location, and was described as a general statement that the teacher is always mean and hits the subject child. LPA also conducted several child interviews with children enrolled to the subject classroom. However, inconsistent statements were obtained during the child interviews. Please note that LPA was unable to conduct a interview with the subject child. This agency has investigated the complaint regarding the above allegation. Based on interviews conducted, documentation reviewed, and the absence of corroborating evidence, the allegation is UNSUBSTANTIATED. A finding that the allegation is unsubstantiated means that although the allegation may have happened or is valid, there is not a preponderance of evidence to prove the alleged violation occurred. No deficiencies were cited during today's visit. A Notice of Site Visit was provided and must remain posted for 30 days. Failure to maintain posting as required will result in a civil penalty of $100.00. An exit interview was conducted, and the report was reviewed with Director Mariana Mitroi.