Incident investigation·January 2, 2024

On this date and time, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Taityana Benson conducted an unannounced visit to the facility for the purpose of following up on the submission of an Unusual Incident Report (UIR) that was received by the Regional Office on 12/14/2023. LPA met with Charlene Bunnell-McAlister, Director to discuss the purpose of the visit. LPA observed 23 children in the preschool classroom and 12 children in the early preschool classroom. UIR stated on 12/12/2023 at 4:30 p.m. preschool staff observed the early preschool classroom door open and close while they were in the playground area. One preschool staff walked to the early preschool classroom and asked the early preschool classroom staff were they coming outside, and the early preschool classroom staff told them they were staying inside. The preschool classroom staff walked back to the playground area and heard a child yelling. The preschool staff conducted a head count and all the children in the preschool classroom was accounted for in the playground area. The preschool staff saw the early preschool classroom door shut, one staff discovered a child popping their head out of the early preschool classroom and another child at the fence near the preschool classroom door. At that time, preschool classroom staff made their way to the fence near the exterior preschool classroom door and found the child alone. The fence is on the opposite side of the playground area and the staff did not have direct sight of the child from the playground area. Staff escorted the child to Assistant Director, Christina Hurado, who returned the child to early preschool classroom. In addition to the submitted UIR, the supervision policy was reviewed with early preschool classroom staff, on 01/02/2024 the facility installed a security sensor on the inside of the early preschool classroom door that triggers the alarm to activate when the classroom door is opened. Report Continued On LIC809-C The facility was found to be in violation of the following Title 22 regulation: 101229(a)(1) Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision (a) The licensee shall provide care and supervision as necessary to meet the children's needs. (1) No child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time... Supervision shall include visual observation. See LIC809D for cited Type A deficiency LPA Taityana Benson informed Charlene Bunnell-McAlister, Director, that this report dated 01/02/2024 document(s) 1 Type A citation) Type A citation(s) which shall be posted for 30 consecutive days as there is/are immediate risk(s) to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care. A notice of site visit was given and must remain posted on, or immediately adjacent to, the interior side of the main door for 30 days. Failure to comply with posting requirements shall result in an immediate civil penalty of $100. Also, LPA Taityana Benson informed the Charlene Bunnell-McAlister, Director to provide a copy of this licensing report dated 01/02/2024 that documents any Type A citation(s) to parents/guardians of all children currently enrolled by the next business day or the next day the children are in care, and to any newly enrolled parents/guardians for 12 months from the date of this report. A signed Acknowledgement of Receipt of Licensing Report (LIC 9224), or other written statement, must be placed in the child's file for verification. Exit interview conducted and report was reviewed with Charlene Bunnell-McAlister.