Follow-up on corrections·April 11, 2024

On April 11, 2024, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Zirbes conducted a case management deficiencies inspection to address the discovery of an incident that occurred at the facility. LPA met with Administrator Courtney Pinkerton. Present during today's inspection were 30 preschool children. The Department discovered through confidential interviews that on March 21, 2024, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. staff 1 (S1) was supervising 26 preschool-age children who were starting to wake up from nap. S1 called for assistance however additional staff members did not assist for approximately 15 – 20 minutes. S1 is a teacher aide with zero early childhood education or child development units. According to the information obtained through interviews and facility records, two additional teacher aides (staff 2 (S2), and staff 3 (S3) and one teacher (staff 4 (S4)) were on the center grounds at the time of the incident. However, according to interviews S2, S3, and S4 were providing supervision in the infant and school-age components. Two additional teachers were on their lunch break and were not immediately available to assist S1. A teacher-child ratio of one teacher supervising 24 napping children is permitted provided that the remaining teachers necessary to meet the overall ratio specified in Section 101216.3(a) are immediately available at the center. Based on interviews and facility records the Center failed to provide the remaining teachers necessary to meet the overall ratio for the preschool children in care. Therefore, a Type A citation for regulation 101230 (c) Activities is being issued as this is an immediate risk to the children in care. This Center was previously cited under regulation 101230 (c) on August 31, 2023, therefore this is a repeat citation, and civil penalties were assessed. Refer to LIC 809D. During this inspection, LPA and Administrator Courtney Pinkerton discussed the following: 1. Plan of Correction dated September 1, 2023 Report continued from page one 2. 101227 (a) (4) Food Services, between meals, snacks shall be available for all children unless the food a child may eat is limited by dietary restrictions prescribed by a physician. Each snack shall include at least one serving from each of two or more of the four major food groups. 3. 101227 (a) (6) Food Services, Menus shall be in writing and shall be posted at least one week in advance in an area accessible for review by the child's authorized representative. Substitutions or changes to the menu should be updated on the day of the change on the posted menu. Copies of the menus with any updates shall be dated and kept on file for at least 30 days. Menus shall be made available for review by the child's authorized representative and the Department upon request. 4. 101538.3 (b) Indoor Activity Space for School-Age Children, In combination programs, indoor activity space provided for school-age child care center children shall be physically separated from space provided for infant care and child care center children. 5. 101229.1 (d) Sign In and Sign Out, The sign-in and sign-out sheets with the signatures required by this section and by Section 101226.1 shall be kept for one month and shall be available at the center for review by the Department. 6. 101229 (1) Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision, no child(ren) shall be left without the supervision of a teacher at any time, except as specified in Sections 101216.2(e)(1) and 101230(c)(1). Supervision shall include visual observation. 7. 101216.3 Teacher-Child Ratio LPA took the opportunity to reopen a discussion regarding the Department's Technical Support Program (TSP). The services of TSP were offered to the Center in 2023. LPA Zirbes informed Administrator Courtney Pinkerton that this report dated April 11, 2024, documents one Type A citation which shall be posted for 30 consecutive days as there is immediate risk to the health, safety, or personal rights of children in care. Report continued on page three Report continued from page two Also, LPA Zirbes informed the Administrator to provide a copy of this licensing report dated April 11, 2024, that documents any Type A citation 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. An exit interview was conducted, and this report and appeal rights were reviewed with Administrator Courtney Pinkerton. A notice of site visit was given and must remain posted for 30 days.