Incident investigation·October 19, 2023

Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Andrea Medlin met with facility representative for this case management visit. Purpose of the visit is due to an unusual incident reported to licensing. On 10/6/2023, a child (C1) was momentarily outside the classroom during a transition time. LPA gathered information and interviewed staff. The child is in room #1. The classroom door was open due to another guardian picking up their child. Somehow, C1 was able to exit the classroom unnoticed by teachers in room #1. Staff say they have an internal policy that anytime a door is opened, or staff leave the classroom, a children's head count is immediately done. On the day of incident, there were eight children in the classroom; one child was being picked up, so there should have been seven children remaining. However when teachers took count, they counted only six children and immediately started to figure out who was missing. C1 was found directly adjacent to the classroom in the front corridor area. Another teacher (S3) who works in a different classroom (#3) saw C1 the entire time C1 was outside and was guessing the child was being picked up. By that time, about 20-30 seconds had passed, and teachers in room #1 opened their door and retrieved C1 back in the classroom. At no time had C1 not been in the line of site of a teacher. Since this incident, the facility has conducted all staff training on supervision, and considering additional options to monitor and supervise children to try to prevent future incidents. Some of the ideas were to put a latch or baby gate outside the classroom door for when then the door is opened for parent/guardian pick up of a child. No violation of licensing regulations occurred since child had been visually in line of sight of a teacher during the incident. This report is reviewed with facility representative and a copy of this report must be available for public review upon request. Notice of site visit provided and must remain posted for 30 days.