Incident investigation·February 12, 2026

On 02/12/2026, at 11:01 AM, Licensing Program Analyst (LPA) Shane Loftus conducted an unannounced Case Management inspection of the above-mentioned Child Care Center (CCC) to follow up on an Unusual Incident Report (UIR) received by the Department on 02/06/2026. Specifically, a child in care (C1) was left unattended in the classroom. LPA met with CCC Director Lisa van der Merwe and explained the nature of the inspection. LPA notes (57) children are on site along with nine (9) staff providing care and supervision. LPA discussed the incident with the Director, S1, and S2. Video surveillance and staff interviews confirm that C1 was left unattended in the classroom for approximately one to two minutes. To the best of staff’s knowledge, C1 entered the classroom when S1 went to grab an ice pack from the classroom refrigerator. S1 then left the classroom and closed the door. Staff did not notice C1 had been in the classroom until approximately one to two minutes later, when two other children needed access to the classroom to use the bathroom. Video surveillance showed that three children then left the classroom approximately one to two minutes later. LPA notes C1 was not injured or harmed during the incident. Additionally, C1’s parents were notified of the incident on the same day. LPA notes that the incident occurred on 02/03/2026 and was reported to Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) on 02/06/2026. Based on interviews, CCC staff had reasonable suspicion that the event occurred on 02/03/2026 and was not reported to CCLD until 02/06/2026. Today, a Type B deficiency is cited under Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations (reference 809-D). Additionally, LPA issued a Technical Violation for Lack of Care and Supervision. A notice of site visit was given and must remain posted for 30 days. Exit interview conducted and report was reviewed with the facility representative, Shane Loftus.