Abc Kids Academy Iii

“Ensure child files are complete. Five children need blood lead screening results. One child needs an updated health appraisal. Six children need development plans.”

“Ensure fans and cords are inaccessible to children. A fan was observed in children's reach on a low shelf in the main classroom. This was discussed and corrected when the fan was removed.”

“Ensure food is stored to prevent spoilage and labeled with contents and date of preparation or expiration. An opened package of cookie dough was observed in the freezer.”

“Replenish the mulch with nine inches of mulch to protect the fall zone areas. Move the rocking toys to the fall zone area.”

“Purchase roll gauze for the first aid kit.”

“Repair the gate to the outdoor play area to ensure it self-latches.”

“Discontinue the use of the portable wading pool.”

“Ensure direct supervision is provided at all times. A school-age child was observed re-entering the Dragonfly classroom after using the bathroom in the unused school-age classroom. This was discussed with the staff member. A second school-age child was then observed using the bathroom in the school-age classroom while the staff member stood in between the Dragonfly classroom and the school-age classroom. This was again discussed with the staff member and a second staff member was asked to assist with bathroom breaks. Ensure staff-to-child ratios are maintained at all times. A 17-year-old aide was observed alone with a group of five school-age children. This was corrected when a staff member qualified as an ECAT entered the classroom.”

“Ensure staff members schedule a fingerprinting appointment with Delaware State Police and are fingerprinted for a Delaware SBI and FBI check before the start of employment and receive eligibility determination prior to being left alone with children. A 17-year-old staff member was observed alone with a group of five school-age children. A second staff member, who was previously deactivated from the center, entered the classroom. This was corrected when a third eligible staff member entered the classroom.”

“Ensure staff attendance is documented to show the exact hours the staff worked in each classroom. One staff member was not signed into the one and two-year-old classroom, but present. Two staff members were signed into the one and two-year-old classroom, but not present. One staff was not signed into the school-age classroom. This was corrected when the staff members were signed in or out.”

“Ensure child attendance is documented to show the child s exact arrival and departure times. 11 children were present in the one and two-year-old classroom, but 10 were signed in. Eight children were present in the three to five-year-old classroom, but seven were signed in. This was corrected when the children were signed into their classrooms.”

“OCCL received a complaint on March 22, 2022, regarding not following the parent handbook and not allowing parents into the building, not completely changing soiled clothing, not having an understanding for the children s needs, improper behavior management, and lack of care and interactions. On March 24, 2022 and March 25, 2022, two additional complaints were received and not accepted for investigation by the Institutional Abuse Unit (IAU). On March 24, 2022 and March 25, 2022, the complaints were sent to OCCL and accepted for investigation regarding lack of supervision and administering medication without written permission from the child s parent/guardian. An investigation was conducted on March 28, 2022. The complaint is substantiated with additional concerns. Staff admitted to sending an infant home without pants and stated the center does not have extra clothes available. Staff do not have an understanding for the children s needs because two staff were heard yelling at children instead of consoling them on a voice recording. Staff do not follow proper behavior management because two staff were heard yelling at a crying infant, making negative comments about a child s looks and family, and cussing in front of the children. There is a lack of care and interactions because two staff were not heard talking with the infants during play, feeding, and routine care and are not heard responding to infants actions, sounds, and beginning language on a voice recording. At the visit, a four-year-old child and school-age child were observed leaving the caterpillar classroom, unattended. An additional concern noted on the voice recording is infants not being held while feeding because a staff member repeatedly told an infant she would not hold his bottle for him. Additional concerns noted at the visit were two safe sleep violations, a staff member using her cell phone for personal reasons, and children under the age of two-years-old participating in screen time activiti es. There is no evidence to substantiate for not following the parent handbook, not allowing parents into the building, and administering medication without written permission from the child s parent/guardian because staff denied the allegations and no melatonin was observed in the building.”