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    Cris Barrish
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    State substantiates multiple complaints of improper discipline, inappropriate care, and safe sleep violations at Bellevue Learning Center

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    Children endangered at child care center

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    State substantiates multiple complaints of improper discipline, inappropriate care, and safe sleep violations at Bellevue Learning Center

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    787 views10 pages

    Children Endangered at Child Care Center

    Uploaded by

    Cris Barrish
    State substantiates multiple complaints of improper discipline, inappropriate care, and safe sleep violations at Bellevue Learning Center

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 10
    DEPARTMENT OF EDUC *TION Orcs of Child Care Lices.ag xe 3 Stes RT Cn. ay Bug ‘eta Bara gi 3 Delaware ima be 0 De DE | Complaint Report Provider: Bellevue Learning Center Date: April 26,2023 Address: $10 Duncan Road, Wilmington, DE 19809-2369 Investigator: Dawn Datffern ‘Complaint Detai [Between February 10, 2023 and February 16, 2023, the Office of Child Care Licensing (CCL) received six complaints from different reporters regarding Bellevue Learning Center, located at $10 Duncan Road, ‘Wilmington, Delaware, 19809. On February 14, 2023, the Institutional Abuse Unit (1A) sereened these complaints out, and OCCL sereened them infor investigation. The complaints all included similar allegations, largely naming concems about improper discipline and inappropriate care of children inthe infant classroom. The Reporter from February 10, 2023, stated Staff #1 hurts infants by pinching, flicking, and handling them roughly. This Reporter stated Staff #1 pushes babies heads” down on the matress and Ins called Child #1 derogatory names in reference to Child #I’s appearance. This Reporter also sated StaT #1 hangs blankets on the sides of the cribs while habies are in them. The additional complaints alleged very similar information, Multiple Reporters stated they received the information about StalT #1 misteating the infants from Staff #2. Additional allegations noted in the other reports included Child #1 being left to ery {or hours inthe erib, not being fed appropriately. and the center sending Child #1 home due to erying. One Reporter stated a staff member was using a mattress to scare Child #1. It was alleged Staff #1 “pops” Child #2 om the hand, and pushes the head of Child #2 down inthe crib. A Reporter stated they have witnessed mattresses propped up to black eribs and were told Staff #1 has used eurse words when speaking to Child #2, Several Reporters noted Administrator Dione Allen is aware ofthese allegations and concems. One Reporter stated they were informed Ms. Allen had reported the concerns to OCCL One Reporter stated they were filing a police report with the New Castle County Police Department Another Reporter had thie child medically evaluated at Nemours Children’s Hospital with no concerns. noted Investigation Detail (On February 15, 2023, Detective Ashlee Starratt ofthe New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD) ‘contacted Licensing Specialist (LS) Dawn Daffer to notify her an investigation has been opened regarding the allegations of this complaint, Detective Starratt recommended Staff #1 be removed from the site as the investigation began. This recommendation was communicated to Administrator Dione Allen verbally and in writing on this same date, Ms. Allen did not remove Staff #1 from the infant room at this time. (On March 16, 2023, Detective Starratt contacted LS Daffer again, stating she was curently reviewing all video footage and scheduling interviews with Staff #1 and Staff #2 within the next couple of weeks. At this time, Detective Starat stated there was no criminal investigation to prevent Staff #1 from being atthe facility, but stated no contact with children would be a recommendation, (On March 29, 2023, upon approval from Detective Staratt, Licensing Specialists Dawn Daffern and Daphne Romanelli conducted an announced visit to the NCCPD to view the video footage. Four days of video footage were viewed from the infant classroom, including February 1, 2023, February 6, 2023, February 8, 2023, and February 9, 2023. While the video footage did not include audio, numerous concems were observed in regard to violations of DELACARE Regulations, as outlined below. ‘On the footage from February 1,2023, the following was observed. Throughout the moming, five instances ‘of improper discipline were witnessed. Staff #1 was observed knocking. child down tothe ground oughly ‘when the child approached her for attention, and later was seen smacking a child on the bottom for crawling under the changing table. Staff #1 was observed roughly putting a child ina eribtwiee, and forcing a child to lie down by sweeping their arms out from under them. Staff # 1 was observed picking children up by one atm, by the wrist, and roughly putting them onto the changing table. Children’s faces ‘were also wiped roughly (On February 1, 2023, the infant room was observed out of staf-o-child ratio eight different times, totaling ‘wo and one-half hours. Additionally, Staff #1 and Staff #2 were observed frequently using their cellphones, or looking at iPads. Staff were observed with their backs 1 the children, including three times \while infants were laying on the changing table. On this day, safe sleep requirements were not being followed, An infant was observed falling asleep on the floor under a eib, che infants were being placed to sleep on their stomachs, some with blankets, and staff were observed placing mattresses around the outside of eribs to block the children’s view. One infant fell asleep in a bouncy chair and was left there. An infant was left awake ina rib for 20 minutes without attention from staf. No infant sleep checks were observed throughout the day ‘On the Footage viewed from February 6, 2023, additional instances of improper discipline were observed Staff #1 was seen roughly handling an infant and grabbing their leg when they tried to get attemion. Stalf #41 was seen picking an infant up by both wrists rather than under thei arms, Later inthe allemoon, stalE ‘were seen placing an infant roughly into a crib, and later forcing that same by sweeping thee arms out from “under them. The infant room was abserved out of stafF-o-child rato two times, totaling 70 minutes. staf ‘member without a DEEDS qualification, StafP#3, was left alone in the classroom with five infants for over 30 minutes. Safe sleep violations were observed, including child sleeping onthe floor, and mattresses and blankets being used to block the sides of eribs. On the footage viewed from February 8, 2023, additonal instances of improper discipline were observed Staff #2 placed an infant in a bouncy seat to eat, and offered one spoonful of food tothe child. The child wwas seen making a face withthe first spoonful. Sta #2 got up and threw the remainder ofthe food inthe ‘rash, and left the infant inthe bouney sea. Staff #2 s also seen grabbing an infant by the west wo remove them from a bouney seat. Staff #1 was observed grabbing an infant by the arm and moving them to “time ‘out, leaving the infant erying in the comer. Staff #1 and Staff #3 were both observed chasing an infant ‘with a matress wilizing ito intentionally scare the child, Staff #1 was also observed flicking an infant in the bead. Staff #2 is seen grabbing an infant by the wrist to move them out ofthe way, und i also seen roughly laying an infant onto the diaper changing table, causing them to bump their head. The infant room ‘was observed out of staf-to-child rato fr a period of 45 minutes on this day. Safe sleep violations were also observed on this day, including an infant sleeping in a bouney sea, and another infant sleeping for almost one hour in a jumper seat On the footage viewed from February 9, 2023, Sta #1 was observed grabbing infants by the wrist three times; once to remove the infant from a bouney seat, again to lift an infant up onto the changing table, and ‘again to remove an infant from a bouncy seat a second time. The infant room was observed out of stafto- child ratio once during the time observed. Administrator Allen entered the room on this date and had a conversation with Staff #1 for $5 minutes with their backs facing the children {In addition to the observations above, multiple other concems were noted. During the four days of footage reviewed, no positive or developmentally appropriate interactions were observed with any of the infants in care. Interactions that were observed were only to provide the very basic needs ofthe children, including,

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