Blossoms Childcare Center 3

In-service training

WAC 110-300-0107(1) · Short Term

Several staff are missing required EQEL training and 10 in service hours. Mariia U Veremeichyk no EQEL training Year 2, no in service training hours for 2024 or 2025. Sunita Vankhade no in service training hours for 2024 and 2025 Marina Tyler no in service training hours for 2024 or 2025 Sunita Vankhade no in service training hours for 2024 or 2025 Marina Tyler no in service training hours for 2024 or 2025 Rebekah Susie Stemhagen no in service training hours for 2024 or 2025

Infant safe sleep practices

WAC 110-300-0291(1)(g) · Serious

An infant was in the crib with a stuffed toy in a crib. The toy was removed immediately.

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(2)(c) · Short Term

Charging cords hanging and accessible to children in the Caterpillar room.

First-aid—CPR certification and supplies

WAC 110-300-0230(3) · Long Term

1st Aid Kit is missing tweezers.

Breast milk

WAC 110-300-0281(1)(a) / 110-300-0281(1)(b) · Serious / Short Term

Breast milk in the infant room did not have a date.

Routine care, play, learning, relaxation, and comfort

WAC 110-300-0135(2)(b) / 110-300-0135(2)(c) · Short Term

2b) The climber in the Caterpillar playground was intended for ages 2-5 years but the children in this classroom are 18 months-2.5 years. 2c) the beetles playground had a broken mirror with duct tape. 2d) There were two climbers in the caterpillar playground that were placed interfering with each other.

Bottle preparation

WAC 110-300-0280(1) / 110-300-0280(3)(c) · Short Term

1) Some bottles seen in the fridge did not include the date, childs first and last name. 3c) The handwashing sink in the kitchen is the water source for formula bottle prep. The kitchen sink is labeled hand washing only. 3i) some prepared bottles seen in the fridge did not have covers on the nipples.

Infant safe sleep practices

WAC 110-300-0291(1)(a) · Serious

Two staff were engaged playing with 2 infants that were awake in the play area; one staff on the floor playing with an infant, the other staff seated on a bench. Neither teacher was actively supervising the 3 napping children. A child slept in a crib placed around a wall where neither staff could actively supervise the sleeping infant who was asleep folded over. She was bent over at the waist with her head at her feet. Neither teacher could see this child from where they were. The child placed in the crib could not be seen until stepping down into the area where the cribs were located. The other 2 infants could be seen if the teachers stood up and moved closer to the crib area. Dispute Description: To whom it may concern This letter is to dispute the safe sleep violation dated April 17th 2024 in it it states that two teachers were playing with their children awake while their sleeping children were not being actively supervised. This is simply not the truth. The observation is incomplete and assumed. One teacher was indeed sitting in the area of the room where the awake child was playing. The other teacher had just taken a child who had woken up from sleeping and sat the child down and grabbed the toy to entertain him. She was going back to watch the other children who was sleeping when licensing stepped in. I cannot, in good conscience, sign my name agreeing to the assumption that there were two teachers playing with two children while three other babies were sleeping unsupervised. There were five babies and two teachers in the space. This is way under the standard ratio and the notion that children are not being actively supervised is just not true. The room in question had a wall removed at great cost on the direction of the Washington health specialist and the space is considered one room. Therefore all children within the space are within sight and hearing range. The safe sleep violation states children were not being actively supervised but according to WAC 110-300-0291 active supervision is defined by visually checking every 15 minutes and being in hearing and seeing range. If a teacher takes an infant from crib to floor and then make sure the infant who just woke up is sitting stable and his toys to entertain him slash her before again observing the sleeping infants this does not describe infants not being actively supervised. The fact is that children were actively supervised by checking on the sleeping infants every 15 minutes and by being in the same room where all the children are within sight and hearing range. The definition of active supervision is time dependent and because of this, a snapshot observation is just not complete and does not tell the whole story. The complaint also states that a child was in a Taco position. This verbiage insinuates neglect. The truth is the child in question meets the guidelines of an infant who independently rolls from back to front and front to back. She's 10 months old, sits independently and pulls himself to a standing position. The WAC stated that we need to lay the infant on the back but if they can roll front to back and back to front then they can stay in the position they like to sleep in. We have had conversations with the parents of this particular child and she is just bent on sleeping in funny positions. She has been placed on her back but always ends up falling asleep in whatever Taco position she chooses. I have enclosed the letter from the child's mother confirming this. I'm asking that the safe sleep violation be dismissed based on the facts and not a snapshot observation period the WAC is intended as an observation that must be at least 15 minutes long to determine actively supervised. The classroom is very active and busy and changes every minute. The truth is there was active supervision going on especially for our Taco baby who gets checked way above the 15 minute visual check and all babies were insight and hearing range as they were all in the same classroom when licensing came by on April 17th 2024. Rebekah Stemhagen. As Olivia Hatate’s mother, I can confidently say that when Olivia goes down to sleep, she is very flexible and finds her own comfortable position. The vast majority of the time, she will immediately roll over onto her stomach when we place her down on her back. She is 10 months old on April 22nd and has been rolling back-to-front and front-to-back with ease since she was about 5 months old. As she has learned to sit up on her own and crawl, she will often move around a lot while trying to fall asleep. This can often look like her rolling onto her stomach or folding her knees under her to raise her bottom in the air. There are many instances of her sitting up and folding over her legs as she is tired and trying to fall asleep (like she is folding over in a taco position). We have tried to move her out of positions that look uncomfortable to us, but she always puts herself back in those positions. The Blossoms staff and I have talked about her flexibility and how that impacts her sleep positions. I am fully confident that the entire Blossoms staff is caring very well for my daughter who is always very happy and well rested when I pick her up. As her mother, I have never been concerned about how the Blossoms staff is caring for Olivia. If there are further questions, I would be happy to elaborate. Emily Hatate

Food allergies and special dietary needs

WAC 110-300-0186(1) · Serious

The ICP for a child with food allergies did not include a substitute for the food allergies.

Immunizations and exempt children

WAC 110-300-0210(1)(2) · Long Term

A child file was reviewed. It did not include immunization records on a CIS form.

Medication

WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(i) / 110-300-0215(3)(a)(ii) · Serious

3e) home made medication (maybe diaper cream) was seen in the diapering area of the beetles classroom. 3ai) An epi pen was available for a child but did not include the RX label with the child's name clearly on it, the prescribing authority info, or the fill date. 3aii) children's benadryl was seen available for a child with an allergy. However this benadryl clearly states do not give to children under 4 years old. The child it is intended for is under 2.5 years old. There are not directions or written permissions from a doctor advising to use this medication for this child. This OTC medication does not include the child's last name. 2) documented training on how to administer the medication for a child with allergies as listed on their ICP is not available.

Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space

WAC 110-300-0146(1) · Short Term

1) the surfacing (ground cover) in the caterpillar playground is not being maintained at a depth of 9 inches of fall material. It has been compacted in areas. The ramp into the plastic tree house in the infant yard is within 2 feet of the cement retaining wall.

Safety requirements

WAC 110-300-0165(3)(d) · Short Term

3g) several vent covers in the classrooms were seen to be rusted. A board on the shed in the beetles playground is seen to be splintering, cracked and have chipping paint. The sandbox cover in the caterpillar playground is freying due to rips. 3d) The wooden playhouse in the caterpillar yard was seen to have gaps between wooden slats greater than 3.5 inches and less than 9" posing an entrapement hazard.

Emergency preparation and exiting

WAC 110-300-0166(3)(c) · Serious

3c) an exit doorway of mini caterpillar room was blocked by a dark curtain. This curtain was removed during the inspection.

Training requirements

WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious

The cook's food card has expired according to MERIT.

First-aid—CPR certification and supplies

WAC 110-300-0230(2)(b) · Serious

First aid kits were seen stored in "to-go bags" hung accessible to children in the classrooms.

Attendance records

WAC 110-300-0455(3) · Long Term

The program uses ProCare for attendance purposes. They are able to pull up a classroom to show the child roster with green dots indicating if the child is in attendance. That is all of the information they are able to show, without contacting a program supervisor who can only pull up more information from a regular computer, but that information still does not provide all WAC requirements as listed. A paper system has been implemented but staff and parents are not routinely recording the required information on the paper form.

Food preparation areas

WAC 110-300-0198(4) · Long Term

a and b) The sink in this building is for washing dishes and bottles. It is a 2 compartment sink labeled hand washing only. There is not a seperate sink from dishwashing. There is not a seperate food prep sink.

Child restraint policy

WAC 110-300-0490(1) · Long Term

Licensor requested site specific policies again on 2/7/24 and did not receive them. Policy does not meet WAC requirements.

Emergency preparedness plan

WAC 110-300-0470(1) / 110-300-0470(2) · Short Term

Licensor requested site specific policies again on 2/7/24 and did not receive them. Emergency prep policy is not site specific to include all WAC requirements.

Parent or guardian handbook and related policies

WAC 110-300-0450(2) · Long Term

Licensor requested site specific policies again on 2/7/24 and did not receive them. Parent policy is not site specific to include all WAC requirements.

Equipment and surfaces in outdoor early learning space

WAC 110-300-0146(1) · Short Term

An activity fence has holes with diameters greater than 3.5 inches in the infant yard that was not removed.

Routine care, play, learning, relaxation, and comfort

WAC 110-300-0135(2)(c) · Short Term

2b)Magnatile was found in the infant outdoor play area. A blue plastic climbing toy was in the infant outdoor play area, labeled ages 2-6 years old. A basketball 4 hoop stand is in the caterpillar play yard. It is intended for children ages 3 years-12 years. *The Kid Craft playhouse is in the beetles playground. It is intended for children 2-10 years according to the mfg website.* 2c)The caterpillar play yard has a metal bb hoop system with a netted bag which has a hole ripped around the top. In the infant classroom an activity chair was seen to have many black spots covering cloth surfaces, presenting as mold or mildew. The activity chair has been removed

Room arrangement, child-related displays, private space, and belongings

WAC 110-300-0140(5) · Long Term

In the beetle outdoor play area, the childrens outer wear was hung on hooks touching.

Infant safe sleep practices

WAC 110-300-0291(1)(a) · Serious

An infant was placed to sleep at the far end of the space, not within visual range of the staff who were in the other portion of the space. The sound machines were turned up, preventing staff from hearing the child if in distress. Dispute Description: I removed a wall at great expense and the department's suggestion, to ensure that the room is considered one space. My whole management team, Lalaine, Janelle, and Jeni had a big discussion about how the room would be considered as one space as long as I did not block or gate the area that the wall was removed from. The violation we received states that staff had placed an infant to sleep in a separate area where they did not actively supervise but there is no separate area to the space so this cannot be valid. The WAC states that a sleeping infant must be actively supervised by visibly checking every 15 minutes and be in sight and hearing RANGE. The infant and the staff were all in the same space therefore were in range of sight and hearing. I had 4 infants and 3 teachers on site that day. One teacher was on break. This is certainly an exceptional ratio. The violation also states that the sound machines were too loud to hear the child. That is the opinion and not a WAC. We have had multiple conversations about the ambiguous definition concerning what too loud and too dark is. It is the opinion of the staff that the sound machine was not too loud to hear a distressed child. We were told it was too loud at the visit which again my staff questions, but they did what they were told and lowered the volume. During one of our initial visits before we were licensed we prepared the infant room as if a child was napping and asked Jeni if this would be considered acceptable light. She was unable to give us a direct yes or no answer. We pressed for an answer and asked if she would give us a safe sleep violation at this exact moment if children were present. Again, she was unable to give us a specific yes or no answer. She said she could “probably see a child breathing” even though everyone else in the room agreed the light was more than sufficient. After this meeting we followed up with Jeni by email and asked if we could get a light meter and specific regulations from her. We never received a definite response. We are unsure about how we can avoid safe sleep violations in the future when we are provided no clarification and everything is up to her discretion. We sincerely believe the sound machines were at an acceptable volume and that we violated no safe sleep rules on November 7th.

Food allergies and special dietary needs

WAC 110-300-0186(1) / 110-300-0186(2) · Serious

1) Child S (file in the infant room) does not have a complete ICP on file for an allergy to strawberries and watermelon, but has children's benadryl onsite. 2) Staff were unsure of exact details of the allergy and response steps.

Food sources

WAC 110-300-0196(3) · Short Term

Food is prepared at a different program and transfered to this site. A waiver can be considered for this.

Medication

WAC 110-300-0215(3)(a)(ii) · Serious

3aii) Children's banedryl is available for an infant for use. The dosage amount is not listed. The instructions on the label do not match the age of the child.

Diaper changing areas, privacy, and disposal

WAC 110-300-0221(2)(b) · Short Term

1a) The diaper disposal container in the caterpillar room is placed next to a toy shelf. The handwashing sink in infant diapering area was used before giving an infant a bottle (the teacher had the bottle in their hand). 2b) there is a gap at the diaper table that doesnt extend 3.5 inches high.

Postings

WAC 110-300-0505(1)(2) · Long Term

Licensor left a sticky note on the "emergency poster" with missing items listed in the caterpillar room. "Additional info" required in RCW 43.216.687 is not posted. Location of emergency medical information for children is not posted. directions from the nearest cross street or arterial street is not posted. Insurance coverage is not posted.

Attendance records

WAC 110-300-0455(3) · Long Term

Attendance records are kept electronically. Staff are unable to produce in the momement reflection of accurate staff to child ratios in classrooms. An infant from the infant classroom has been moved from the infant room to the beetles classroom. Attendance for the beetle classroom does not reflect the child being moved. She is still sign in to the infant room, but it does not have a staff person or other children in it. The beetle teacher is sign in to the beetle classroom, but no children are signed in currently.

Program based staff policies and training

WAC 110-300-0110(2) · Long Term

Staff policies are currently not site specific to meet all WAC requirements.

Parent or guardian handbook and related policies

WAC 110-300-0450(2) · Long Term

Parent policy is not site specific to include all WAC requirements.

Emergency preparedness plan

WAC 110-300-0470(1) / 110-300-0470(2) · Short Term

Emergency prep policy is not site specific to include all WAC requirements.

Child restraint policy

WAC 110-300-0490(1) · Long Term

Policy does not meet WAC requirement. 110-300-0500(2) None