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32 | The assistant director stated that between 09:00am-09:05am, a teacher rang a “cow bell” to signal to children that it was time to line up according to their respective classroom and prepare to transition indoors. The assistant director stated that while still on the playground, C1’s teacher performed a “name to face” head count and noticed that C1 was missing from the line. The assistant director stated that C1’s teacher then alerted her that C1 was missing from the lineup. The assistant director stated that she then walked outside to the playground from the adjacent main lobby and within approximately 30 seconds located C1 “hiding behind the playground border wall.” The assistant director stated that all other classrooms transitioned indoors except for C1’s classroom and teacher, who were still on the playground.
The assistant director stated that although C1’s teacher was not aware of C1’s exact whereabouts during the line up, C1’s classmates and C1’s teacher was still on the fully fenced playground and C1 was never left unattended. The assistant director stated that C1 was not in distress or appear to be upset. The assistant director stated that C1’s authorized representatives were notified of the incident at 09:18am that day. An Unusual Incident Report (UIR) regarding the incident was received by the Chico Child Care Regional Office. Staff members that were interviewed stated that any time children are on the playground, teachers spread out around the play yard and provide active supervision and are frequently “scanning” the yard with their eyes, listening, observing, anticipating behaviors, and engaging and redirecting children. During the LPA’s site visit, the LPA toured the playground and observed that the entire playground is fully enclosed and has a chain link perimeter fence that is at least 5 feet tall. The LPA observed that the “playground border wall” is an approximately two feet tall border made of lumber that surrounds the perimeter of the main play structure to retain protective surfacing materials.
It was alleged that on an unspecified date in October 2022, child C1 locked themselves in their classroom’s bathroom for an unspecified amount of time due to a lack of supervision. This center uses Dutch doors for its children’s bathrooms. Staff members that were interviewed all stated that the top half of the door is never engaged and is always left open so that teachers can monitor children in the bathroom. The LPA observed that the door handle on the bottom half of the Dutch door has a push lock that can be unlocked by reaching over the half door. Staff members stated that children who are potty trained are permitted to use the classroom’s bathroom without permission or the escort of a teacher. Staff stated that if a teacher notices that a child is taking longer than usual in the bathroom, they will check on the child and offer assistance. The staff member that was assigned to C1’s classroom at the time of this alleged incident could not be reached for comment as she is no longer employed by the center. The center director, assistant director, and all staff interviewed stated that they were not aware of this alleged incident. (Continued on LIC9099-C)
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