Friday, December 30, 2011

Suspensions of Child Day Care Licenses in Washington State - A Sample of the Problems that can Occur in Licensed Day Care

Through making a public disclosure request (which all parents have a right to do) from the Department of Early Learning in Washington State I received a spreadsheet on the 70 licensed day care providers and centers who were suspended in the time frame of July 13, 2010 to June 1, 2011.

Just to give you an idea of what kind of problems I saw as a licensor and what kinds of problems were seen in this one year period of time in Washington State in licensed day care I've copied in below just those factors.

I apologize for not having time to clean up the document information from copying it off of a spreadsheet, but wanted to get as much information out to parents as I can to give you perhaps a heads up on the issues that can come up in licensed child day care in Washington State.  Other states have a similar pattern.

The Department of Early Learning is required by law (passed in 2007 by the Washington State legislature) to post this information on their website. DEL's unelected bureaucratic managers will not obey this law.

I have said repeatedly this information is vital to parents having to make decisions on where to put their children while they must go to work.  I've also said repeatedly that there are providers whose licenses were revoked that went back to providing care; unlicensed care (see one such example below).  

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Notes from spreadsheet on some of the 70 licensed and/or unlicensed child day care providers from July 2010 to June 2011:
In the process of appealing, per Mary Kay 9-20-10. Hearing set for Jan. 18-21, 2011. Stipulated settlement agreement signed by owner, per MKQ, 2-8-11; Suspension and Revocation rescinded as part of the settlement agreement
Amended to Revocation; letter dated 8/26/10. Settlement agreement reached and Order of Dismissal filed 11-1-10.
Also, staff person did not have a background clearance; Amended notice of summary suspension sent out 9/29/10
Also multiple WAC violations. See LCIR. "Cease and Desist" letter sent 11/1/10 (still doing care, unlicensed)
Husband has been disqualified.  Withdrawn 10-21-10.
Amended to "Revoked;" letter dated 9-24-10
Also pending criminal charge, untruthfulness, multiple WAC violations
Additional history of health and safety concerns; Amended notice of summary suspension (now revoked) sent out 10/1/10. Update as of 3-4-11, ALJ stated that Ms. Griffin has NOT appealed. Revoked. Petition to Reinstate Hearing and to vacate the Order of Dismissal is denied, per letter dated 6/30/11
Sum Susp rescinded, per letter dated 10/18/10
Also over capacity
Withdrawn 11-10-10.
Amended Sum Susp letter sent 10/13/10 (same reason).  Order of Dismissal 11-10-10.
Pending DLR/CPS investigation
Person arrested for stealing PTO funds; pending crime. Amended Summary Suspension letter dated 2/3/11
Mold and lead paint. Amended to  Denied and Revoked 4/18/11.
Provider's son involved in drive by shooting, drug parahpernalia
11/15/11 Initial Order - Susp Upheld.
Also Supervision/Staffing  issues. Sum Suspension is rescinded, due to closure of license (letter dated 8-19-11)
DV incident at Fam Home CC
Husband moved into home - he has allegations of sexually abusing children - no background check done.
Licensors in house, provider's husband began yelling at them - felt threatened.
Provider's son was an assistant.  He is in jail for child pornography - investigation by Renton Police and Yakima Sheriff continues.


10-21-11 letter amended to include Revocation
Mostly Supervision issues; this center was on a Probationary license
Third initial license; also denied a full license; Settlement agreement
Child 1 1/2 to 2 yrs old observed standing in street. Order of Dismissal dated 5/13/11 - appellant agreed to probationary license and DEL agreed to withdraw the suspension
3 month old sleeping in a swing.  Amended 2/24/11. Stay of Sum Suspension denied 4/20/11.

6/3/11 Order of dismissal - appellant failed to appear.
11/16/11 Initial Order - Susp and Revoc Set Aside by ALJ Heidi Bolong
12-5-11 DEL Appealed Initial Order decision to a review judge
Supervision and failure to report; child suffered a seizure and was hospitalized after unqualified staff failed to administer medication. Provider has requested a stay; in a letter received 4/13/11, the stay was denied. "Notice of hearing" letter received 4/28/11. Hearing to be held 9/27 and 9/28, 2011. Sum Suspension amended to Revoked 4/29/11 (after IA, provider received a Founded for CA/N)
Provider's boyfriend was disqualified.  Continued living there and was left alone with children. Amended 6/9/11 to include Revocation and Denial of license.

8-3-11 Settlement Agreement - provider voluntarily surrenders license in agreement not to seek another license for 5 years.
appeal letter 3/3/11.

6/1/11 Intial Order stay NOT granted - ALJ Randolph Bolong.
DEL suspension upheld
Did not report change in circumstances (provider had a stroke)
Withdrawn in a letter dated 3/22/11
Mostly health and safety violations; letter stating the Sum Susp withdrawn dated 3/17/11
Sum Suspension rescinded in a letter dated 4/27/11
Two toddlers escaped the facility and were found by strangers near a busy road; in addition, fiance of provider had been left to supervise without a cleared background check
Provider's own child died; screened into DLR/CPS
Stay denied. Settlement agreement and Order of Dismissal, 11/8/11
Main issue: overcapacity (not in drop-down). Also unqualified assistants.
6/21/11 DEL lifted susp.
8-9-11 Order of Dismissal.
Stay pending; license no longer valid since provider moved. Sum Susp Amended to include Revocation, 9/9/11
6/1/11 Order of dismissal - appellant failed to appear.
7/27/11 Amended Susp letter
Also Denied and Revoked
DLR/CPS investigation; provider allegedly left 5 children locked in her home for over 30 minutes
Also other issues (Failure to Report, Supervision). Order of Dismissal on Appellant Withdrawal, Suspension dated 12/2/11
Also Denied and Revoked
Also Denied and Revoked
Initial Order dated 11/30/11 upheld the Sum Susp, Revoc and Denial
dog bit child.
Amended 6/16/11.

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