The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), has issued an Emergency Order of Suspension to We R Kids, 10221 W. 13th St., in Wichita. State law allows the Secretary of KDHE to issue such an order when, in the opinion of the Secretary, the order is necessary to protect children in the home from any potential threat to health or safety.
In its order, the KDHE alleges several violations, including shoes being taped to a child’s feet and not having enough workers to handle the number of children.
The KDHE order listed the following alleged violations from a survey conducted on done on Tuesday Aug. 17:
- Facility is allowing two known prohibited persons to regularly work in the facility.
- Staff did not provide reasonable information when providing inaccurate names of staff working the day of the survey.
- Facility is not operating with strict regard to the health, comfort, safety and social welfare of the children when a staff member was told to come to work after a doctor provided a note to stay home until 8/18/21.
- One infant, 5 weeks old, was not moved to a crib when the infant was sleeping in the bouncer. Infant was moved to a crib at the request of the surveyor.
- Children in three units did not have a bottom sheet at naptime.
- Three units do not have a staff person meeting the training requirements for the maximum capacity as stated on the license.
- The minimum staff to child ratio was not maintained in two units. The Airplane unit had one staff member with 10 toddlers and the Tree House unit has one staff member with six children between 6 weeks to 3 years of age (five of the children were infants).
- Two children were not in designated units when they were dropped off by an employee to go do the bus run. The children were left in the office with a staff member.
- A current written delegations of administrative authority is not available.
- Terms of the license was not maintained in three units.
The Tree house unit is licensed for six children between 2 weeks to 12 months or 2 weeks to 6 years (maximum 4 infants), and was operating with 6 children between 6 weeks and 3 years of age with five infants present. The Airplane unit is licensed for 10 children 12 months to 2 1/2 years and was operating with 10 children 1.6 years to 2.10 years. The Circus unit is licensed for 23 children 3 years to school age was operating with six children between the ages of 3 years to 9 years of age.
- Staff member did not demonstrate an understanding of children when taping a child’s shoes to her feet so she could not remove the shoes.
- Facility did not submit identifying information for two individuals as required for background checks.
- Facility is not in compliance with Consent Agreement dated October 21, 2020.
The KDHE order goes on to say that the next day, one of its surveyors found the following issues:
- The minimum staff to child ratio was not maintained on 8/18/21 in the Airplanes unit when there was one staff with eight children between the ages of 1.6 years to 2 years old.
- Terms of the license is not maintained on 8/18/21 in the Circus unit. The unit is licensed for 23 children ages 3 years to school age. At the time of the visit there were 18 children between 2.10 years to 8 years of age present.
- Facility did not submit identifying information for one staff as required for background check.
- Facility is not in compliance with Consent Agreement dated October 21, 2020.
An investigation was completed on the listed complaints and according to the KDHE, “Based on the results of the investigation the allegations are substantiated and additional areas of noncompliance were found not related to the complaint.”
The order is subject to appeal.