A Greenwood day care has been put on probation through the end of September after a state inspection showed a child was inappropriately disciplined.
In order to have its probationary license lifted, Building Bridges Early Learning Center, 1211 N. Madison Ave., has to correct the violations cited in the recent inspection and can’t have any other violations within the three-month period. The day care also could undergo more inspections during the probationary period, according to the state.
This is the fourth Johnson County day care that has been placed on probation this year for violations discovered during state inspections.
The violations stem from an incident in May, when a caregiver placed a crying child in a diaper changing room.
A 2-year-old was crying inconsolably during nap time, so the caregiver took the child into the room in an attempt to keep the child away from the others that were sleeping, Building Bridges owner Deborah Rohrman said.
The caregiver then shut the door, leaving the 2-year-old in the diaper changing room alone, before another caregiver saw what was happening and removed the child from the room, Rohrman said.
The caregiver who left the child in the diaper changing room, unsupervised with the door shut, was immediately fired, Rohrman said.
“We took immediate action,” Rohrman said. “Our caregivers know all children are not to be unattended in any room by themselves. We pride ourselves on the fact we take great care of children.”
That incident violated three state-mandated guidelines for child care facilities, according to the state report.
By leaving the child unsupervised in the diaper changing room, the caregiver violated child-to-staff ratios, which dictate how many caregivers are needed, and rules on general supervision, which require children to be under the supervision of a responsible caregiver at all times, according to the state report.
State guidelines also say a child care facility cannot engage in cruel, harsh, unusual, humiliating or frightening methods of discipline. Because the child was crying and placed in a room alone, that rule was also violated, according to the state report.
Building Bridges has never been on probation prior to this incident, said Marni Lemons, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration deputy director of communications and media.
