|
February 8, 2024 CERTIFIED MAIL Anna Peterson 29018 Palm Street Northwest Isanti, MN 55040-8008 License Number 1108062 FCC ORDER OF CONDITIONAL LICENSE ORDER TO PAY A FINE Dear Ms. Peterson: Based on the recommendation from Isanti County Family Services (Isanti County), the Department of Human Services (DHS) is placing your license to provide family child care at 29018 Palm Street Northwest, Isanti, MN on conditional status for one year beginning February 8, 2024. This means you must meet certain conditions to maintain your license, detailed below. This order is based on your level of noncompliance with family child care licensing requirements. Our next steps and your options are also provided below. In addition, DHS is ordering you to pay a fine of $200. Details of our findings are provided below. REASON FOR THE CONDITIONAL LICENSE 1. Commissioner’s evaluation of program In determining whether a licensing action is warranted, DHS evaluated the facts, conditions, and circumstances concerning your program’s operation. This includes consideration of the well-being of children served in your program, available evaluations from consumers of your program, and information about the qualifications of caregivers working in your program. Specifically, because you repeatedly failed to keep your program in clean and sanitary condition and because you failed to comply with correction orders. DHS has determined that it is appropriate to place your family child care license on conditional status based on the violations identified below and the program evaluation. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.04, subdivision 6. 2. Failure to comply with licensing laws and rules As a result of previous licensing visits, Isanti County determined that your program failed to comply with the laws and rules for licensed family child care. DHS has considered the nature, chronicity, and severity of these violations, which are provided below. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 1. Nature, history and severity of violations determined Previously, on July 26, 2021, you were licensed for family child care. Due to your program being located by a high traffic area and areas of wet land, you were granted a variance to allow you to have a temporary fence that needed to remain in good condition until a permanent fence was installed. Isanti County determined that you failed to ensure the fence was in good condition when it was observed to be down and had a large opening near the area of traffic. As a result, you were issued a correction order on March 8, 2022. Isanti County had given you two extensions on a variance so that you would have time to complete installing a permanent fence by July 5, 2023. You failed to install a permeant fence and as a result you were issued a correction order on July 21, 2023. On June 21, 2023, Isanti County made an unannounced visit to your family child care home. As a result of the visit, you were issued a correction order for the following licensing violations: · You failed to ensure that combustible items were not within 18 inches of the furnace. · You failed to ensure that three electrical outlets were shielded as required. · You failed to ensure that the program was free of accumulations of dirt, clutter, and rubbish when: o The kitchen and dining room has food on the floor. o The dining room has plastic forks, a bottle with milk in it, and plates on the floor. o Wrappers from ice cream were observed on the floor. o There were small black shreds on the floor that could be a choking hazard. o The kitchen counters were full of items and the kitchen sink was full of dishes. o Tables and highchairs were dirty. o Plates of food from lunch were still on the table at 3:00 p.m. o The downstairs bathroom was cluttered with clothes and other items. o A downstairs bedroom was cluttered with clothes and items such as paper plates so that you could not walk in the room without stepping on something. · You failed to ensure that hazards were inaccessible to children in care when a battery and used band aid were observed on the floor. · You failed to provide documentation of fire and storm drills as required. · You failed to provide documentation of current immunization records for a child in care. · You failed to provide documentation of annual crib safety inspections as required. On July 11, 2023, Isanti County made a follow up visit to your family child care home. As a result of the visit, you were issued a correction order for the following licensing violations: · You failed to ensure that electrical outlets were shielded as required. · You failed to ensure that the program was free of accumulations of dirt, clutter, and rubbish when: o The kitchen table still had dirty dishes with food on them. o There were cups with milk still sitting out from lunch. o There were food and dirty plates on the floor. o A downstairs bedroom was cluttered with clothes, water bottles and other items so that you could not walk in the room without stepping on something. o A bedroom used for sleeping infants and toddlers had clothing, blankets and other clutter covering the entire floor. · You failed to ensure that hazards were inaccessible to children in care when two batteries were accessible to children in care. You were to make corrections and submit documentation of compliance to Isanti County by July 17, 2023. You failed to respond to the correction order and as a result, Isanti made a visit to your program on September 12, 2023. During the visit, Isanti County determined that you continued to fail to ensure your program was free of dirt, was clean and clutter free and safe for children. On September 12, 2023, you were issued a correction order for failure to comply with the corrections orders issued on June 21, and July 11, 2023. Additionally, during the September 12, 2023, visit Isanti County determined the following licensing violations: · You failed to ensure that electrical outlets were shielded as required. · You failed to ensure that a broken toy and a wrapper posing a chocking hazard were inaccessible to children in care. · You failed to ensure that kitchen counter and sink were clean and clutter free. · You failed to ensure that your dining room and kitchen floor were free of food and dirt. · You failed to ensure the bathroom was free of clutter when there was a path through the bathroom. Severity of violations Due to the serious and chronic nature of these violations, and the conditions in the program, which impact the health and safety of children served in your care, your license to provide family child care is placed on a conditional status. Conditional License Terms In addition to the licensing rules and statutes for family child care, you are required to comply with the following terms: 1. You must follow and comply with all applicable Minnesota Rules and Laws. 2. No variances to age distribution or capacity will be granted during the conditional period. 3. You must work with Isanti County to obtain a mentor to work on ensuring you are following all family child care rules and laws in particular pertaining to keeping your family child care program clean, organized, and free of health and safety issues. You must also work to develop a system for your paperwork to ensure it is accessible and complete on time. The mentor must be obtained within 30 days of receiving this order. You must also sign a release of information for Isanti County to communicate with the mentor to follow up on your progress. The release must be signed within 5 days of obtaining a mentor. 4. You must each obtain a minimum of six hours of additional training within 60 days of this the issuance of this order. The training is in addition to the annual training requirements as listed in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.50. The training must be in the area of professionalism. You must obtain approval from Isanti County that the training is appropriate, and you must submit documentation of your attendance to Isanti County. 5. You must either provide a copy of the Order to Pay a Fine and Order of Conditional License to parents of children in care or document that all parents have been given an opportunity to review the order. You must obtain parent signatures of each currently enrolled child, indicating they have either received a copy of the order or had an opportunity to review the order and submit documentation to Isanti County within 30 days of receiving this order. For new families, you must submit documentation of compliance with this term to Isanti County within 5 days of any child’s admission to your child care program. Ongoing Monitoring Your Isanti County licensor will monitor your compliance with these terms and with all of the family child care rules and laws. This will include unannounced visits. If you fail to demonstrate substantial compliance with family child care requirements or with the terms of your conditional license that are provided above, DHS may take an additional licensing sanction, including a revocation of your license. REASON FOR FINE Failure to Comply with Correction Order On June 21, 2023, Isanti County made an unannounced visit to your family child care program. As a result of the visit, Isanti County determined that you failed to keep your program in safe and sanitary condition. Following the visit, you were issued a correction order and were to correct the citations. You returned the correction order indicating that you had made the corrections. On July 11, 2023, Isanti County made a follow visit to your program. Isanti determined that you again failed to keep your program in safe and sanitary condition. You were issued a correction order for licensing violations. You were to make corrections and submit documentation of compliance to Isanti County by July 17, 2023. You failed to respond to the correction order and as a result, Isanti County made a visit to your program on September 12, 2023. During the visit, Isanti County determined that you continued to fail to ensure your program was free of dirt, was clean and clutter free and safe for children. On September 12, 2023, you were issued a correction order for failure to comply with the correction orders issued on June 21, and July 11, 2023. You have repeatedly failed to comply with correction orders. Statute Violated: Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 3. Fine: $200 Total Fine Amount $200 Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.07, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), subparagraph (4)(i). YOUR APPEAL/RECONSIDERATION RIGHTS If You Wish to Appeal the Fine and the Conditional License, or Just the Fine You have the right to appeal both the fine and the conditional license, or only the fine. Your request must be in writing and clearly state that you are requesting a contested case hearing for this matter. Your request must be made before the deadlines provided below. If you do not meet this deadline, you lose your right to an administrative appeal. The timeline to appeal began when you received this order. If you are mailing your request, it must be sent by certified mail and postmarked within 10 calendar days from when you receive this order. Please send it to: Commissioner, Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General Legal Counsel’s Office Attention: Licensing Legal Unit PO Box 64953 St. Paul, MN 55164-0953 If your request is being personally delivered, it must be received by DHS within 10 calendar days from when you receive this order. Please bring it to: Commissioner, Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General Legal Counsel’s Office Attention: Licensing Legal Unit 444 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, MN 55155 Upon DHS’ receipt of your timely appeal, your case would be scheduled for a contested case hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge. Following this hearing, the Commissioner of DHS will issue a final order. If You Wish to Only Appeal the Conditional License If you are not appealing the fine, you do not have a right to a contested case hearing. However, you have the right to request reconsideration of the conditional license and the cited violations. Your request must: · Be in writing · Clearly state that you are requesting reconsideration of the conditional license · List each citation you are challenging and identify what is inaccurate or incomplete about the information in the order · Supply information that is accurate or more complete · State why you believe your license should not be on a conditional status · Be made before the deadlines provided below If you are mailing your request, it must be sent by certified mail and postmarked within 10 calendar days from when you received this order. If you do not meet this deadline, you lose your right to request reconsideration. The timeline to appeal began when you received this order. Please send it to: Commissioner, Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General Licensing Division Attention: Legal Unit PO Box 64242 St. Paul, MN 55164-0242 If your request is being personally delivered, it must be received by DHS within 10 calendar days from when you received this order. Please bring it to: Commissioner, Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General Licensing Division Attention: Legal Unit 444 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, MN 55155 Billing and Payment of the Fine DHS will send you an invoice for the $200 fine. Payment must be made as directed on the invoice. If you request a contested case hearing, as described above, do not pay the fine at this time. Following the contested case hearing, the Commissioner of DHS will issue a final order on this matter. Please note, you may not avoid payment of this fine by closing, selling, or otherwise transferring the license to a third party. If this occurs, you are personally responsible for payment. If you do not pay the fine on or before the date specified on the invoice and you did not request a contested case hearing, as described above, the Commissioner may issue a second fine, may not issue or reissue a license, or may suspend the license until the license holder pays the fine. Conditional license stayed pending reconsideration If you request reconsideration within the timeframes described above, the terms of the conditional license will not take effect until a decision is issued by DHS. If the conditional license is affirmed on reconsideration, the terms would take effect on the date of the reconsideration decision, and run for one year from that date. You continue to be required to comply with all family child care laws and rules. Legal representation at the contested case hearing You do not need a lawyer to appeal. However, a lawyer can help you with your appeal. The state or county will not get you a lawyer and will not pay for a lawyer. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may be able to get free legal advice or help with your appeal. To find out if free help is available, contact: Volunteer Lawyers Network at 612-752-6677; Central Minnesota Legal Services at 612-332-8151; Southern Minnesota Legal Services at 651-222-4731; or go to www.lawhelpmn.org to find a local legal services program that may be able to help you. You can also find information on contested cases from the Office of Administrative Hearings website at https://mn.gov/oah/self-help. Click on Administrative Law Overview, then click on Administrative Law Contested Case Hearing Guide for a list of frequently asked questions. Posting of this licensing action You are required to place this Order to Pay a Fine and Order of Conditional License in a place that is clearly noticeable to the people receiving services and all visitors to the facility for two years, even if you appeal. Prohibition against providing legally unlicensed child care If this action is not reversed on appeal, you will not be allowed to provide legally unlicensed child care to unrelated children. Operating an unlicensed family child care home is a misdemeanor offense. Legal authority for this licensing action · This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.07, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), which describes under which conditions DHS may impose a fine against a license. · DHS may impose a $200 fine for each health, safety, or supervision licensing violation under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.07, subdivision 3, paragraph (c)(4)(iv). · Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.07, subdivision 3, paragraph (c)(5) states that license holders may not avoid payment of a fine by closing, selling, or transferring a license. · Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.04, subdivision 7, paragraph (d)(4), states that DHS shall not issue or reissue a license if the applicant, license holder, or controlling individual has an outstanding debt related to a license fee, licensing fine, or settlement agreement for which payment is delinquent. · Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.07, subdivision 3, paragraph (c)(2), states that that the license holder shall pay the fine assessed on or before the payment date specified, and if the license holder does not do so the commissioner may issue a second fine or suspend the license until the license holder complies. · The timeline to request reconsideration of the order of conditional license is provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 4. · License holders have a right to appeal licensing actions and request a contested case hearing, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14 and Minnesota Rules, parts 1400.8505 to 1400.8612. · If a license holder files a timely reconsideration request, the terms of the conditional license are stayed pending a decision by DHS under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 4. · Under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 4, if DHS issues a dual order to pay a fine and a conditional license and the license holder appeals both the fine and the conditional license, DHS will not do a separate reconsideration of the conditional license. If the license holder does not appeal the fine but requests reconsideration of the conditional license, then the license holder does not have a right to a hearing and DHS will conduct a reconsideration of the conditional license. · The requirement to post this order in a clearly visible location is required under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 8. OR The requirement to post this order in a clearly visible location is required under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.07, subdivision 5. · Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 245A.03, subdivision 2b, subdivision 1 states that a child care provider who has received a fine or a conditional license under Minnesota Statutes, Section 245A.06 that has not been reversed on reconsideration or appeal may not provide unlicensed child care to non-relatives. · Operating a prohibited unlicensed family child care program is a misdemeanor offense under Minnesota Statutes, Section 245A.03, subdivision 3. Questions If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact me at 651-431-6565. Sincerely,
Beth Donahue, Supervisor Licensing Division Office of Inspector General cc: Jennifer Darling, Isanti County Family Services
|
