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November 7, 2024 CERTIFIED MAIL Cassandra Haldorson & Kathryn Dunaiski 6626 Munger Shaw Road Duluth, MN 55803-9464 License Number 212783 ORDER LIFTING IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION ORDER OF CONDITIONAL LICENSE Dear Ms. Haldorson & Ms. Dunaiski: Based on the recommendation from Saint Louis County Public Health and Human Service Department (Saint Louis County), the Department of Human Services (DHS) is placing your license to provide family child care at 6626 Munger Shaw Road, Duluth, MN on conditional status for two years, beginning November 7, 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. 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 a child in your care sustained a significant injury and a maltreatment determination was made against your program. DHS has determined that it is appropriate to place your 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, Saint Louis 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 New violations determined On June 18, 2024, Saint Louis County initiated a licensing investigation at your licensed program. The following are new violations that have not been the subject of a previous correction order. If you appeal this order, the following violations will be reviewed as a part of the appeal. DHS considered these violations as a factor when it determined that a Conditional License is appropriate. 1. Saint Louis County determined that you failed to provide required supervision when an infant in care sustained a broken femur. Medical professionals determined that your explanation did not match the injury. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0315, subpart 29a and Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0365, subpart 5. 2. Saint Louis County determined that you failed to follow behavior guidance standards when an infant in care sustained a broken femur. Medical professionals determined that your explanation did not match the injury. Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9502.0395, subpart 2. Previous licensing actions The following violations summarize the nature of your previous licensing violations. Because these violations are now conclusive, the individual violations are not within the scope of your appeal rights. Please refer to the previously issued orders for further details on these violations. If you do not have copies of these orders, contact your Saint Louis County licensor for assistance. DHS also considered this history as a factor when it determined that a Conditional License is appropriate. · June 21, 2024, Temporary Immediate Suspension, which determined children were at an imminent risk of harm. 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 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 submit a detailed supervision plan for how you will provide required supervision for children in care at all times. The plan must include specifics regarding diapering children. This plan must be submitted to Saint Louis County within 10 days of receiving this order. The plan must be approved by Saint Louis County. 4. You both must obtain a minimum of six hours of additional training in the content areas of active supervision and child development/behavior guidance within 60 days of receiving this order. The training is in addition to the annual training requirements as listed in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.50. Prior to attending training, you must obtain approval from Saint Louis County that the training is appropriate. You must submit documentation of your attendance to Saint Louis County. 5. You both must obtain an updated physician’s report to verify that you are physically able to provide care to children. These reports must be submitted to Saint Louis County within 30 days of receiving this order. 6. You must either provide a copy of the 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. You must provide this documentation to Saint Louis County within 30 days of receiving this order. For new families, you must submit documentation of compliance with this term to Saint Louis County within 5 days of any child’s admission to your child care program. Ongoing Monitoring Your Saint Louis 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. YOUR RIGHT TO REQUEST RECONSIDERATION You have the right to request reconsideration of this order 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 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 received 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 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 two years from that date. You continue to be required to comply with all family child care laws and rules. Prohibition against providing legally unlicensed child care On June 21, 2024, DHS issued an Order of Temporary Immediate Suspension to your family child care program, which disqualified you from providing legally unlicensed child care. You remain prohibited from providing legally unlicensed child care even if you appeal this order. Posting of this licensing action You are required to place this 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. Legal authority for this licensing action · The timeline to request reconsideration of the order is provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 4. · Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.03, subdivision 2a provides that an applicant for licensure who has received a conditional license order that has not been reversed on appeal may not operate as a legally unlicensed child care provider. · Operating an unlicensed family child care is a misdemeanor under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.03, subdivision 3. · The requirement to post this order in a clearly visible location is required under Minnesota Statutes, section 245A.06, subdivision 8. · 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. Questions If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact Beth Donahue, Supervisor, at 651-431-6565. Sincerely,
Alexandra Keys, Family Child Care Unit Manager Licensing Division Office of Inspector General cc: Kevin Feldt, Saint Louis County Public Health and Human Service Department
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