Minnesota

April 24, 2026                    CERTIFIED MAIL

Katrina VanDeVenter

14326 Balsam Boulevard

Becker, MN 55308-8851

License Number 1108332 FCC

ORDER OF CONDITIONAL LICENSE

Dear VanDeVenter:

Based on the recommendation of Sherburne County Health and Human Services (Sherburne County), the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is placing your license to provide family child care at 14326 Balsam Boulevard, Becker, MN on conditional status for one year beginning April 24, 2026. 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, DCYF 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 failed to provide required supervision. DCYF 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 142B.10, subdivision 13.

2.  Failure to comply with licensing laws and rules

As a result of previous licensing visits, Sherburne County determined that your program failed to comply with the laws and rules for licensed family child care. DCYF has considered the nature, chronicity, and severity of these violations, which are provided below.

Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 1.

Nature, history and severity of violations

Violations determined

On March 13, 2026, Sherburne County received a report regarding your family child care program. Sherburne County investigated the report and determined that you failed to provide required supervision when you left four children under school age unattended in your program while you walked two school age children to the bus stop four houses away from yours. You admitted that you used a monitor and were gone for approximately 15 minutes. However, you were not capable of intervening as required.

The following are new violations that have not been the subject of a previous correction order. DCYF considered these violations as a factor when it determined that a Conditional License is appropriate.

1) Failure to provide supervision to children under school age that were in your care.

Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules, part 9502. 0315, subpart 29a and Minnesota Rules, part 9502. 0365, subpart 5.

Previous licensing actions

The following violations summarize the nature of your previous licensing violations. Please refer to the previously issued correction orders for further details on these violations. If you do not have copies of these orders, contact your Sherburne County licensor for assistance. DCYF also considered this history as a factor when it determined that a Conditional License is appropriate.

· January 21, 2022, Correction Order, which cited the following licensing violations:

o You failed to train a substitute caregiver on your emergency preparedness plan.

o You failed to provide documentation of annual training as required.

You did not request reconsideration of the above correction order.

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 follow the detailed written supervision plan submitted to and approved by Sherburne County on March 20, 2026.

4. You must obtain a minimum of six hours of additional training within 60 days of this order. The training is in addition to the annual training requirements as listed in Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.70. The training must be in the area of supervision. You must obtain prior approval from Sherburne County to ensure that the training is appropriate, and you must submit documentation of your attendance to Sherburne County.

5. 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 Sherburne County within 30 days of this order. For new families, you must submit documentation of compliance with this term to Sherburne County within 5 days of any child’s admission to your child care program.

If you close or temporarily stop services at license no. 1108332 during the conditional license period, you must complete any remaining duration and/or terms of this conditional license in the event you apply for and are approved for a new family child care license or resumes services at license no. 1108332.

Ongoing Monitoring

Your Sherburne 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, DCYF 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 Children, Youth, and Families

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 DCYF within 10 calendar days from when you received this order. Please bring it to:

Commissioner, Department of Children, Youth, and Families

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 DCYF. 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.

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.

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

· Under Minnesota Statutes, section 245C.14, an individual who is disqualified following a background study may not be retained in a position involving direct contact or access to persons served by a licensed program unless the disqualification has been set aside or a variance has been granted.

· The timeline to request reconsideration of the order is provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 4.

· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 4, provides that an applicant for licensure who has received a conditional license order that has not been reversed on appeal may not provide unlicensed child care to non-relatives. Operating a prohibited unlicensed family child care is a misdemeanor under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 5.

· The requirement to post this order in a clearly visible location is required under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 5.

· If a license holder files a timely reconsideration request, the terms of the conditional license are stayed pending a decision by DCYF under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 4.

Questions

If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact me at 651-431-6565.

Sincerely,

A picture containing letter

AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Beth Donahue, Supervisor

Licensing Division

Office of Inspector General

cc: Anna Byrnes, Sherburne County Health and Human Services


PO Box 64242 • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 55164-0242 • An Equal Opportunity and Veteran Friendly Employer

https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/licensing/