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May 29, 2026 ISSUED VIA PROVIDER HUB Jessica Sylvester, Authorized Agent Little Newtons Operating, LLC 9249 Osborn Ave. NW South Haven, MN 55382 License Number: 1111725-CCC (Child Care Center) ORDER OF CONDITIONAL LICENSE Dear Jessica Sylvester: The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is placing your license to provide child care at Red Balloon Childcare, located at 12601 Birch Avenue in Becker, on conditional status for one year, beginning May 29, 2026. This means you must meet certain conditions to maintain your license, detailed below. This order is based on your noncompliance with child care center licensing requirements. Details of our findings are also provided below. Our next steps and your options are also detailed. REASON FOR THE CONDITIONAL LICENSE On July 14, 2025, a DCYF investigator conducted an investigation at your facility located at 12601 Birch Avenue in Becker. As a result of this visit, DCYF determined that your program failed to comply with the laws and rules that apply to licensed child care centers, citing two violations. DCYF has considered the nature, chronicity, and severity of these violations, as well as the health, safety, and rights of children served by the program. · Nature and Severity: On July 14, 2025, DCYF determined that your program failed to comply with the laws and rules that apply to licensed child care centers. It was also determined that Red Balloon Childcare Center has: o Provided false or misleading information in connection with a child maltreatment investigation. o Failed to report suspected maltreatment. Providing false or misleading information in connection with a maltreatment investigation jeopardizes children’s health and safety because it impedes the Department’s ability to gather accurate information about, make correct determinations regarding, and take action to protect children in response to incidents of suspected child maltreatment. Failure to report suspected child maltreatment jeopardizes children’s health and safety because the Department relies on mandated reporters to inform the Department of incidents of suspected maltreatment. When incidents of suspected maltreatment are not reported as required, the Department remains unaware of suspected maltreatment, rendering the Department unable to take action to protect children from potentially unsafe persons or conditions. · Chronicity: Your program received its license on October 3, 2022. Since that time, your program has demonstrated a history of noncompliance with licensing rules and statutes. The information below summarizes this history: o May 29, 2026 - Conditional License (this order): 2 violations o December 17, 2025 - Correction Order: 1 violation o December 8, 2025 - Correction Order: 3 violations (2 repeat) o November 7, 2025 - Correction Order: 1 violation (1 repeat) o September 30, 2025 - Correction Order: 6 violations (6 repeat) o June 12, 2025 - Correction Order: 13 violations (12 repeat) o March 24, 2025 - Correction Order: 9 violations (8 repeat) o December 12, 2024 - Correction Order: 9 violations (6 repeat) o August 30, 2024 - Correction Order: 7 violations (7 repeat) o July 25, 2024 - Correction Order: 1 violation (1 repeat) o June 24, 2024 - Correction Order: 10 violations (8 repeat) o April 4, 2024 - Correction Order: 16 violations (6 repeat) o January 24, 2024 – Conditional License: 26 violations (12 repeat) o December 12, 2023 - Order to Pay a Fine: $200 [Background Study Fine] o November 2, 2023 - Correction Order: 11 violations (10 repeat) o July 26, 2023 - Correction Order: 25 violation (13 repeat) o May 10, 2023 - Correction Order: 25 violations o November 8, 2022 - Correction Order: 1 violation 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 child care is placed on a conditional status. Licensing Violations DCYF determined that your program failed to follow licensing rules and statutes, as described below. 1. False and Misleading Information As a result of an investigation conducted on July 14, 2025, DCYF determined that an administrative staff person knowingly withheld relevant information or provided false or misleading information to the commissioner in relation to a maltreatment investigation. It was reported that on June 23, 2025, an alleged victim (AV) was on a facility playground without staff persons’ knowledge or supervision for approximately 23 minutes. The AV was found by a family member unharmed. DCYF investigated the report as suspected neglect. During a site visit on July 14, 2025, a facility administrator (P1) told the DCYF investigator that the AV was within sight and sound of other staff persons throughout the June 23, 2025, incident and was unsupervised for “less than a minute.” However, other information obtained during the investigation showed that on a date prior to the site visit, P1 informed staff persons that the AV was unsupervised for 23 minutes during the incident. In addition, video footage of the incident showed that the AV was unsupervised for 23 minutes, and P1 acknowledged in his/her interview that s/he reviewed video footage of the incident. During a follow up interview, when P1 was presented with information that the AV was unsupervised for 23 minutes, P1 said s/he “rewatched” the video footage and “would have to recant” his/her original statement. Statute Violated: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (a), subparagraph (3). 2. Failure to Report Maltreatment Based on the maltreatment investigation, DCYF determined that two administrative staff persons (P1 and P2) had knowledge of the incident of maltreatment, but did not make a report as required. Specifically, on June 23, 2025, a staff person at the facility notified P2 of the incident, and on the same date, P2 notified P1 of the incident. However, no mandated reporter at the facility reported the incident as required. When asked why s/he did not report the incident, P1 said that “based on guidance by upper management,” s/he did not believe the incident needed to be reported. Corrective Action Required: Submit written documentation to your DCYF licensor showing that all staff have been retrained on the reporting requirements for alleged maltreatment. The documentation must identify: names of staff persons completing the training; the date of the training; and who provided the training. Documentation must be maintained in each staff person’s record. Statute Violated: Minnesota Statutes, section 260E.06, subdivision 1. Corrective action required You must correct the violations as described above. If you fail to demonstrate substantial compliance with child care center requirements or with the terms of your conditional license that are provided below, DCYF may take an additional licensing action, including revocation, against your license. Additionally, DCYF will not approve any request to increase your childcare services from the date of this order until the time your conditional license expires. CONDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS In addition to the child care center licensing rules and statutes, you are required to comply with the following terms: 1. Within 15 days from receipt of this order, you must provide written notification of the conditional status of your license to all parents/legal guardians. Prior to providing the written notification to all parents/legal guardians, you must submit the written notice to your DCYF licensor for approval. The notification must specify the length of time of the conditional status of your license, the reasons your license was made conditional, and must include either a copy of the Order of Conditional License or an offer to provide a copy of the order upon request. 2. You must develop a detailed supervision plan to ensure that children will be supervised by program staff persons at all times, consistent with the definition of supervision under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.01, subdivision 27, and in compliance with the risk reduction plan requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.54, subdivision 2, paragraph (f), (1) through (7). Within 30 days from receipt of this order, you must submit the supervision plan to your licensor for approval. Within 30 days after the supervision plan is approved by your licensor, you must provide training to all staff on the supervision plan and maintain documentation of the training in each staff person’s personnel record. You must also ensure new hires receive the same training and document the training in each new hire’s personnel record. 3. Within 45 days from receipt of this order, you must ensure that all staff persons have successfully completed training as required under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.54, subparts 1 and 2, and Minnesota Statues, chapter 260E. You also must ensure that new hires successfully complete all applicable training. You must maintain documentation of the completed training in each staff person’s personnel record. 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 choose to request reconsideration of this order, you must use the Provider Hub (https://providerhub.DCYF.mn.gov/) to submit your request. The timeline to request reconsideration began when this order was issued in the Provider Hub. Your request for reconsideration must be submitted in the Provider Hub within 10 calendar days from the date of issue. If you do not meet this deadline, you lose your right to request reconsideration. 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 1 year from that date. You continue to be required to comply with all child care center laws and rules. Posting of this licensing action You are required to place this Order of Conditional License and the accompanying maltreatment investigation memorandum in a place that is clearly noticeable to the people receiving services and all visitors to the facility for four years, even if you appeal. Legal authority for this licensing action · This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, 142B.16, subdivision 1. · Licensed child care centers are required to follow Minnesota Statutes, Chapters 142B and 260 E. · The timeline to request reconsideration of the order is provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 4. · 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. · Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 3 states that DCYF may impose additional licensing actions against a license holder that does not correct the violations cited in a conditional license order. Questions If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact Marie Tierney, Supervisor, at 651-539-8273. Sincerely,
Mary Kelsey, Licensing Director Licensing Division Office of Inspector General
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