Minnesota

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October 13, 2026

Siarah Hungerholt 701 Willow Street

Fairmont, MN 56031-4131 License Number 1119525 FCC

ORDER OF LICENSE REVOCATION

Dear Ms. Hungerholt:


CERTIFIED MAIL

Based on the recommendation of Health and Human Services Faribault-Martin Counties (HSFMC), the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is revoking your license to provide family child care at 701 Willow Street Fairmont, MN. Details of our findings are provided below. Our next steps and your options are also detailed.

REASON FOR LICENSE REVOCATION

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 in your program, available evaluations from consumers of your program, and information about the qualifications of caregivers working in your program. For the reasons specified below, DCYF has determined that revocation of your license is appropriate based on the violations identified below and the program evaluation.

Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.10, subdivision 13.

2. Determination that the license holder is responsible for maltreatment

Maltreatment Determination

On August 24, 2026, HSFMC determined that you were responsible for maltreatment of a minor by neglect.

On September 4, 2026, HSFMS issued an addendum to the maltreatment notice, as the appeal rights were omitted from the August letter. You were informed of your right to request reconsideration of the maltreatment determination. Because you did not make a timely request for reconsideration, the agency’s maltreatment determination is final. If you appeal this revocation order, as explained below, the underlying maltreatment determination will not be reviewed as a part of the contested case hearing.

Statute Violated: Minnesota Statutes, section 260E.03

PO Box 64242 * Saint Paul, Minnesota * 55164-0242 * An Equal Opportunity Employer

Page 2

Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (a), subparagraph (1).

License holders found responsible for maltreatment are required to pay a $1000 fine for each determination of maltreatment of a minor. Because license revocation is a more severe sanction against your license, DCYF is not imposing this fine. If the revocation is rescinded, DCYF may impose the fine at that time.

3. Failure to comply with licensing laws and rules

HSFMC determined that you failed to fully comply with the laws and rules that apply to licensed family child care. DCYF has considered the nature, chronicity, or severity of the violations that led to the revocation of your license.

Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (a), subparagraph (1).

Nature, history and severity of violations

On July 13, 2026, HSFMC received a child protection report alleging that you are incapable of providing care to the enrolled children due to substance use or abuse. HSFMS initiated an investigation into the report, and it determined that you are disqualified from providing care under Minnesota Rule 9502.0335, subpart 6.A.

Rule Violated: Minnesota Rules 9502.0335, subpart 6.A

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 HSFMC licensor for assistance. DCYF also considered this history as a factor when it determined that revocation of your license is appropriate.

· July 14, 2026, Temporary Immediate Suspension, which determined children were at an imminent risk of harm. You did not appeal this Order.

Severity of violations

Many of the violations relate to the health and safety of persons served. DCYF also considered the severity of these violations when it determined that revocation of your license is appropriate.

Because you are responsible for maltreatment of children and due to the serious nature of the licensing 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 services is revoked.

YOUR RIGHT TO APPEAL

You have the right to appeal the revocation. 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 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

Upon DCYF’s 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 DCYF will issue a final order. If you do not appeal or if the order is affirmed by the Commissioner following a hearing, DCYF is prohibited from issuing you a license for five years. In addition, any additional licenses held by you shall also be revoked.

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.

Questions about CCAP

If you are a provider registered to receive Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) payments, this [revocation/suspension/decertification] order could impact your ability to receive CCAP funding. If your CCAP registration is closed or denied as a result of this Licensing action, you will get a separate notice(s).

If you have questions about:

· Your CCAP registration, and you get a notice telling you your registration is being closed or denied, contact the DCYF Provider Support team at CCAP.Providers.DCYF@state.mn.us or 651-431-4848.

· Billing or payments for specific children, contact the county or CCAP agency where the children get CCAP.

Prohibition against providing legally unlicensed child care

On July 14, 2026, DCYF 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 License Revocation 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.

· This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, which describes under which conditions DCYF may revoke a license.

· When a revocation of a license is based on a maltreatment determination and/or a disqualification for which reconsideration was timely requested and which was not set aside, the scope of the contested case hearing for the revocation shall also include the maltreatment and/or disqualification and set aside under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.20, subdivision 3, paragraph (a).

· When a revocation of a license is based on a maltreatment determination and/or a disqualification of an individual other than the license holder, the hearings of all parties may be consolidated into a single contested case hearing upon consent of all parties and the administrative law judge, under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.20, subdivision 3, paragraph (f).

· Minnesota Statutes, section 245C.29, subdivision 1 states that a maltreatment determination is final if the commissioner has issued a final order following an appeal, the individual did not request reconsideration of the maltreatment determination, or the individual did not request a hearing of the maltreatment determination.

· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), subparagraph (4), states that license holders shall pay a $1000 fine for each determination of maltreatment under 260E.

· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), subparagraph (4)(iv), states that license holders shall pay a $200 for each background study violation.

· Minnesota Statutes, section 245.095 defines which programs administered by DCYF are included in the exclusion provision, and further defines “excluded,” “individual,” and “provider.”

· License holders have a right to appeal licensing actions and request a contested case hearing, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14, Minnesota Rules, parts 1400.8505 to 1400.8612, and Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.20.

· Under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.10, subdivision 14, paragraph (d), subparagraph (3), the commissioner shall not issue or reissue a license if the applicant, license holder, or controlling individual has had a license issued under this chapter or chapter 245A revoked within the past five years.

· Under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.10, subdivision 14, paragraph (d), when a license issued under this chapter is revoked under clause (1) or (3), the license holder and controlling individual may not hold any license under chapter 142B or chapter 245A for five years following the revocation, and other licenses held by the applicant, license holder, or controlling individual shall also be revoked.

· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 4, provides that child care provider who has received a license revocation 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.18, subdivision 6.

Questions

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

Sincerely,

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Alexandra Keys Unit Manager Licensing Division

Office of Inspector General

cc: Audrey Schultz, Health and Human Services Faribault-Martin Counties


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

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