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November 9, 2026 CERTIFIED MAIL
Kelly Fiecke
1107 Abbott Avenue North Glencoe, MN 55336
License Number 1076444 FCC
AMENDED ORDER LIFTING TEMPORARY IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION ORDER OF CONDITIONAL LICENSE
ORDER TO PAY A FINE Dear Ms. Fiecke:
Based on the recommendation of McLeod County Human Services (McLeod County), on August 1, 2025, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) lifted the Temporary Immediate Suspension that was issued on May 8, 2025, and placed your license to provide family child care at 2604 9th Street East, Glencoe, MN 55336 on conditional status through July 31, 2027. DCYF is issuing this Amended Order because you have moved your family child care program to a new location at 1107 Abbott Avenue North, Glencoe, MN 55336. You must continue to meet the conditions imposed in the original August 1, 2025, Order to maintain your license, as detailed below. The imposition of a conditional license based on your level of noncompliance with family child care licensing requirements, as detailed below. The next steps and your options are also provided below.
In addition, on August 1, 2025, DCYF ordered you to pay a fine of $1000.You paid this fine on October 9, 2025, and no further actions are needed regarding the fine order.
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 in your program, available evaluations from consumers of your program, and information about the qualifications of caregivers working in your program. Specifically, because you have been found responsible for maltreatment, and because a child left your program without 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.
PO Box 64242 * Saint Paul, Minnesota * 55164-0242 * An Equal Opportunity Employer 2. Failure to comply with licensing laws and rules
As a result of previous licensing visits, McLeod 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
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 McLeod County licensor for assistance. DCYF also considered this history as a factor when it determined that a Conditional License is appropriate.
· May 8, 2025, Temporary Immediate Suspension, which determined children in your care were at an imminent risk of harm. When you failed to provide required supervision when a preschool aged child left your program. The child walked roughly ¼ mile, through a ditch with water and crossed two lanes of a four-lane highway. The child tripped on the median and a community member stopped to pick up the child.
· February 14, 2025, Correction Order, which cited you for failing to ensure that a carbon monoxide detector was within 10 feet of all spaces used for sleeping.
· October 9, 2024, Correction Order, which cited you for the following violations:
o You failed to provide documentation that sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and abusive head trauma (AHT) training was completed annually as required.
o You failed to provide documentation that 16 hours of annual training was completed as required.
· October 25, 2022, Correction Order, which cited you for the following violations:
o You failed to provide documentation that water from a privately owned well was tested annually as required.
o You failed to provide documentation that 16 hours of annual training was completed as required.
· March 16, 2022, Correction Order, which cited you for failing to provide required supervision when a preschool aged child was outside playing with school aged children, and you were inside the residence.
· September 8, 2021, Correction Order, which cited you for the following violations:
o You failed to follow age and ratio distribution when you had nine children under school aged and your C1 license only allowed 8.
o You failed to ensure your water temperature was at or below 120 degrees Fahrenheit when your water temperature was 125.1 degrees Fahrenheit.
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 an updated written supervision plan that pertains to your program at 1107 Abbot Avenue North Glencoe, MN to McLeod County. This plan must outline your plan for supervising children while playing outside. This plan must be submitted within 15 days of this order and approved by McLeod County.
4. You must install a fence around your outdoor play space within 60 days of this order. You have completed this term at the previous location. If your licensor determines a fence is required at this new location, you will be responsible for that.
5. You must complete at least eight hours of additional training within 60 days of receiving this order. The training is in addition to the annual training requirements as listed in Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.70. The training(s) must include the topic of active supervision. You must get approval from McLeod County prior to attending the training(s) and you must submit documentation of your attendance to McLeod County. You have completed this term.
6. You must either provide a copy of the Amended 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 of compliance with this term to McLeod County within 30 days of this order. For new families, you must submit documentation of compliance with this term to McLeod County within 5 days of any child’s enrollment to your child care program.
If you close or temporarily stop services at license no. 1076444 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 is approved for a new family child care license or resumes services at license no. 1076444.
Ongoing Monitoring
Your McLeod 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.
REASON FOR FINE
Determination of Maltreatment
It was reported that a preschool aged child left your program. The child walked roughly ¼ mile, through a ditch with water and crossed two lanes of a four-lane highway. The child tripped on the median and a community member stopped to pick up the child and drove them to safety.
McLeod County investigated the report as alleged maltreatment by neglect. Based on the maltreatment investigation, McLeod County determined that you were responsible for neglect of a minor. Specifically, neglect for failing to provide necessary supervision.
On June 5, 2025, McLeod County notified you of the maltreatment determination and of your right to request reconsideration. You did not make a timely request for reconsideration. The maltreatment determination is now final. If you appeal this fine order, as described below, the maltreatment determination will not be reviewed as a part of the contested case hearing.
Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 260E.06
Total Fine Amount $1000-PAID Because McLeod County determined that you are responsible for maltreatment of a minor you were required to pay a $1000 fine. You paid this on October 9,2025.
Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), subparagraph (4)(ii).
YOUR APPEAL/RECONSIDERATION RIGHTS
On August 1, 2025, you were issued an Order Lifting the Temporary Immediate Suspension, an Order of Conditional and an Order to Pay a Fine. You did pay your fine as required and have met some of the items of the conditional that was originally issued on August 1, 2025. You must continue to comply with and fulfill the terms of the conditional at your new location.
You did not appeal or seek reconsideration of the August 1, 2025 Orders. Accordingly, those sanctions are final and you have no appeal or reconsideration rights in relation to this Amended Order, which is being issued solely because you have moved the location of your family child care program. T
Posting of this licensing action
You are required to place this Order Lifting the Temporary Immediate Suspension, Order of Conditional License, and Order to Pay a Fine 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
On May 8, 2025, 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.
Legal authority for this licensing action
· This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), which describes under which conditions DCYF may impose a fine against a license.
· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), subparagraph (4)(i), provides that DCYF may impose a $1000 fine for each determination of maltreatment for which the license holder is determined responsible.
· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), subparagraph (5), states that license holders may not avoid payment of a fine by closing, selling, or transferring a license.
· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.12, subdivisions 5 and 8, state that DCYF 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 142B.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (c), subparagraph (c), 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 142B.16, 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 DCYF under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 4.
· Under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.16, subdivision 4, if DCYF issues a dual order to pay a fine and a conditional license and the license holder appeals both the fine and the conditional license, DCYF 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 DCYF 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 142B.18, subdivision 6.
· Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 4, provides that a child care provider who has received a Fine or Conditional Order that has not been reversed on appeal may not operate as a legally unlicensed child care provider to non-relatives.
· Operating a prohibited unlicensed family child care is a misdemeanor under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 5.
Questions
If you have any further questions regarding this matter, you may contact Beth Donahue, Supervisor, at 651-431-6565.
Sincerely,
Alexandra Keys, Unit Manager Licensing Division
Office of Inspector General
cc: Alea Bruender, McLeod County Human Services
PO Box 64242 • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 55164-0242 • An Equal Opportunity and Veteran Friendly Employer https://mn.gov/dhs/general-public/licensing/
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