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September 23, 2025 PERSONAL SERVICE Lisa Weiss, Authorized Agent Rocking Horse Ranch, Inc. 14859 Louisiana Ave S Savage, MN 55378 License Number 1120376 (Child Care Center) ORDER OF TEMPORARY IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION Dear Lisa Weiss, The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is immediately suspending your license to provide child care at 14856 Louisiana Ave S, Savage, Minnesota. This immediate suspension is based on a determination that children served by your program are at an imminent risk of harm. Details of our findings are provided below. Our next steps and your options are also detailed. The temporary immediate suspension goes into effect immediately on September 23, 2025. At this time, you are prohibited from providing child care. You are also prohibited from operating as a legally unlicensed child care provider at this time. REASON FOR TEMPORARY IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION There is an imminent risk of harm to persons served. On September 22, 2025, DCYF was notified of two instances of emergency medical services needed for infants in your care who exhibited similar and significant respiratory distress symptoms on Friday, September 19, 2025, and Monday, September 22, 2025. One of the children died on September 22, 2025. The specific cause of the medical emergencies and the death of one of the infants is currently under investigation. Based on these findings, DCYF cannot ensure the health and safety of the children served by your program at this time. DCYF has determined that the health, safety, and rights of children in your care are in imminent risk of harm. Therefore, DCYF is suspending your license to provide child care. Legal Authority: Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 2(a)(1). YOUR RIGHT TO APPEAL You have the right to appeal the temporary immediate suspension. If you choose to appeal the temporary immediate suspension, you must use the Provider Hub (https://providerhub.DCYF.mn.gov/) to submit your request. Your request must be made before the deadline provided below. If you do not meet this deadline, you lose your right to an administrative appeal. The timeline to appeal began when this order was issued in the Provider Hub. Your request for an appeal must be submitted in the Provider Hub within five calendar days from the date it was issued in the Provider Hub. 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. Legal representation at the contested case hearing 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.justice4mn.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 suspension 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.
Posting of this licensing action You are required to place this Order of Temporary Immediate Suspension 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 in this licensing action · This action is taken under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 2(a), which describes under which conditions DCYF may immediately suspend a license. · The timeline to appeal a temporary immediate suspension order is provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 2(b). · Because this report remains under investigation, additional information is considered “confidential data” under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.46, subdivision 3. · A license holder and any controlling individual shall discontinue operation of a program upon receipt of an order to immediately suspend the license under Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.18, subdivision 2(b). · Minnesota Statutes, section 142B.05, subdivision 2 and 5, provides that a license holder under a temporary immediate suspension may not operate as a legally unlicensed child care provider. · 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. · 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 Kimberly Sommers, Assistant Unit Manager, at 651- 431-4337. Sincerely,
Kimberly Sommers, Assistant Unit Manager Licensing Division Office of Inspector General
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