Violation after violation: Wausau area daycare under fire as state seeks to revoke license

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review

State officials are moving to revoke the license for a Wausau area child care facility amid rule violations ranging from inadequate supervision to reports that a staff member held a child down and sprayed him in the face with water for not sleeping at nap time.

The child then cried himself to sleep, the report stated, while other children looked on.

More than 100 instances of rule violations are documented at KinderCare, 5201 Alderson St., from August 2021 through Jan. 10, 2024. The list, posted publicly by state officials, shows KinderCare was reviewed 14 times in a three-year span but has been fined just $900 for documented violations, some of which posed safety concerns for children at the center.

The reports detail violation after violation at the center, which has a capacity of 115 children. Licensing staff reported seeing areas of caked food on walls, floors littered with garbage and food, a child being fed breast milk from another family’s supply and children left unsupervised, among others.

Reports dated Dec. 19 document a flurry of issues at KinderCare. Licensing staff reported a child was allegedly hit on the head with a clipboard, while another was improperly restrained. One child was sleeping on the floor – and a staff member did not provide a cot until the licensing specialist informed them that doing so was a requirement.

The reports are a stark contrast to statements posted on the organization’s website that promote KinderCare as a place for children to learn and thrive.

“In our safe and healthy classrooms, your child will be engaged in learning experiences that meet them where they are, both socially and academically,” the website language reads. “With fun daily activities, passionate teachers, and great friends, a lifetime of confidence starts here.”

But reports by state licensing inspectors paint a chaotic picture of daily life for children whose parents entrusted their care and well being to the center.

As recently as Jan. 10, licensing inspectors described seeing children in the preschool room standing and jumping on chairs, wrestling, running and throwing toys. Restrooms “smelled of urine and had dried feces on the inside of the toilet bowls,” inspectors said. Many toilets were not flushed, while sinks and soap dispensers were visibly dirty. A child with an egg allergy was fed a muffin containing eggs and some staff were not aware of allergies for the children they supervised.

Two staffers did not have completed background checks and preliminary eligibility prior to working in classrooms, state officials said. Children moved between classrooms without staff knowledge. Staff-to-child ratios were not maintained. One preschool child new to the center was crying and sad, but staff did not engage, the report said. Instead, the child approached the licensing specialist for comfort.

And the list goes on and on.

“The Preschool Room staff do not implement any programming,” the state report reads,” adding that several children were dropped off in June in the preschool room without being greeted by staff, spoken to or engaged with. “Lesson plans are not up-to-date or posted and daily activities are not planned. There are long periods of unstructured activities.”

Now, parents are left with many questions – and few alternatives – after being notified by Center Director Kayla Mauer and District Leader Christopher Murray of the state’s actions.

“This afternoon, we learned that the state issued a proposed revocation of our license,” the letter to families states. “We believe this decision places unnecessary stress on our families.”

Mauer and Murray’s letter goes on to say that KinderCare will appeal the state’s proposal, but that the center remains open.

“Your day-to-day experience at the center should not change,” the letter states.” The biggest changes are that we cannot enroll any new families at this time without the state’s approval and that we must temporarily stop accepting state tuition subsidies.”

Mauer and Murray, in their letter, say they work closely with state officials to investigate concerns as they arise and have taken steps to enhance the quality of care they provide.

State records show 10 correction plans on file detailing those efforts, dating back to August 2021.

For instance, a September 2021 plan shows KinderCare “talked with staff about doing accurate and prompt name to face to avoid unsupervised children” after a 1-year-old child was left on the playground without supervision. And in June, KinderCare filed a correction plan that said one staffer was placed on administrative leave and another was terminated after a child was grabbed “by both arms and roughly placed” in a chair.

The revocation means dozens of families could be left looking for care at a time when few slots are available throughout the state.

A report by the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association shows that more than half of the state is in a child care desert, meaning for every open child care slot available in a community, there are three or more children who need one. In Wisconsin, 288,430 children have a potential need for child care with just 171,040 slots, according to the same report.

Attempts to reach KinderCare staff for additional comment were not immediately successful and a copy of the revocation letter was not immediately available from the state.

This is a developing story that will be updated.