Apple Tree licensing under review

The complaints, filed in Des Moines, do not yet include a May 26 incident, when a 4-year-old boy wandered from Apple Tree and into traffic on U.S. Highway 71. They also don't yet include Wednesday's emergency call involving a 5-year-old girl who became tangled in a jump rope while going down a slide. She was taken by ambulance to Lakes Regional Hospital in Spirit Lake, then flown to Sioux Falls for additional testing.

Roger Munns is the Public Information Director for the Iowa Department of Human Services and said his office is aware of the incident. The Milford facility is owned and operated by Bobbi Feddersen and has an enrollment of 70 children.

"This place has been active," Munns said. "Our consultants know how to get to this daycare. That isn't to say that there's any preconceived notion -- it's just been that there has been several, several complaints and we've responded to them."

He said it will be up to a licensing consultant to determine if Wednesday's accident could have been prevented.

"Was there a lack of supervision, for instance? And, if so, then there would be a plan of correction just to try to prevent such a thing from happening again," Munns said. "There have been no conclusions yet."

Staffing concerns surfaced on each of the past three child care center complaints, which were released by Munn's office Thursday.

The Department of Human Services received a March 6 complaint about a lack of childcare providers in Apple Tree's infant room a day earlier. An inspector reviewed children files and attendance records and could not establish compliance or non-compliance on the day in question.

"The director stated that the infant room was in ratio all day on March 5 except for 20 minutes in the morning," a summary of the findings said.

An inspector also made an unannounced visit on Jan. 30, after a caller alleged the presence of 15-17 children in a room next to the infant room, including 2- and 3-year-olds. Different age groups are under different childcare provider ratio requirements. If the ages of children are mixed, the provider has to use the ratio that applies to the youngest child in the room.

A staff member can supervise no more than six 2-year-olds in a room. The ratio is 1-to-8 in a room with 3-year-olds.

Some children were in the entry way, where one staff person could not see them.

"One child was inappropriate with another child" the complaint summary said. The inspector said Apple Tree violated licensing rules for reporting of incidents involving injuries, health changes, or behavioral concerns.

A complaint in March 2008 suggested the center did not have enough staff on hand. It also suggested the director allowed her dogs to run on a 2-and-under playground. Feddersen has a dog pen next to the Apple Tree property and dog droppings were noted on the playground.

Feddersen told the inspector a gate had been left open and a "dog down the street" got into the area.

The most recent inspection on file also noted non-compliant food-handling practices, indoor play equipment that did not meet licensing standards and employees who were not up to date in required training.

The daycare provider can remain open while the licensing consultant is conducting a review of Wednesday's circumstances. Efforts to contact Feddersen at Apple Tree were unsuccessful Thursday afternoon.

Munns confirmed Apple Tree was already operating under a provisional license.

"It doesn't mean it's a horrible place," he said. "It just means they haven't lived up to everything they need to do. The department uses licensing standards as a teaching and educational tool to improve operations. We don't use them as punitive hammers.

"On the other hand, we only have so much patience."

Daycare incident prompts DHS investigation

By Anitra Wolf

Special to the Daily Reporter

An ambulance call to a Milford Daycare this week has launched a Department of Human Services investigation of the facility.

At approximately 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, rescue personnel were called to Apple Tree Preschool and Daycare in north Milford for a five-year-old female who was not breathing. Over the scanner, the communications center reported that the child had somehow gotten a jump rope wrapped around the neck. CPR was being performed when the rescue personnel were called.

Milford Fire Chief Jim Carpenter initially said he had no comment on the incident, but verified the rescue call. He also reported that the child was breathing, crying and screaming upon the arrival of rescue personnel Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities said the child was transported to Lakes Regional Healthcare and then air lifted to Sioux Falls where she was reported to be doing well, but is being held another day for observation.

Milford Police Chief Vernon Flack said an investigation on the incident is being led by the DHS.

"DHS is investigating - they were looking into it yesterday, and they're looking into it again today," said Flack. "There's no indication an adult purposely tried to harm this child. There may have been neglect for not watching possibly ... It sounds like she had the thing [jump rope] wrapped around her neck and when she went to go down the slide it got caught and she got caught."

Flack says the results of the DHS investigation will determine if any charges will be filed.

"We are waiting to hear back from DHS," he said. "Charges will be based on their findings."