Islam v. Department of Early Learning

157 Wash. App. 600
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedAugust 23, 2010
DocketNo. 63362-7-I
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 157 Wash. App. 600 (Islam v. Department of Early Learning) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Islam v. Department of Early Learning, 157 Wash. App. 600 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Becker, J.

¶1 The Department of Early Learning revoked appellant Kurshida Islam’s child care center license. The department’s burden of proof in an adjudicative proceeding, as provided by statute, is the preponderance of the evidence. Islam contends the importance of a licensee’s private interest requires proof by clear and convincing evidence as a matter of due process. But in defining the nature of the State’s interest, the legislature expressly states that the interests of the children in care are “paramount” over the right of any person to provide care. When due weight is given to the State’s interest, the legislative mandate for proof by a preponderance of the evidence [605]*605reflects a constitutionally permissible allocation of the risk of error. We reject Islam’s request to overturn the statute.

¶2 The Department of Early Learning was created by the legislature in 2006. Laws of 2006, ch. 265; see ch. 43.215 RCW. The department administers child care and early learning programs and adopts minimum licensing requirements. RCW 43.215.020(2)(d); RCW 43.215.200(2). It is unlawful for any agency to care for children unless the agency is licensed as provided in the chapter. RCW 43.215.250(1).1 Licensing requirements for child care centers are found in chapter 170-295 WAC. The regulations include minimum requirements for staffing; programming; health and nutrition; care of infants; safety and environment; agency practices; and the recording, reporting, and posting of information.

¶3 Islam held a license to provide child care at a facility located in Seattle until the license was suspended on January 17, 2007. Charlotte Jahn, a licensor for the department, testified at the administrative hearing that she investigated several complaints about the center between 2002 and 2007. Of particular concern were rule violations she documented during a visit to the center in February 2004. A preschool age child answered the door unattended; an infant was sleeping in a car seat; piles of papers, books, and magazines were stacked to the ceiling; an empty glass fish tank sat on an unsecured shelving unit; and an outdoor play area contained piles of broken equipment and a feces-strewn rabbit hutch. Upon returning one week later, Jahn found that some of these problems had not been corrected. Jahn made findings at this time of an unsafe environment, deficient record keeping, and inadequate supervision.

¶4 Jahn did not consider the findings documented in the record of her visits prior to 2007 as amounting to cause to revoke the center’s license. The decision to revoke was [606]*606precipitated by Jahn’s observations during an unannounced visit to the center on January 8,2007. According to unchallenged findings of fact, Jahn arrived and found the facility cluttered, with puzzle pieces, soiled tissues, and cereal on the floor. The only staff member present was Islam’s niece, Salina Begum, who was caring for five toddlers and an infant. This was a violation of the required staff to child ratio. Salina could not find the first aid supplies when asked and did not know where the children’s files were kept. She was unable to tell Jahn the names or ages of some of the children present, although she had worked at the center for a year. She made no attempt to restrain the toddlers from climbing on the table and windowsill. It appeared to Jahn that Salina had no plan for the children’s activities.

¶5 Soon, Islam returned to the center with her sister, Saida Begum. Islam had gone on an errand nearby, leaving Saida and Salina at the center caring for three children. Then Saida, complaining of a sudden headache, left the center and found Islam. Islam learned from Saida that more children had arrived. Realizing that Salina had been left alone with too many children, Islam returned with Saida to the center. Islam had trained both her sister and her niece to call in additional staff when necessary to comply with the staff to child ratio, but neither of them had done so.

¶6 After Islam’s arrival, Jahn observed more violations. Saida took three toddlers into the toddler room and left them alone without supervision while she went to the kitchen. An uncovered and unlabeled infant bottle was found in the refrigerator. Islam could not produce documentation that Salina had completed first aid training. Jahn found no emergency plan in the file of an asthmatic and allergic boy. Jahn documented findings of inadequate supervision and record keeping and a failure to maintain easily accessible first aid supplies.

¶7 Later that day, Jahn returned, and she and Islam signed a compliance agreement. A compliance agreement is [607]*607a document wherein the licensor identifies areas of the operation that are out of compliance, and the licensee agrees to achieve compliance by a certain date. Islam had signed similar compliance agreements after Jahn documented similar findings during her two visits in February 2004.

¶8 On January 12, 2007, another event occurred that focused the department’s attention on Islam’s child care center, although ultimately it did not serve as a basis for the decision to revoke her license. A seven month old baby was injured at the center while being held in Saida’s lap. Saida was sitting on the floor with the baby and several toddlers who were playing and listening to music. One of the toddlers, who was holding a plastic toy in one hand and a metal car toy in another, fell and landed on the baby. Islam checked the baby over but did not call a doctor or the baby’s mother. When the mother arrived to pick up the baby, the mother was distraught and called 911. The next day, the mother took the baby to a doctor. The doctor observed facial abrasions and bruising serious enough to warrant the attention of a physician, but nothing that required further treatment or testing.

¶9 On January 13, 2007, Jahn learned of the incident with the baby. Child Protective Services had initiated an investigation of an allegation that the baby’s injury was the result of negligent treatment, maltreatment, or abuse. It is the department’s practice to summarily suspend a provider’s license when a child has been injured at a child care facility until an investigation is completed. Jahn notified Islam that the center’s license was being summarily suspended effective January 16, 2007. Islam appealed the notice of summary suspension. While that appeal was pending, Islam received notice that the center’s license was also being revoked, effective March 9, 2007, for failure to meet minimum licensing requirements. The notice itemized the violations observed by Jahn during her visit on January 8,2007, as well as earlier complaints that were investigated and found to be valid.

[608]*608¶10 Islam contested both the suspension and revocation decisions. After a three day hearing in June 2007, an administrative law judge concluded that the department had acted prematurely by summarily suspending the license based solely on the fact that an investigation of the baby’s injury was pending. Nevertheless, the judge upheld the department’s decision to revoke the center’s license because of the documented violations of licensing rules.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
157 Wash. App. 600, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/islam-v-department-of-early-learning-washctapp-2010.