McKinley v. Arkansas Department of Human Services

844 S.W.2d 366, 311 Ark. 382, 1993 Ark. LEXIS 14
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJanuary 11, 1993
Docket92-738
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 844 S.W.2d 366 (McKinley v. Arkansas Department of Human Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKinley v. Arkansas Department of Human Services, 844 S.W.2d 366, 311 Ark. 382, 1993 Ark. LEXIS 14 (Ark. 1993).

Opinion

Jack Holt, Jr., Justice.

This appeal is from a decision of the Child Care Facility Review Board (a division of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, hereinafter “the Board”) revoking My Kids Day Care’s (“My Kids”) license for one year. My Kids appealed to the circuit court which affirmed the Board’s decision. Because this case involves the interpretation of an administrative agency’s rules and regulations, our jurisdiction is pursuant to Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 29(l)(c). As we find no error, we affirm the actions of the Board and the circuit court.

FACTS

Betty McKinley is owner and operator of My Kids Day Care in Rogers, Arkansas. The Board initially granted My Kids a provisional start-up child care license on July 16, 1986; the facility received a regular license in February 1987. For the first two years of operation, My Kids was monitored by child care specialists with the Department of Human Services. Although My Kids was found out of compliance in areas such as staff to children ratios and overcapacity, Mrs. McKinley corrected the infractions in a timely manner.

On February 7, 1989, the day care facility was extensively damaged by a fire, allegedly started by arson. After the fire, My Kids was granted a six month provisional license.

Mrs. Elaine Jenkins, Child Care Licensing Specialist for the Department of Human Services, made regular visits to monitor the day care after the fire and to check on the status of the repairs. In August of 1989, My Kids again received a provisional license. This license was to be valid through February 28, 1990.

In October 1989, Mrs. Jenkins reviewed the facility and noted several areas of noncompliance with regulations. These infractions were conveyed to Mrs. McKinley so that she could correct them prior to the next visit.

Mrs. Jenkins made multiple monitoring visits to My Kids during the first few months of 1990 to determine if Mrs. McKinley had cured the problems. During that time, My Kids was cited ten times for not complying with the Board’s rules and regulations. The most flagrant violations were in the areas of child capacity and staff/child ratios. Mrs. Jenkins told Mrs. McKinley that she needed documentation in order for the Board to complete its evaluation. Information needed included the policy on hiring and discharge of staff, procedures for reporting child abuse, health cards on staff, written record of all tornado drills, and health inspection records. Additionally, Mrs. Jenkins informed Mrs. McKinley that the facility needed to provide at least ten hours of training for all staff, smoke detectors, eliminate physical punishment for children under age three, and post the hot line number for reporting child abuse. As well, the swing set needed to be reanchored, boards, pipes, etc., needed to be removed, and baby beds needed to be replaced.

As a result of these allegations, the Board conducted an informal administrative hearing, took testimony of interested parties, and revoked My Kids’ license. After this hearing, the Board made the following findings of fact:

1. Failure to maintain the required staff to child ratios and lack of supervision;
2. Use of physical punishment for children under three and the use of discipline which is not appropriate to the child’s level of understanding;
3. Failure to comply with child care discipline standards;
4. Failure to maintain current child records;
5. Failure to provide well-balanced meals and nutritious snacks;
6. Failure to insure a safe outdoor play area;
7. Failure to provide adequate and approved sleeping arrangements for children;
8. Failure to provide towels for hand washing;
9. Failure to practice emergency drills with all children;
10. Failure to properly store hazardous items;
11. Failure to comply with the limit on the number of children the facility may serve. Capacity placed on the center by the Child Care Facility Board as authorized by Ark. Code Ann. § 20-78-210 (1987).

My Kids appealed the Board’s decision to the circuit court which remanded this matter to the Board for additional evidence concerning the Department of Human Services’s investigation regarding the use of physical punishment and evidence concerning violations that had occurred prior to February 1990.

At both Board hearings, Mrs. Jenkins noted that the child/ staff ratio and child capacity were repeatedly out of compliance. She testified that she never received the information she requested and the infractions were not corrected. The facility was licensed for six infants and eighteen preschoolers. On virtually all of her visits since the fire, Mrs. Jenkins had found the facility out of compliance because of overcapacity and insufficient staff. According to Mrs. Jenkins’ testimony, the facility was also out of compliance in other areas. For example, there were never towels in the rest room. A child was found napping on the carpet with a playpen frame around him — there was no bottom in the play pen. Medicines were in an unlocked medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Ms. Ratha Turpin, child care licensing supervisor, had accompanied Ms. Jenkins on one of her visits to My Kids and confirmed Ms. Jenkins’ testimony. Mr. J. R. Davenport, Child Care Licensing Specialist with the Department of Human Services, also confirmed Ms. Jenkins’ testimony.

Testimony also indicated that My Kids had not followed other regulations regarding day care. For example, Thelva Bolen, a former employee of My Kids, testified that she had seen Mrs. McKinley punish the children, including the infants, with a fly swatter. Ms. Bolen also testified that the children did not get milk with their meals nor were they always served snacks. However, she did mention that she had on occasion seen the children served cookies and carrot sticks for snacks.

Another former employee, Ms. Lela Davis, echoed Ms. Bolen’s testimony. Ms. Davis mentioned that there was not a program of activities for the children other than regular television watching.

Nevertheless, Ms. Aileen Leo, a part-time employee of My Kids and a parent of a My Kids’ attendant, testified that her child was well cared for by the center. Stipulations were made that other parents would testify that their children had not been spanked and were well cared for by My Kids.

After the second hearing before the Board, My Kids’ license was again revoked for one year. On appeal, the circuit court affirmed the Board’s administrative decision.

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844 S.W.2d 366, 311 Ark. 382, 1993 Ark. LEXIS 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckinley-v-arkansas-department-of-human-services-ark-1993.