*Homer, Mich. —* A Calhoun County woman's family child care home license has been summarily suspended following an investigation into unsafe conditions and multiple regulatory violations.

Sarah Wildt, who operated a family child care home on South Sophia Street in Homer, has been prohibited from accepting children for care since Friday at 6 p.m.

"It was critical to take emergency action to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the children at this family child care home," MiLEAP wrote in its order.

MiLEAP, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, also issued a notice of intent to permanently revoke Wildt's license. The agency said it found multiple violations of the Child Care Organizations Act and administrative rules, including:

  • Failure to act in a manner conducive to the welfare of children
  • Failure to maintain the home in a clean, safe, and comfortable condition
  • Failure to provide appropriate care and supervision
  • Failure to ensure all child care staff and adult household members completed comprehensive background checks

The state's investigation uncovered more serious concerns about the living conditions and supervision at the Homer location.

According to WZZM13, state investigators found:

  • Multiple children reported physical punishment and aggressive handling
  • Corporal punishment was used, which is a licensing violation
  • The home was repeatedly found unclean and in disrepair
  • Children were left without proper supervision
  • Untrained adults were allowed to look after children
  • Unauthorized people without background checks were regularly present in the home

Wildt must inform all parents of children in her care that her license has been suspended and that she can no longer provide child care at this location or any other location.

The suspension order went into effect on April 3. Wildt has the opportunity to appeal the decision.

If her license is ultimately revoked, Wildt could be barred from obtaining a child care license for five years.

The full notice of intent to revoke the license is available through MiLEAP's Child Care Licensing Bureau.

Parents who operate family child care homes in Calhoun County can find more information about licensing requirements and regulations through MiLEAP's website.

Sources:

  • WWMT: https://wwmt.com/news/local/child-care-license-suspended-sarah-wildt-homer-sophia-street-investigation-michigan-mileap-revoke-violations-safety-calhoun-county-wwmt
  • WZZM13: https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/michigan-suspends-calhoun-county-home-child-care-operations-license/69-73d472a0-acba-4eed-a298-d8ba45b05030