A Fresno Economic Opportunities staff member who works for Franklin Head Start has been cited for having children hit another child.
The citation came after an unannounced visit by the California Department of Social Services.
Driving the news: A staff member at Franklin Head Start made an incident report to the state claiming that there were two separate occasions where another staff member held a child while instructing two other children to hit the child back.
- A different staff member also observed the coworker speaking to children inappropriately.
- Franklin Head Start is a program for low-income pregnant women and children up to the age of five for child development and family support services. The services include education, social, emotional, health, nutrition, family support and disability.
The big picture: A state inspector conducted an unannounced case management inspection at Franklin Head Start on April 2 in response to the report that was received on March 21.
- The inspector interviewed staff members and discovered that the staff member in question spoke inappropriately to children and did in fact hold a child while instructing two other children to hit the child back.
- The state issued a citation to the staff member due to the incident.
Flashback: Problems at Franklin Head Start with staff members may have preceded the March 21 incident.
- A state inspector previously conducted an unannounced complaint inspection on Feb. 25 to investigate a complaint that staff handled a child in a rough manner. That complaint ultimately ended without a citation, however, as the inspector was unable to determine its validity.
What they’re saying: “Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission Head Start 0 to 5 is aware of an incident at Franklin Head Start,” Interim Head Start Director Michael Balderas told KMPH. “We take all situations involving children very seriously. While we do not comment on personnel matters, we have taken appropriate action to ensure a safe environment for children in our care.”
