Description: Whetzel, Meleah is a Registered Family Child Care Home in Finksburg MD, with a maximum capacity of 8 children. The home-based daycare service helps with children in the age range of 0-23 Months, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 5 years to 12 years. The provider does not participate in a subsidized child care program.
Where possible, ChildcareCenter provides inspection reports as a service to families. This information is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed. We encourage families to contact the daycare provider directly with any questions or concerns, as the provider may have already addressed some or all issues. Reports can also be verified with your local daycare licensing office.
| Date | Type | Regulations | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-05 | Full | 13A.15.03.04A(1) | Corrected |
| Findings: There were three emergency forms that did not have the name of the physician, the telephone number and address. | |||
| 2022-12-14 | Mandatory Review | 13A.15.05.05A | Corrected |
| Findings: Resilient surfacing is needed under all fall zones of the playground equipment. Obtain by 12/28/2022. | |||
| 2022-12-14 | Mandatory Review | 13A.15.05.06A | Corrected |
| Findings: The port-a-crib sheets are too big for the mattress. Obtain tight fitting port-a-crib sheets by 12/21/2022. | |||
| 2022-01-04 | Full | 13A.15.05.01E | Corrected |
| Findings: Home's hot water measured 130 degrees. Lower thermostat to bring temperature down to 120 degrees by 1/4/2022. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.03.04A(3) | Corrected |
| Findings: Observed one child's emergency card is not signed or dated by the parent. Correct today when the parent picks up the child. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.03.04C | Corrected |
| Findings: Child has an allergy plan that states child cannot be fed legumes, including green beans. Provider informed parent she fed the child green beans. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.04.03B | Corrected |
| Findings: Observed on Provider's sign in sheets that the first two weeks of June that the provider did have 3 children under the age of 2 in attendance at the same time. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.05.05A | Corrected |
| Findings: Observed a stack of boards with nails on the back patio. Remove boards from back yard by 11/10/2021. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.05.06A | Corrected |
| Findings: Observed a port-a-crib that did not have a tight fitting sheet. Correct immediately, 11/9/2021. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.07.07A | Corrected |
| Findings: Provider admitted that her adult children had an argument during child care hours. The son punched a hole in his sister's door. Children could hear the argument from the child care area. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.08.01B(5) | Corrected |
| Findings: Provider fed a child a food even though it was restricted according to his allergy action plan. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.09.01A | Corrected |
| Findings: Provider admitted she has not been taking the children outside because they come in at various times. Children are to be taken outside twice a day, weather permitting. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.09.01B(3) | Corrected |
| Findings: Observed the TV was on with cartoons in the family room, with a 12 month old child in the room. | |||
| 2021-11-09 | Complaint | 13A.15.09.02A(1) | Corrected |
| Findings: Observed a 12 month old child in a play yard with no toys. Child was given toys during inspection. | |||
| 2021-02-24 | Mandatory Review | 13A.15.05.03B | Corrected |
| Findings: Paper towels are needed in the bathroom. Correct during inspection. | |||
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I had two children in her care for over a year. Started off fine, but then we started seeing some red flags. Things built up and we ended up filing a complaint with MSDE. She terminated us the same day the inspector showed up to investigate. Here are the things that led us to file a complaint and what the inspection found during the unannounced inspection:
1. The TV was on A LOT! The inspector found the TV on in the middle of the day. Meleah told us it was only on during pickup and drop-off. She lied to us about that. She was caught by the inspector.
2. Our infant was frequently placed in a plastic gated area with no toys. The inspector found our infant in the plastic gated area with no toys, just as we suspected.
3. Both our boys had a digestive issue that prevented them from digesting certain proteins. We told her, got doctor's notes, but she didn't follow the paperwork and later told the inspector she thought we forged the allergy paperwork from the doctor (why would do that?) The inspector thankfully shot that down. But she did make our child sick from feeding him the wrong thing (Again, she blamed us even though we have texts admitting she fed him food he shouldn't have). The inspector went over her paperwork and shot down her accusation that we forged the doctor's note. This is also ridiculous because she called our allergist and pediatrician's office MULTIPLE TIMES. Why? I'm still not clear, but she knew full well that we didn't forge the documents. She lied to the inspector, but the inspector didn't believe her.
4. Our child learned some offensive language and bad attitudes. "You need to wait a fucking minute." Was said by my 3-year-old. We've never said that to our boys. The children witnessed her adult children fighting and punching a hole in a wall at least once. She admitted to the inspector that there was an altercation in her house on one occasion between her adult children that live there.
5. She stopped feeding our infant a bottle because she didn't think he should be having it. She lied about it, either saying that he was drinking it or was refusing. After we were terminated she gave us the formula back. It was unopened - she was not making bottles or attempting to feed him.
6. It was like pulling teeth to find out what our kids ate each day.
7. She had more children under two than she should have. Some days she would have 3 under-two children (2 is the maximum). The inspector found altered attendance records including ripped paperwork indicating that she was trying to hide her violation. The inspector was able to confirm that she had more children than she should have had. At the time, she told us she got special permission to have more children than regulations allowed. That was a lie. She was cited in the report for being over capacity.
8. She never took the kids outside - ever. The inspector found the outside toys and equipment had not been used in a long time. Meleah claims it is too hard to get the kids outside. Well, that sucks for her, but kids need outside time and it is a regulation that they have some time outside.
The day we were terminated, she explained that we were being terminated due to our "anonymous report". That's fine. Then she went on and on about how she did nothing wrong. And the inspector didn't find anything. Well, we just contacted MSDE to get a copy of the report which is not on the checkccmd website, and we were surprised and validated when we saw every complaint we made was verified by the inspector.
DO NOT send your children to this woman. She has lied to us and the inspector. She does not watch your children the way you want. She will take your thousands of dollars, then place your children in a plastic cage in front of the TV. They will be exposed to foul language. She talks a good game. She will tell you that my wife and I are crazy - but we have the inspection report. We will happily post it and share it with whoever wants to see it. Our oldest child still has issues resulting from his time under her care. Avoid at all costs!
When I signed that transportation paper, I was under the impression you would be transporting for emergencies or child based activities e.g. field trips. Considering you’re a child care provider, I never imagined you would be taking all of the children to target on a personal errand, to buy a shirt for your daughter.
Maddy here is the real truth. When you signed my transportation permission slip. It states I can go out of my home at anytime I want to. I called MSDE my inspector said I did nothing wrong. I have proof you signed that form. As for what I said to your husband I said to him I made it back home safe. Your husband being in the Howard County Sheriffs Office made a bad move by slamming my door and yelling at me as he left was very unprofessional on his part.
Multiple "red flags" during our experience, but stayed because our son was safe and happy. One day we pick up our son after daycare and Meleah states he didn't get to eat all of his bottles because they all went to Target...on a personal errand of hers. We were upset because she didn't tell us our 6 month old was leaving the house for a car trip. Turns our while we thought we knew where he was that day, we didn't. After multiple minor bad experiences and the addition of this one, we decided to take him out of her daycare. When my husband explained why we were leaving and said "no hard feelings", Meleah's response was "you're lucky he came back in one piece".