HS-88-038-AK

                                                       6-1800-1943-2

 

 

                               STATE OF MINNESOTA

                       OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

 

                FOR THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

 

 

In the Matter of the                                       FINDINGS OF  FACT,

Proposed Revocation                                        CONCLUSIONS,

and Non-Renewal of the                                     RECOMMENDATION,

Foster Care License                                        AND MEMORANDUM

of Irene Koering

 

 

    The above-entitled matter came on for hearing before   Allan W.  Klein,

Administrative Law Judge, on December 15, 1987,  in  Minneapolis.  The  record

closed at the end of the hearing on that date.

 

    Appearing on behalf of Hennepin County was John  St.  Marie,  Assistant

Hennepin County Attorney, A-2000 Government  Center,  Minneapolis,  Minnesota

55487.  Appearing on behalf of Irene Koering, the Licensee herein, was

Thomas Bennett Wilson III, Attorney at Law, 3940 West  49-1/2  Street,  Edina,

Minnesota 55424.

 

    Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Minn.  Stat. sec.  14.61  the  final

decision of the Commissioner of Human Services shall not be  made  until  this

Report has been made available to the parties to the proceeding for at least

ten days, and an opportunity has been afforded to each party adversely

affected to file exceptions and present argument to the Commissioner

Exceptions to this Report, if any, shall be filed with Commissioner Sandra S.

Gardebring, Second Floor Space Center Building, 444 Lafayette Road, St. Paul,

Minnesota 55101.

 

                              STATEMENT OF ISSUE

 

    Should the family foster care license of Irene Koering be revoked or not

renewed because of an incident of alleged neglect which occurred in the course

of a medical emergency?

 

    Based upon all of the proceedings herein, the  Administrative  Law  Judge

makes the following:

 

                               FINDINGS OF FACT

 

    1.   Irene Koering (hereinafter "Koering"    or    Respondent") has been a

licensed foster parent since June of 1978, a period of roughly ten years.  Her

home is located on Bloomington Avenue in Richfield.

 

    2.   During the ten years of licensure, she has  cared  for  approximately

60 children and one adult.  Twenty of these children were permanent placements

(relatively long term), while 40 were shelter  placements  (relatively  short

term).  She is currently licensed for five children,  but  had  applied  for

 


additional licensure for one specified adult (a 21-year-old woman who has been

living with her for some time).

 

    3.   Up to three years ago, all of Koering's permanent placements were

emotionally disturbed  children.  In  the  last  few  years,  however,  most  of  her

placements have been mentally retarded or mentally handicapped children.

 

    4.   On an average  over  the  last  three  years,  Respondent  would  have  four

mentally handicapped children.  These would include two ambulatory, and two

non-ambulatory.

 

    5.   Respondent has taken far more than the minimum required number of

training courses.  She has spoken at informational meetings designed to

solicit new foster care parents, she  has  appeared  in  a  video  tape  cassette  on

teenage discipline, and she has taught classes for single foster parents.

 

    6.   At the present time, Respondent is caring for two children and one

adult.  The adult is 21 years old, and Respondent made an application for a

license to allow this one adult to stay at her home pending the adult's

long-term placement in another  facility  where  she  is  on  a  waiting  list.  This

adult has Down's Syndrome, and a full scale IQ of 56.  She has resided with

Koering since July  of  1985.  Her  social  worker  determined  that  continuing  the

placement at the  Koering  foster  home  would  be  beneficial  pending  the  outcome

of this appeal process and  a  final  decision  regarding  the  adult  care  license.

Ex.  7.

 

    7.   Stephanie  W.  is  a  two-year-old  girl.  She  is  multi-handicapped.   She

has no ability to speak or otherwise communicate except on the most basic

level (smile and cry).  She can receive stimulation only from her sense of

sound and sense of touch, as she is blind.  She is also mentally retarded.

She is fed through a tube in her stomach, rather than eating through her mouth.

 

    8.   By June of 1987,  Stephanie  W.'s  stomach  tube  was  permanently  inserted

into the side of her midsection,  at  approximately  navel  level,  but  off  to  one

side.  It extended out  from  her  body  approximately  ten  inches.  It  was  clamped

off.  Stephanie could  ingest  only  liquids  through  the  tube.  In  June  of  1987,

Stephanie weighed approximately 19 pounds.

 

    9.   On June 3,  1987,  at  approximately  11:15  a.m.,  Irene  Koering  received

a telephone call from Stephanie's day program, AccessAbility, Inc.  This is

located in North Minneapolis.  The telephone call was to inform Respondent

that the tube in Stephanie's stomach was half in and half out, and that

Stephanie needed immediate medical attention.

 

    10.  At the time of the telephone call, Ms. Koering had two children in

her care at home -- Randy W., a  seven-month-old  boy,  and  Rachel  K.,  a  six  and

one-half year old girl.

 

    11.  Respondent's  preferred  medical  provider  for  Stephanie's  stomach   tube

was Dr. David Rustad.  After  receiving  the  telephone  call  from  Stephanie's  day

program, Respondent called Dr. Rustad's office to see if he would be

available.  She was told by a secretary there that he was not in the office,

but that he was  at  Children's  Hospital  (Minneapolis  Children's  Medical  Center)

in South Minneapolis.  The doctor's secretary informed Respondent that he

would be at the hospital until 12:40 p.m., and that if Respondent could get

 

 

                                       -2-

 


Stephanie to the hospital by that time, Dr. Rustad would see her in the

emergency room.  The secretary indicated that she would call Dr. Rustad  at  the

hospital to alert him that Ms. Koering would be bringing Stephanie in.

 

    12. Ms. Koering attempted to contact her back-up people to see  if  they

could watch Randy and Rachel while she took Stephanie to the emergency  room.

She tried four people, none of whom could be reached.  She determined  to  take

Randy and Rachel with her.  She bundled them up, and set out to pick up

Stephanie.

 

    13.  When she arrived at the North Minneapolis day program, Respondent

discovered that Stephanie was screaming and exhibiting great  pain.  Stephanie

calmed down if she were laying flat, and so Respondent carried Stephanie in  a

prone position, across her extended arms, out to the van.  Respondent  felt  it

was necessary for Stephanie to be in a car seat during the ride to the

hospital, and so she placed her in one.  Stephanie resumed her loud

screaming.  Respondent had only seen Stephanie behave this way  once  before,

which was another incident where her tube had come out.

 

    14. Respondent then drove to the Children's Medical Center.  She  had  been

there several times before, both with her own biological children and with

foster children, but she had never before been to the emergency room  there.

She located a parking space near an entrance, and parked the van.  Despite  the

screaming, Randy was asleep in his car seat.  The radio had been playing

music.  Respondent decided to allow Randy and Rachel to stay in the  car  while

she went to the emergency' room with Stephanie.  She instructed Rachel to  stay

in the van with Randy.  She left the key in the ignition so the  radio  would

play.  She left the doors unlocked.  Rachel is not  mentally  handicapped,  but

she is emotionally disturbed.  She had been with Respondent for a  little  more

than two years.  She was capable of appropriate behavior.

 

    15.  Randy, the seven-month-old, was born very prematurely.  It is

believed that he is a likely candidate for apnea, but he has never  actually

had any incidents of breathing cessation.  Nonetheless, he has  been  connected

to an apnea monitor for at least as long as he has been at Respondent's  home.

The monitor itself is a box, approximately eight inches by eight inches,

weighing around six pounds.  It is usually powered by ordinary AC  current,  but

it contains a rechargeable battery which is supposedly good for 12 hours  of

operation.  Respondent, her two children, and her sister had all  been  trained

in the use of the apnea monitor and in CPR technique in case Randy should  ever

need help.

 

    16. The monitor indicates a problem in either breathing or heart  rate  by

emitting an audible beeping sound at a relatively high volume.  Persons  in  the

Koering home have all been told that should the monitor ever begin  beeping,

they are to locate Ms. Koering at once.  One time the monitor did go  off  and

Rachel got Ms. Koering from a shower stall in the bathroom to alert her  that

the alarm had gone off.  The only times that the alarm has gone off have

always been a result of a malfunction of the unit.

 

    17. Respondent arrived at the Children's Medical Center between  12:15  and

12:20.  She entered the building, carrying Stephanie in her  arms.  She  asked

where the emergency room was, and was told that it was at the other end of  the

building.  She had entered near the admissions area, not the  emergency  area.

She then proceeded down to the emergency room, where she announced herself  and

 

 

                                     -3-

 


the purpose for her visit.  She was informed that before anything  could  be

done for Stephanie, she would have to be admitted through the admissions

area.  Respondent was frustrated and upset, because she believed that  the  time

was much closer to the 12:40 deadline than it actually was.  She  turned

around, and went back to the admissions area.  There is at least  half  a

block's distance between the two areas.  She carried Stephanie with her.

 

    18. Respondent walked past the admissions desk and went  outside  to  her

van.  She looked in the back window of the van and observed that  Randy  was

awake and laughing, and that Rachel was playing with him.  She did not  tap  on

the window or otherwise advise them that she was there.

 

    19.  Respondent went back into the Medical Center, and registered

Stephanie.  Her registration was "clocked" as having occurred  at  12:25  p.m.

Respondent then proceeded, still carrying Stephanie, back to the  emergency

room.  She then informed personnel on duty that she had two  children  waiting

in a car, that one of them was on a monitor, and that it was imperative  that

she see Dr. Rustad promptly.  She was informed that Dr. Rustad was  not  there,

and must be somewhere else in the hospital.  Respondent waited while  a  nurse

went to look for the doctor.  The nurse returned, indicating that she  did  not

find him.  A few minutes later, Respondent again repeated her request,  and  the

nurse again went to look for the doctor, with the  same  results.  Respondent

asked the nurse if there was parking closer to the emergency room, and  the

nurse informed her that there was not.  It was while they were discussing

parking that Respondent heard her name being called over the  public  address

system.

 

    20. Approximately ten minutes after Respondent had registered,  and  after

she had left the admissions area to go back to the emergency room with

Stephanie, Rachel appeared in the admissions area asking for help with  the

baby in the van because the apnea monitor had begun to beep.  Medical

personnel were called to the van at 12:38 p.m., and attended to  Randy.  They

determined that the cause of the beeping was a battery problem with  the

monitor, not a medical problem.  Security personnel  questioned  Rachel  about

who was in charge.  Rachel indicated that she did not know  where  her  foster

mother had gone, nor could she tell them her mother's complete  name.  A

security guard noticed a handicapped sticker with the name "Irene Koering"  on

it, and had Koering paged over the hospitals public address  system.  At  some

point during this process, the heart monitor began to beep again, and a  life

support unit was called to the van.  The life support unit and  Respondent  both

arrived at the van at approximately 1:02 p.m.

 

    21. Respondent, upon hearing her name over the public  address  system,

went to the emergency room desk, where she was told to respond by  telephone.

On the telephone, she was connected with the admissions area.  She was

informed of the problem with the heart monitor.  She she asked  if  somebody

could watch Stephanie while she dealt with this new problem.  Both the

admissions area person and an individual in the emergency room agreed to  watch

Stephanie.  Stephanie was then left in their care while Respondent went  out  to

the van to see what was wrong with Randy.

 

   22. The life support unit on Randy was checked, and  it  was  determined

that he was fine (apart from being upset by all the activity) and that  the

problem was with the monitor's battery pack.

 

 

 

                                    -4-

 


    23.  Upon determining that Randy was all right, the security guard

confronted Respondent about leaving the infant and a six-year-old  unattended.

She replied that she had believed her visit to the emergency room was  only

going to take a minute.  The security guard later reported that  her  demeanor

was matter of fact, and that she did not seem upset or concerned.

 

    24. Respondent got in the van, drove it around to the other end  of  the

hospital, located a parking space reasonably close to the emergency room,  put

Randy in a stroller and, carrying the monitor, took Randy and Rachel inside  to

the emergency room where they all waited for the doctor to appear.  After  some

additional wait, Stephanie was seen and treated by another doctor (not  Dr.

Rustad).  The procedure to reinsert the tube took only a couple  of  minutes,

and the group left the hospital at 1:30 p.m.

 

    25. On that same day, a report of the incident was made to  the  Child

Protection Division.  The division responded promptly, requesting  a  written

complaint and organizing an informational meeting for the next day, June  4.

Pursuant to routine procedures for these kinds of complaints, a variety  of

personnel participated in the informational meeting -- licensing workers,  case

management workers, child protection investigators and other county  officials.

Those that could not attend were asked for input by telephone. one  of  the

placing social workers noted that one of his clients placed at the home  had

graduated from high school on the afternoon of June 3, and that Ms.  Koering

had arrived late for the graduation.  She expressed frustration at  being  late

for the graduation, explaining that she had had to wait an hour to see a

doctor when taking another foster child to the emergency room.  However,  she

did not mention anything to him about the incident of the other foster

children having been left in the van.  Following a thorough  discussion  of

facts and impressions about the foster home, the Child Protection Unit

determined to investigate the matter further because they feared that a  child

(Randy) had been placed at risk of possible injury by Koering's conduct  of

leaving him in the car unattended.

 

    26. The Child Protection Unit conducted a thorough investigation  of  the

matter, speaking with numerous personnel at the hospital, the doctor's  office,

and others.  On July 10, a Child Protection worker made an  unannounced  visit

on Ms. Koering, accompanied by Koering's licensing worker, to interview  her

about the incident.  Ms. Koering was forthright, and gave the  impression  of

not being surprised to see an investigator involved in the matter.  The  only

substantial deviations between the events as described by Respondent to  the

investigator and the events as the investigator pieced them together  from

speaking with others were, (1) the time of arrival at the hospital  (Respondent

thought it was much closer to the 12:40 deadline than the 12:15 to 12:20

actual arrival time, (2) whether or not Respondent had been there in the  past

(Respondent claimed she had never been to the emergency room before, whereas  a

nurse informed the investigator that Respondent had taken Stephanie  there

twice before), and (3) whether or not Respondent's foster-daughter,  Rachel,

had been instructed to "keep the whole thing a secret", which the  investigator

determined was a possible cover-up.  In light of the tremendous  amount  of

factual detail involved, these discrepancies are neither surprising nor

shocking.  Each of them was discussed at length at the  hearing.  They  are

resolved as follows:

 

        a.   Respondent must have arrived at the hospital between  12:15  and

    12:20.  The clock in her van is fast.  That factor, plus  the  stress  of

 

                                     -5-

 


     having Stephanie screaming and trying to get from North Minneapolis to

     South Minneapolis before the 12:40 deadline, account for  Respondent's

     belief that she arrived at the hospital much later than she actually did.

 

          b.   Respondent has not been to the emergency room at  Children's

     Medical Center in the past.  She has picked up Stephanie at the Medical

     Center, and visited her there while Stephanie was an in-patient, but she

     has not been to the emergency room itself.  Stephanie's prior visits to

     the emergency room were with her biological mother, not Respondent.

 

          C.   Respondent did tell Rachel not to discuss the incident  with

     students or teachers at school.  Rachel had a habit of  discussing  all

     manner of family matters at school, a practice which disturbed

     Respondent.  Respondent attempted to tell Rachel that it was all right to

     talk with her social worker and others, but Respondent doubts  whether

     Rachel understood the distinction.  It is found that Respondent did not

     attempt to have Rachel 'cover up" the incident from responsible

     authorities.

 

     27. On July 23, 1987, the Child Protection Unit completed  an  11-page

report.  The report acknowledged the extenuating circumstances of Respondent's

being concerned about the well-being of Stephanie, whom she believed to be in

great distress, but nevertheless concluded that leaving Randy and Rachel

unsupervised in an unlocked vehicle with the keys in the ignition constituted

substantiated neglect.

 

     28.  Shortly thereafter, on August 6, 1987, the licensing social worker

who handled the Koering home, and his supervisors, prepared a memo  to  the

Hennepin County foster care team.  The gist of the memo was to set forth some

additional information which had been gathered since the June 23 report, and

to request that Koering be granted a waiver from a rule which would otherwise

prohibit the renewal of her license, or the issuance of the adult care license

which was then pending, because someone in the household had substantiated

evidence of child neglect.

 

     29.  Among the new evidence discovered between July 23 and August 6 was

that Respondent had been to the Medical Center before, but not to the

emergency room.  Secondly, it was discovered that Respondent had looked into

the van between the time that she came from the emergency room to the

admissions area and her actually registering at the admissions area.  Thirdly,

after returning to the emergency room, Respondent had twice told the nurse

that she had a baby on a monitor in the car, and needed to see  the  doctor

immediately.  Finally, Respondent was confronted with the allegation that she

had attempted to have her daughter, Rachel, "cover-up" the incident.

Respondent satisfactorily explained that she had not done so,  and  further

explained that she knew very well that there would be an investigation as a

result of the incident.  Each of these has been accepted by the Administrative

Law Judge.

 

     30. Attached to the request for waiver was a  proposed  contract.  The

contract would be between Koering and the licensing worker, and would place

limitations upon the number and types of children which Koering could have in

the home.  Ex. 3.  The request for waiver was submitted to the Department of

Human Services, which has not formally acted on it.  However, the Department

orally directed the County to prepare a recommendation for revocation, thus

implicitly denying the requested waiver.

 

                                     -6-

 


    31.  On September 28, 1987, the State Department of Human Services  issued

a Notice  of and Order for Hearing, setting the hearing in the matter  for

December  15. It was served upon Respondent and her attorney by  mailing  on

November  9, 1987.

 

    32.  Respondent's foster care license was scheduled to expire,  routinely,

on May 1, 1987.  For reasons having nothing to do with this  incident,  an

extension was granted to June 30, 1987 to complete the renewal  process.  The

renewal, and the granting of the adult license for one adult, are both  "on

hold" pending the outcome of this proceeding.

 

    33. Respondent has never had any serious allegations raised  about  the

conduct of her facility in the ten years that  she has operated it.  At  one

point, there was a concern about sexual interaction between two young women  at

the facility, but it was determined that there was no neglect on  Respondent's

part.  County personnel talked with her, and it was determined to  change  the

bedroom arrangements, separating the two.  It was suggested at  the  hearing,

but not proven one way or the other, that in fact it was Respondent who

brought the matter to the attention of County authorities, seeking  their

advice.

 

    34. It continues to be the recommendation of both the  licensing  social

worker and his supervisor that probation is more appropriate than  revocation.

They recommend that, for a limited period of time, the number of  persons

allowed in the home be reduced, from five children to three children and  one

adult.  They continue to recommend that future placements include no  more  than

one non-ambulatory client at a time.  They continue to recommend that  there  be

a qualified caretaker supervising the children at all times.

 

    35. It is very difficult to find permanent placements for  children  such

as Stephanie W., Randy, Rachel, and many of the other children whom  Respondent

has cared for.  There is a serious shortage of placement alternatives  for  such

children.  Respondent has learned how to care for such children,  and  has

developed the skills to do so.  Her present licensing worker has complete

confidence in her abilities.  Her prior licensing worker was shocked  to  hear

of the proposed revocation.  Even after hearing the facts of the  incident,  she

would not have any hesitancy in having Respondent continue to be licensed

because "she's one of the best homes we have".

 

    36.  A licensed consulting psychologist who had a client placed in

Respondent's home testified that it takes a great deal of patience and

willingness to learn and understand new techniques needed to deal with

mentally retarded children.  She would have no reservations about  having  any

of her clients continue to live there or go to live there.  She was  asked  if

she felt that Respondent had neglected her client, and she responded:  "To  the

contrary, she is highly committed and has done an excellent job.  She's  more

than a good technician.' She went on to opine that it would be  contrary  to

the best interests of her client to have her removed from Respondent's  care.

Her client has had several foster placements, and each has had problems

requiring a change.  Her client has exhibited severe behavior  problems  every

time there has been a move.  Her client has been with Respondent now  for  two

to three years and they are well adjusted to each other.  It was the

psychologist's professional opinion that if the client were removed  from

Respondent's care, it was likely that extreme behavior problems would  again

occur, and the progress which has been made might be undone.

 

                                     -7-

 


    37. A senior social worker who has a client at  Respondent's  facility

observed that Respondent has been very patient with her client's acting  out

and that her client's behavior has very much improved since being at

Respondent's home.  If Respondent continues to be licensed, the social worker

would have no concerns about her client remaining at Respondent's  facility.

Her client had been in four foster homes, and that this is the longest

placement so far.  She stated it's hard to find someone who would  invest  the

amount of time that Respondent has invested in her client.

 

    38.  A registered nurse from the Minneapolis Children's Medical Center

reported on the consistent concern which had been shown over Randy's potential

apnea.  The nurse indicated that she had no reservations about the  care  that

Respondent has provided to Randy, characterizing Respondent as very  capable

and loving.

 

    39.  A medical doctor from the Richfield Pediatric Clinic who also treated

Randy indicated that he was impressed by Respondent's dedication and  concern

for Randy's well-being.

 

    40. A senior social worker who has a client at  Respondent's  facility

indicated that he hoped his client could remain in the home during the appeal

process and during the time the final decision is made regarding the license.

He assessed his client's placement in the facility as "beneficial',  stating

that Respondent had followed through fully on the social service plan  and

cooperated with him in arranging various appointments for the client.  His

client's behavior, physical appearance and independence have improved  during

her stay with Respondent.

 

    41. On September 23, 1987, the social worker for Rachel and  her  sister,

Angie, wrote a letter to Respondent, describing their current  status.  They

had left Respondent's care after the incident, but not as a result of  the

incident.  They had left because they were able to move home, which  was  part

of their case work plan.  The social worker wrote Respondent:

 

    . .  .  to let you know how much your work with Angie & Rachel is

    appreciated.  They gained a great sense of what expectations are

    reasonable in a "normal family", both of discipline and

    pleasures . . . .  Your work laid the foundation in their minds

    for a different view of family, and taught them how to function

    in a more healthy setting.  Give yourself a hug.

 

               PERTINENT STATUTORY AND RULE EXCERPTS

 

    Minn.  Stat. sec. 626.556 (1986) defines "neglect" to mean:

 

         Failure by a person responsible for a child's care to

         supply a child with necessary food, clothing, shelter or

         medical care when reasonably able to do so or failure to

         protect a child from conditions or actions which imminently

         and seriously endanger the child's physical or mental

         health when reasonably able to do so.

 

    Minn.  Rule pt. 9545.0090 provides that a foster family home license:

 

         shall not be issued or renewed where any person . . .

         living in the household has any of the following

         characteristics:

 

                                    -8-

 


          (1)  a conviction of, or admission of, or substantial

          evidence of an act of assault, or child battering, or child

          abuse, or child molesting, or child neglect;

 

    Minn.  Rule pt. 9545.0190, subp. 4, provides that, "Children in care shall

be adequately supervised at all times.'

 

    Minn.  Rule pt. 9545.0020, subp. 14, provides that failure to comply with

parts 9545.0010 to 9545.0260 shall be cause for denial, nonrenewal, or

revocation of a license.

 

    Based on the foregoing Findings, the Administrative Law Judge makes the

following:

 

                                   CONCLUSIONS

 

    1.    The Administrative Law Judge and the Commissioner of the Department

of Human Services have jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to Minn.  Stat.

SS 245.781 to 245.812 (1986) and, to the extent necessary to vest continuing

jurisdiction, Minn.  Stat.  SS 245A.01 to 245A.16 (1987).

 

    2.    The appropriate statutory standard to use in evaluating the conduct

at issue here is the standard in effect at the time of the incident, namely,

Minn.  Stat.  SS 245.781 to 245.812 (1986).  This was the statutory provision

cited in the Notice of and Order for Hearing, and it was the version in effect

at the time of the incident.  Respondent's Motion to Dismiss this proceeding

because of an alleged failure to comply with certain provisions of Minn.  Stat.

ch. 245A (1987), is DENIED.

 

    3.    The appropriate definition of "child neglect" to be used in this

proceeding is that contained in Minn.  Stat. sec. 626.556, subd. 2(c) (1986).

This section was agreed to by all parties and the Administrative Law Judge at

the start of the hearing.

 

    4.    The actions of Irene Koering in leaving Rachel and Randy in the car

while she took Stephanie into the emergency room, under all of the facts and

circumstances which existed at the time of that incident, was not "neglect"

within the meaning of Minn.  Stat. sec. 626.556 (1986).  See, Memorandum.

 

    5.    Respondent did violate Minn.  Rule pt. 9545.0190, subp. 4 by failing

to supervise the children "at all times".  See, Memorandum.

 

    6.    The Commissioner has authority to make a license probationary.  Minn.

Stat. sec. 245.801, subd. 3 and 4 (1986).  Under the new statute, the

Commissioner may make a license probationary (section 245A.07, subd. 1 and

subd. 3) and, in addition, may impose "special conditions of licensure" within

the meaning of Minn.  Stat. sec. 245A.04, subd. 7(6) (1987).

 

    Based on the foregoing Conclusions, the Administrative Law Judge makes the

following:

 

                                 RECOMMENDATION

 

    That the proposed revocation and nonrenewal of the foster case license of

Irene Koering be DISMISSED, or,

 

                                      -9-

 


    IN THE ALTERNATIVE, it is recommended that Respondent's license be  made

probationary for a period of six months, during which time it is subject  to

revocation if Respondent fails to properly supervise children.

 

Dated this 4th  day of January, 1988.

 

 

 

 

                                         ALLAN W. KLEIN

                                         Administrative Law Judge

 

 

                                    NOTICE

 

    Pursuant to Minn.  Stat. sec. 14.62, subd. 1, the agency is required to serve

its final decision upon each party and the Administrative Law Judge by  first

class mail.

 

Reported:  Tape Recorded - 3 Tapes

 

 

                                  MEMORANDUM

 

    Irene Koering was faced with a difficult situation.  Not one of  her  four

back-up people could take care of the two children while she took Stephanie to

the emergency room.  Therefore, she had to take the two children  with  her.

 

    Upon arrival at the hospital, Respondent parked the van and took Stephanie

in.  Respondent had hoped that she was at the emergency room door and that the

doctor would be waiting for her.  She knew from past experience that the

reinsertion procedure was very fast.  It was not physically possible  for  her

to carry Stephanie so as to minimize her pain and to also carry Randy  along

with his monitor box.  Based on these facts, she elected to leave  Rachel  and

Randy in the van while she took Stephanie inside the hospital.

 

    In hindsight, there were better ways that this could have been  handled.

Once Respondent realized that she was not at the emergency room, she  could

have requested that someone watch Stephanie while she went out and got  Randy

and Rachel and brought them in.  Even when she got to the emergency  room  and

was told she had to go back and register, she could have asked someone  there

to watch Stephanie while she went back, got the two children out of the  van,

and then registered.  In hindsight, she could have done a better job of

minimizing the time that the two children were exposed to the risk of  being

unattended.

 

    The statute, however, does not require perfection from foster  parents.

Instead, it requires that they protect children from imminent and serious

danger "when reasonably able to do so".  What Irene Koering did,  under  the

circumstances as she perceived them, was reasonable.  It was not perfect, but

it was reasonable.  Therefore, her actions did not constitute 'neglect".

 

    The preferred disposition of this matter is total  dismissal.  However,

should the Commissioner desire to discipline Respondent (more than she  has

 

                                    -10-

 


already been penalized) for her action, it would be appropriate to make her

license probationary for some limited period of time.  The mental stress and

financial outlay which Respondent has already incurred as a result of this

incident has, in my opinion, already made an impression on Respondent, and it

is unlikely that she would make the same decisions again.  Therefore, I

believe it is unnecessary to make the license probationary.

 

                                    A.W.K.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    -11-