Children Hit, Degraded At Wayne County Group Home, State Says

ROMULUS, MI — A Wayne County woman's child group home license has been suspended after state investigators said she would "use profanity and degrading language, hit the children with fly swatters, and spray water at the children as a means of discipline" while they were under her supervision.

The summary suspension order prohibiting Shelley Macfarlane from operating a group child care home at 9265 Washington in Romulus, or at any other location, took effect on May 26.

According to the order, she may not accept children for care after that date and time. The order also requires the licensee to inform all parents of children in her care that the license has been suspended and that she can no longer provide child care.

Macfarlane's license was suspended because she "failed to provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times, and used prohibited means of discipline with children in care," according to a Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs report released Tuesday.

The 13-page filing includes references to an audio recording of Macfarlane reportedly yelling at one child while she was taking an online course, telling the child to "get back here and shut the

(redacted) up. I don’t wanna hear a word out of either one of you, I’m going to bust you in the mouth.”

On May 13, a state investigator played the recording for Macfarlane, who admitted she was present at the time of the recording. The report goes on to submit that Macfarlane would "hit the children with fly swatters, and spray water at the children as a means of discipline."