AVON — Regulators visited a home daycare in Avon three times this year and cited the facility for keeping firearms in an unlocked closet, according to a June 12 order from the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

The owner of the facility, Janet Pfannenstein, now faces a $200 fine and other requirements, including training and alerting parents of the issue, according to public documents.

Janet and Cy Pfannenstein are appealing the decision, he said. They've since purchased a gun safe.

Cy Pfannenstein said the unlocked door was his fault because he went in the closet for work shirts and usually locks it. The firearms are so high in the closet, they're not accessible without a ladder, he said.

"By coincidence, I forgot to lock it," he said. "Otherwise we always keep it locked."

Janet Pfannenstein's family child care license dates back to January 2000, according to state records. She can care for up to 12 children at her home.

Her license was placed on a conditional status for a year, "due to the chronic and serious nature of these violations," according to the Department of Human Services order.

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The day care is on Sunrise Road in Avon.

The Pfannensteins haven't had any other issues at the day care in the last 20 years, Cy Pfannenstein said. They're already ahead of training requirements this year and informed parents about the issue.

"They are hunters. They totally understand the situation," Cy Pfannenstein said. He grew up in a time when he'd hunt before school and keep his gun in his car.

"These days everything is so technical, and I get it," he said. "With the government, I guess, there's no in-between."

Who gets fined?

The Department of Human Services' Division of Licensing "enforces standards adopted to protect the health, safety, rights and well-being of children and vulnerable adults in programs required to be licensed" by state law, according to a licensing informational page.

That enforcement includes investigating alleged license violations, issuing correction orders and recommending fines.

Janet Pfannenstein has been ordered to pay $200 for the issue with firearm storage.

Other violations that typically merit $200 fines include keeping an additional mattress in a crib used for infants, which violates safe sleep requirements, according to recent fine order sent to a Buffalo facility.

Missing background checks and training requirements can also merit $200 fines, according to Department of Human Services documents.

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An example of a steeper fine: The state ordered a St. Paul facility to pay a $5,000 fine June 19 after an investigation found it neglected a vulnerable adult when staff fed the patient fish, which they were allergic to.

In addition to the $200 fine, the Pfannenstein facility's license was moved to a conditional status for a year, which brings additional requirements for the care provider, including six hours of training by Sept. 20, submitting a plan to ensure firearms and ammunition are locked up and stored away from children as well as collecting parent signatures to prove they've seen the order.

The conditional status and the fine can be contested to the state, according to the public documents. And Cy Pfannenstein said they plan to appeal.

Stearns County issued correction orders to the day care on Dec. 5, 2018, Feb. 13, March 20 and April 2. Those violations were not appealed on time and are considered final, according to the most recent order.

County staff will continue to monitor the facility, including unannounced visits, according to the order.

"If you fail to demonstrate substantial compliance with program requirements or with the terms of your conditional license that are provided above," the document states, "DHS may take an additional licensing sanction, including a revocation of your license."

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