On 10/27/2022 I received a phone call from Complainant with some potty training and supervision concerns at Small World Learning Center, and a concern with the fact that license #DC390386617 had expired 10/18/2022, and it had not been renewed or a new license opened for the new owner. I explained that I had closed license #DC390386617 as the owner had sold her business and building to Marissa Watkins, who had already taken over as owner for several months. Ms. Watkins license is currently enrolled but is not yet opened. The goal was to have Ms. Watkins new license open prior to expiration of the old license, so that there would be no lapse in care for parents, but that was not able to happen. Due to this center receiving a complaint during "enrolled" status, an unlicensed investigation was opened. On 10/31/2022 I conducted an unannounced onsite inspection to this facility. The center was still operating and child care children were present. I observed children sleeping in each of the classrooms as it was naptime, with the exception of the infant room, where there were only two infants sleeping, and six children awake and playing with three child care staff. I spoke with the new program director, Desiray Williams. I explained to Ms. Williams that I had received a complaint on the facility and since they are only enrolled and not licensed, it would be opened as an unlicensed complaint, and the center would need to cease operation until the new license can be opened. I told her I would be contacting the licensee designee, Ms. Watkins, to speak with her as well. Ms. Williams reported that she and Ms. Watkins feel like they have everything in order to give to me to open the new license and that they were working on it this week. On this same day I spoke with licensee designee, Ms. Watkins. I advised her of the complaint received and that I had opened it as an unlicensed investigation and she would need to cease operation until we get her enrolled child care license opened. She agreed that she would cease operation by Thursday, 11/03/2022, as she 3 needed to get the information out to parents. We also agreed to meet on Friday, 11/04/2022, so we could sit together and get everything in order for the new license. On 11/01/2022 I exchanged emails with a parent of a child that attends Small World Learning Center that was questioning whether or not the center had a valid license since ownership changed. She confirmed that they had received an email from Ms. Watkins that the center was closing for the next few weeks as of 11/03/2022 until the new license is opened. She reported that the email said that they would be deep cleaning the center and doing some additional trainings with staff during the time they are closed. On 11/04/2022 I conducted a second onsite inspection to the facility. There were no children present and the center was not operating. I went over what was completed and what was still needed for opening the child care license with Ms. Watkins and Ms. Williams. Both were present at the center deep cleaning and re-arranging the classrooms. They indicated they had new equipment and material coming in on Monday, so they planned to finish preparing the rooms for my original inspection to open the license and would be providing some additional trainings with the child care staff employed for the center. On 11/07/2022 I conducted a third unannounced inspection to the center to verify there was no child care being provided and no child care children present at the center. I observed no child care children or operation of the center. There were child care staff present at the center working on their room set-up and deep cleaning. On this same day I requested a corrective action plan from Ms. Watkins as I told her I had to cite a violation for the center operating without the new child care license in place yet. I received an acceptable corrective action plan as Ms. Watkins contacted parents immediately on 10/31/2022 when I told her

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.