THE Growing Years Learning Center - Apex

10A NCAC 09 .0803 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE GROWING YEARS LEARNING CENTER - APEX Facility ID: 92003593 Consultant: CORRINE FULP Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 7/7/2026 Number Present: 84 Completed Date: 7/7/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 330 Time In: 10:30 AM Time Out: 04:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp w/Rated Lic Assess Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, Kieya McKinnie, administrator, assisted me with Today’s visit. CURRENT LICENSE STATUS: The program operates with a five-star license issued on 7/1/19. ANNUAL INSPECTIONS: The last sanitation inspection was completed on 8/28/25. The last fire inspection was completed on 1/2/26. The last outdoor play area inspection was completed on 6/9/26. The last fire drill was conducted on 6/30/26. The last lock down/shelter-in-place drill was completed on 4/6/26. The EPR plan was updated on 1/19/26. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on 7/9/25. The NC Secretary of State's website was reviewed on 7/7/26 and was listed as active- current. During today's visit, all approved indoor and outdoor spaces were observed. Children were engaged in group-time activities in three classrooms. A group of children were observed preparing for lunch. ITEMS MONITORED: A full assessment was conducted. A monitoring checklist was used to observe all minimum licensing requirements. During today’s visit, seven staff records and ten children’s files were reviewed. All requested documentation was available for review at the time of the visit. The following violations of the Child Care Requirements were observed and documented during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. A current menu was not posted in two classrooms. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. A bottle observed without a current date. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. Two children medical authorization forms were not accessible to view during walk through. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) A letter of correction is not required due to all violations being corrected during the visit. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history score was 95%. . RATED LICENSE Today, you were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns related to your selected pathway. You stated that you are ready to complete the STAR-level assessments but would prefer to wait until the fall so you have adequate time to prepare for the reduced class ratios. WORKS Accounts and Transcript Submission Continue to ensure that all staff have updated their WORKS accounts and you have a plan for meeting your education options. A copy of the staff information and education worksheet was received on 4/6/26; we reviewed your staff education options today. The education of Lead teachers and of other educators were determined at the 5-star requirement. The following items monitored for the completion of your pathway. * Meet reduced enhanced ratios; currently you are operating with enhanced standards and would like to wait until the fall to drop to reduced enhanced ratios * Family & Community Engagement Foundational Practices and 4 additional choices – reviewed/received * CQI Plan for facility and individuals- reviewed and received * Approved curriculum – The Creative Curriculum * Formative Assessment – Creative Curriculum Assessment Bands * ERS assessment results used for CQI goals * Education star level awarded - reviewed If you have any additional questions or concerns, the Division of Child Development and Early Education is available to assist you. Resources regarding the proposed QRIS rules are available at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-RatedLicense/QRIS-Modernization. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: In two classrooms, the medical permission forms were not on file. However, each child's file in the office contained a current medical permission form signed by the parent. To help ensure the forms are readily available when needed, consider placing the original signed form in the classroom and keeping a copy in the child's office file in case the original is misplaced. CONSULTATION AND RESOURCES: ABCMS PROVIDER PORTAL Child care providers can now view and manage their facility’s staff roster through the ABCMS Provider Portal. Please remember that all new employees must be added to your roster within five days of their hire date. It is also important to keep your roster up to date by adding new staff members and removing employees as needed. FACILITY LEAD H2O, LEAD-BASED PAINT, ASBESTOS TESTING Child care facilities are now required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids are designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements to test lead and asbestos hazards in buildings. You can check your status at https://data.cleanwaterforuskids.org/data/north-carolina. In preparation for your visit, I notice that the lead-based paint and asbestos testing have not been completed according to the website posting. To avoid future violations please take the time to complete the test. HEALTH AND SAFETY Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed every 5 years. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. DCDEE UPDATES AND NEWS For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have any questions about today’s visit, I can be reached at: 919-606-2388 or email me at corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov. My supervisor, Holli Hemby, can be reached at (919)819-9363, holli.hemby@dhhs.nc.gov. if I am unavailable. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .0901 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE GROWING YEARS LEARNING CENTER - APEX Facility ID: 92003593 Consultant: CORRINE FULP Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 7/7/2026 Number Present: 84 Completed Date: 7/7/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 330 Time In: 10:30 AM Time Out: 04:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp w/Rated Lic Assess Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, Kieya McKinnie, administrator, assisted me with Today’s visit. CURRENT LICENSE STATUS: The program operates with a five-star license issued on 7/1/19. ANNUAL INSPECTIONS: The last sanitation inspection was completed on 8/28/25. The last fire inspection was completed on 1/2/26. The last outdoor play area inspection was completed on 6/9/26. The last fire drill was conducted on 6/30/26. The last lock down/shelter-in-place drill was completed on 4/6/26. The EPR plan was updated on 1/19/26. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on 7/9/25. The NC Secretary of State's website was reviewed on 7/7/26 and was listed as active- current. During today's visit, all approved indoor and outdoor spaces were observed. Children were engaged in group-time activities in three classrooms. A group of children were observed preparing for lunch. ITEMS MONITORED: A full assessment was conducted. A monitoring checklist was used to observe all minimum licensing requirements. During today’s visit, seven staff records and ten children’s files were reviewed. All requested documentation was available for review at the time of the visit. The following violations of the Child Care Requirements were observed and documented during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. A current menu was not posted in two classrooms. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. A bottle observed without a current date. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. Two children medical authorization forms were not accessible to view during walk through. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) A letter of correction is not required due to all violations being corrected during the visit. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history score was 95%. . RATED LICENSE Today, you were given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns related to your selected pathway. You stated that you are ready to complete the STAR-level assessments but would prefer to wait until the fall so you have adequate time to prepare for the reduced class ratios. WORKS Accounts and Transcript Submission Continue to ensure that all staff have updated their WORKS accounts and you have a plan for meeting your education options. A copy of the staff information and education worksheet was received on 4/6/26; we reviewed your staff education options today. The education of Lead teachers and of other educators were determined at the 5-star requirement. The following items monitored for the completion of your pathway. * Meet reduced enhanced ratios; currently you are operating with enhanced standards and would like to wait until the fall to drop to reduced enhanced ratios * Family & Community Engagement Foundational Practices and 4 additional choices – reviewed/received * CQI Plan for facility and individuals- reviewed and received * Approved curriculum – The Creative Curriculum * Formative Assessment – Creative Curriculum Assessment Bands * ERS assessment results used for CQI goals * Education star level awarded - reviewed If you have any additional questions or concerns, the Division of Child Development and Early Education is available to assist you. Resources regarding the proposed QRIS rules are available at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-RatedLicense/QRIS-Modernization. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: In two classrooms, the medical permission forms were not on file. However, each child's file in the office contained a current medical permission form signed by the parent. To help ensure the forms are readily available when needed, consider placing the original signed form in the classroom and keeping a copy in the child's office file in case the original is misplaced. CONSULTATION AND RESOURCES: ABCMS PROVIDER PORTAL Child care providers can now view and manage their facility’s staff roster through the ABCMS Provider Portal. Please remember that all new employees must be added to your roster within five days of their hire date. It is also important to keep your roster up to date by adding new staff members and removing employees as needed. FACILITY LEAD H2O, LEAD-BASED PAINT, ASBESTOS TESTING Child care facilities are now required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids are designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements to test lead and asbestos hazards in buildings. You can check your status at https://data.cleanwaterforuskids.org/data/north-carolina. In preparation for your visit, I notice that the lead-based paint and asbestos testing have not been completed according to the website posting. To avoid future violations please take the time to complete the test. HEALTH AND SAFETY Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed every 5 years. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. DCDEE UPDATES AND NEWS For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have any questions about today’s visit, I can be reached at: 919-606-2388 or email me at corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov. My supervisor, Holli Hemby, can be reached at (919)819-9363, holli.hemby@dhhs.nc.gov. if I am unavailable. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

G.S. 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE GROWING YEARS LEARNING CENTER - APEX Facility ID: 92003593 Consultant: CORRINE FULP Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 7/9/2025 Number Present: 74 Completed Date: 7/9/2025 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 09:30 AM Time Out: 01:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Kieya McKinnie, and they accompanied me throughout the visit. CURRENT LICENSE STATUS: The program operates with a 5-star rated license issued on 7/1/19. They received 6 points in program standards, 6 points in staff education and one quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure of parent involvement. ANNUAL INSPECTIONS: The last sanitation inspection was completed on 8/21/24. The last fire inspection was completed on 1/23/25. The last outdoor play area inspection was completed on 6/24/25. The last fire drill was conducted on 6/9/25. The last lock down/shelter-in-place drill was completed on 5/15/25. The EPR plan was updated on 2/15/25. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on 7/23/24. You visited all approved indoor spaces with me during today’s visit. Children were participating in group activities, outdoor play, preparing to eat lunch. During the walk through. A full assessment was conducted. A monitoring checklist was used to observe all minimum licensing requirements Four (4) staff files and ten (10) children’s files were reviewed during today’s visit. A sample of the files reviewed for children/staff was left with you. ON GOING TRAINING HOURS Your center’s annual Inservice training for the period of July 2024 through July 2025 was reviewed during today’s visit. Prior to the visit I reviewed the NC Secretary of State's website and observed that the owner of this facility, PREMIER NC APEX LLC., was active/current. The following violations were observed and documented during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. The metal chair legs had peels paint in three of the classroom observed. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(b) 858 Plastic bags, materials that could be torn apart and toy parts small enough to be swallowed were accessible to children under three years of age. Plastic bags were accessible to children 2 years of age. .0604(q) Please submit a corrective action letter for the above violations. While the Division allows you time to explain how you have corrected violations when they are documented, it is expected that you will correct all violations immediately. Your corrective action letter must include the following: Name of your program, Id number of your program, Date of Letter, Violation(s) number(s), and How and When each violation was corrected. If I do not receive your letter by 7/23/25, and/or if you do not address all violations, I will be making a return visit to your program to monitor for compliance of violations and to obtain your compliance letter. Additional violations may be documented if the situation has not been corrected or addressed. Your compliance letter should be sent to me at the following email address: corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov., or mailed to 1781 Indian Camp Road Clayton, NC 27520. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history score was 87%. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE In space # six (6) and space # seven (7) the chairs’ legs had peeling paint. A monthly safety check of all the equipment/furniture within the facility as a focused task provides an opportunity to notice wear and tears that require maintenance. In a classroom for two-year-old plastic bags were stored accessible to children. Plastic bags should not be accessible to children under 3 years of age. Please remove diapers from their plastic covers when storing them. CONSULTATION AND RESOURCES: HEALTH AND SAFETY Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed every 5 years. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. DCDEE UPDATES AND NEWS For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. and view the options of three pathways to maintain your star rating. Now is a good time to learn more about the pathway to stars. Go to the DCDEE website [www.ncchildcare.nc.gov] under “What New” and pan down to the QRIS Modernization section. You will find information on the different pathways, education requirements, continuous quality improvement standards, and a section on frequently asked questions. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have any questions about today’s visit, I can be reached at: 919-606-2388 or email me at corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .0803 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE GROWING YEARS LEARNING CENTER - APEX Facility ID: 92003593 Consultant: CORRINE FULP Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 7/23/2024 Number Present: 78 Completed Date: 7/23/2024 Age: From 0 To 10 Total Minutes: 320 Time In: 09:10 AM Time Out: 02:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable children care requirements for an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Kieya McKinnie, and she accompanied me throughout the visit. CURRENT LICENSE STATUS: The program operates with a 5-star rated license issued on 7/1/19. They received 6 points in program standards, 6 points in staff education and one quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure of parent involvement. We conducted a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. I observed groups of children participating in free play on the playgrounds, engaged in a group activity and free play in their classrooms. Today’s menu consists of grilled chicken, corn, fresh mango, and milk. ANNUAL INSPECTIONS: The last sanitation inspection was completed on: 9/7/23. The last fire inspection was completed on 1/5/24. The last outdoor play area inspection was completed on 7/10/24. The last fire drill was conducted on 6/20/24. The last lock down/shelter-in-place drill was completed on 4/10/24. The EPR plan was updated on 5/16/24. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on 8/28/23. A full assessment was conducted. A monitoring checklist was used to observe all minimum licensing requirements and applicable enhanced requirements including but not limited to approved space, child interactions, required in-service trainings, indoor and outdoor materials and equipment, storage of hazardous items, storage of medication and medication forms, children records, Staff Criminal Record Checks, attendance records, CPR and First Aid certificates, ITSIDS certificates, activity plans and supervision. A sample of Children's files and all Staff records were reviewed during today’s visit. A summary of the review was left with you along with this summary. ON GOING TRAINING HOURS Your center’s annual Inservice training for the period of September 23 through July 2024 was reviewed during today’s visit. Please see the attached Staff-Training Worksheet for specific information on each staff member’s training hours including delinquent and carryover hours. Prior to the visit I reviewed the NC Secretary of State's website and observed that the owner of this facility, PREMIER NC APEX LLC, was current/active. The following violations were observed and documented during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. Four bottle in the infant refrigerator was not dated. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. A container of Beauty of Joseon did not have the required information. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. An annual health questionnaire was not on file for one employee. .0701(a) 1035 Child care providers, including the director, uncompensated providers, substitute providers, and volunteers did not have the required Emergency Information Form on file on or before the first day of work, which included all the required information and/or the information on the form was not updated as changes occur and at least annually. Annual emergency information was not on file for one employee. .0701(a) 1052 Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience. Two employee did not complete their yearly training hours. .1103(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name childs health care professional. One child's file did not have a hospital preference listed. .0802(c)(2) 1897 The child care administrator and all staff did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment. Three employee did not renew their Recognizing and Responding training with 5 year renewal date. .1102(g) Please submit a corrective action letter for the above violations. While the Division allows you time to explain how you have corrected violations when they are documented, it is expected that you correct all violations immediately. Your corrective action letter must include the following: Name of your program, Id number of your program, Date of Letter, Violation(s) number(s), and How and When each violation was corrected. If I do not receive your letter by 8/6/24, and/or if you do not address all violations, I will be making a return visit to your program to monitor for compliance of violations and to obtain your compliance letter. Additional violations may be documented if the situation has not been corrected or addressed. Your compliance letter should be sent to me at the following email address: corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov., or mailed to 1781 Indian Camp Road Clayton, NC 27520. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history score was 91%. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE All staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment and every 5 years because it is a required health and safety topic. This training counts toward requirements set forth in Rule .1103 of this Section. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at www.preventchildabusenc.org. Reminders: •Outdoor inspection will be due by the end of the month. •Shelter-in-place/Lock down is due by the end of the month. CONSULTATION AND RESOURCES: All child care facilities are required to test their drinking and cooking water for lead every three years. It appears that the last lead sample was tested on 7/10/21. For more information, you should contact Clean Water for Carolina Kids. Contact www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org for more information. DCDEE UPDATES AND NEWS For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have any questions about today’s visit, I can be reached at: 919-606-2388 or email me at corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .0803 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE GROWING YEARS LEARNING CENTER - APEX Facility ID: 92003593 Consultant: WANDA FOWLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 5/15/2024 Number Present: 77 Completed Date: 5/15/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 136 Time In: 09:30 AM Time Out: 11:46 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to assess applicable child-care requirements during a routine unannounced visit. The director, Keiya McKinnie, assisted me with today’s visit. We conducted a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. I observed groups of children participating in free play on their playgrounds or engaged in a group activity or free play in their classrooms. RATED LICENSE STATUS The program operates with a 5-star rated license issued on 7/1/19. They received 6 points in program standards, 6 points in staff education and one quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure of parent involvement. Full rated license assessments will occur based on the program’s Cohort assignment; your program is in Cohort 2, therefore your assessment period would begin on or around July 1, 2025. You should begin preparing and planning for your assessment on or after July 1, 2024, if you wish to complete the Environment Rating Scales. You should also ensure that all staff have registered and have their education assessed in WORKS. It is recommended that you complete this process as part of your onboarding process with new hires and as existing staff members complete additional coursework. INSPECTIONS The last sanitation inspection was conducted 9/27/23. The last fire inspection was conducted 1/5/24. The last documented fire drill was conducted 4/29/24. The last documented shelter-in-place or lockdown drill was conducted 4/10/24. The last documented playground inspection was conducted 5/7/24. The status of the owners, Premier NC Apex, LLC., is listed as current and active on the NC Secretary of State website. During today’s visit, we discussed that the center’s indoor space calculations are based at 35 square feet per child, because there was not enough outdoor space to meet the requirement of 100 square feet per the total licensed capacity. A new rule, 10A NCAC 09 .2809 (a), states, “There shall be at least 30 square feet inside space per child per the total licensed capacity and 100 square feet outside space for each child using the outdoor learning environment at any one time.” This means that the center now has the option of reducing their indoor square footage to 30 square feet per child. When considering if this change will be beneficial to the center, we discussed the following factors. No class should exceed the number of students permitted in the space. No class should exceed the number of students permitted by the maximum group size, which is determined by the age of the children assigned to the class space. The center can not exceed the capacity listed on the license, which is currently 130, however, this could increase without having additional licensing considerations to the center. You stated that you would talk with your regional manager and will follow up with me if you decide to proceed with the lower indoor square footage. You may not make this change until a new license has been issued to your center, reflecting the changes made to your indoor square footage and/or capacity. Limited monitoring of child care requirements was assessed during today’s visit. I reviewed emergency medications, new staff files and confirmed that all staff have current CPR, First Aid and ITS SIDS certificates, as required. The program does not transport children or enroll school aged children, therefore, these requirements were not assessed. The following violations were observed and recorded during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 843 A drug or medicine was administered after its expiration date. One child's epi-pen expired in April 2024. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(1)(d) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member's certification expired 12/8/23. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member's certification expired 12/8/23. .1102(d) 1824 The trained staff did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information was current. The last update on the center's EPR plan was dated March 2023. .0607(e) 1882 Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule. One child's medication authorization form for an epi-pen was expired. .0803(6)(a-i); .0803(7)(a-g); .0803(8)(a-d) The above violations must be corrected immediately. By 5/29/24 please email me a signed letter of compliance. Before the letter is sent, all violations should be corrected; please contact me if additional time is needed to correct a specific violation. Include the following in your letter: facility ID number, list the item number describing how and when the violations were corrected and tell me how you plan to maintain compliance in the future with each item. If you prefer to mail your letter, you may send it to 2201 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2201 If the compliance action letter is not received by the due date another visit to the center may be made and additional violations may be added. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history was 97%. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE It is important to maintain accurate medication records to ensure that children with chronic medical needs receive appropriate medications. One child’s epi-pen and medication authorization forms were expired. Some programs develop a spreadsheet to track expiration dates or others have a designated staff member to routinely review center medications. The Emergency Preparedness and Response plan is a tool developed to assist the center in the event of an emergency. Therefore, it is important to keep the information in the plan current. Centers must review their plan annually or more frequently if there are changes to the plan. Setting a calendar reminder may be helpful in tracking the plan’s annual updates. Center staff should have current CPR and First Aid so that they can assist a child or staff member in the event of a medical emergency. One staff member’s CPR and First Aid expired in Dec. 2023. You stated that she is registered for a training later this month. It is very important that she participate in the training and then keep her certification current moving forward. CONSULTATION All child care facilities are required to test their drinking and cooking water for lead every three years. It may be time for your facility to complete this testing again. For more information, you should contact Clean Water for Carolina Kids. Contact www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org for more information. In addition, child care facilities are now required to test for lead and asbestos hazards in their buildings. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids program is designed to identify and eliminate exposure to lead and asbestos hazards in building infrastructure, while providing child care facilities with the support needed to meet all rule requirements. The program is free and the first step is to watch one of the pre-enrollment webinars, which are available at www.cleanwaterforUSkids.org/carolina or paste https://rtiorg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vmlhG6iRS26BdkV8SZSaDw#/registration into your web browser. Additional information can be found in the RaiseNC newsletter sent on December 7, 2023. Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed at least every 5 years. It may be time for your staff to complete this training again. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. There is a link to this training on Moodle. Medication Administration is also a required health and safety training topic. This training is available through Moodle as a separate training. Staff should use their individual NCID user name and password to access this training. Staff should use their individual NCID user name and password to access this training. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment must also be completed at least every 5 years. AGENCY UPDATES Please remember to check the Division of Child Development and Early Education website: ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov frequently to stay updated on rule requirements. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me at wanda.fowler@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919 218-0988. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .2809 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE GROWING YEARS LEARNING CENTER - APEX Facility ID: 92003593 Consultant: WANDA FOWLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 5/15/2024 Number Present: 77 Completed Date: 5/15/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 136 Time In: 09:30 AM Time Out: 11:46 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to assess applicable child-care requirements during a routine unannounced visit. The director, Keiya McKinnie, assisted me with today’s visit. We conducted a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. I observed groups of children participating in free play on their playgrounds or engaged in a group activity or free play in their classrooms. RATED LICENSE STATUS The program operates with a 5-star rated license issued on 7/1/19. They received 6 points in program standards, 6 points in staff education and one quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure of parent involvement. Full rated license assessments will occur based on the program’s Cohort assignment; your program is in Cohort 2, therefore your assessment period would begin on or around July 1, 2025. You should begin preparing and planning for your assessment on or after July 1, 2024, if you wish to complete the Environment Rating Scales. You should also ensure that all staff have registered and have their education assessed in WORKS. It is recommended that you complete this process as part of your onboarding process with new hires and as existing staff members complete additional coursework. INSPECTIONS The last sanitation inspection was conducted 9/27/23. The last fire inspection was conducted 1/5/24. The last documented fire drill was conducted 4/29/24. The last documented shelter-in-place or lockdown drill was conducted 4/10/24. The last documented playground inspection was conducted 5/7/24. The status of the owners, Premier NC Apex, LLC., is listed as current and active on the NC Secretary of State website. During today’s visit, we discussed that the center’s indoor space calculations are based at 35 square feet per child, because there was not enough outdoor space to meet the requirement of 100 square feet per the total licensed capacity. A new rule, 10A NCAC 09 .2809 (a), states, “There shall be at least 30 square feet inside space per child per the total licensed capacity and 100 square feet outside space for each child using the outdoor learning environment at any one time.” This means that the center now has the option of reducing their indoor square footage to 30 square feet per child. When considering if this change will be beneficial to the center, we discussed the following factors. No class should exceed the number of students permitted in the space. No class should exceed the number of students permitted by the maximum group size, which is determined by the age of the children assigned to the class space. The center can not exceed the capacity listed on the license, which is currently 130, however, this could increase without having additional licensing considerations to the center. You stated that you would talk with your regional manager and will follow up with me if you decide to proceed with the lower indoor square footage. You may not make this change until a new license has been issued to your center, reflecting the changes made to your indoor square footage and/or capacity. Limited monitoring of child care requirements was assessed during today’s visit. I reviewed emergency medications, new staff files and confirmed that all staff have current CPR, First Aid and ITS SIDS certificates, as required. The program does not transport children or enroll school aged children, therefore, these requirements were not assessed. The following violations were observed and recorded during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 843 A drug or medicine was administered after its expiration date. One child's epi-pen expired in April 2024. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(1)(d) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member's certification expired 12/8/23. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member's certification expired 12/8/23. .1102(d) 1824 The trained staff did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information was current. The last update on the center's EPR plan was dated March 2023. .0607(e) 1882 Medication authorization, giving the caregiver standing authorization did not meet the specifications in rule. One child's medication authorization form for an epi-pen was expired. .0803(6)(a-i); .0803(7)(a-g); .0803(8)(a-d) The above violations must be corrected immediately. By 5/29/24 please email me a signed letter of compliance. Before the letter is sent, all violations should be corrected; please contact me if additional time is needed to correct a specific violation. Include the following in your letter: facility ID number, list the item number describing how and when the violations were corrected and tell me how you plan to maintain compliance in the future with each item. If you prefer to mail your letter, you may send it to 2201 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2201 If the compliance action letter is not received by the due date another visit to the center may be made and additional violations may be added. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history was 97%. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE It is important to maintain accurate medication records to ensure that children with chronic medical needs receive appropriate medications. One child’s epi-pen and medication authorization forms were expired. Some programs develop a spreadsheet to track expiration dates or others have a designated staff member to routinely review center medications. The Emergency Preparedness and Response plan is a tool developed to assist the center in the event of an emergency. Therefore, it is important to keep the information in the plan current. Centers must review their plan annually or more frequently if there are changes to the plan. Setting a calendar reminder may be helpful in tracking the plan’s annual updates. Center staff should have current CPR and First Aid so that they can assist a child or staff member in the event of a medical emergency. One staff member’s CPR and First Aid expired in Dec. 2023. You stated that she is registered for a training later this month. It is very important that she participate in the training and then keep her certification current moving forward. CONSULTATION All child care facilities are required to test their drinking and cooking water for lead every three years. It may be time for your facility to complete this testing again. For more information, you should contact Clean Water for Carolina Kids. Contact www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org for more information. In addition, child care facilities are now required to test for lead and asbestos hazards in their buildings. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids program is designed to identify and eliminate exposure to lead and asbestos hazards in building infrastructure, while providing child care facilities with the support needed to meet all rule requirements. The program is free and the first step is to watch one of the pre-enrollment webinars, which are available at www.cleanwaterforUSkids.org/carolina or paste https://rtiorg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vmlhG6iRS26BdkV8SZSaDw#/registration into your web browser. Additional information can be found in the RaiseNC newsletter sent on December 7, 2023. Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed at least every 5 years. It may be time for your staff to complete this training again. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. There is a link to this training on Moodle. Medication Administration is also a required health and safety training topic. This training is available through Moodle as a separate training. Staff should use their individual NCID user name and password to access this training. Staff should use their individual NCID user name and password to access this training. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment must also be completed at least every 5 years. AGENCY UPDATES Please remember to check the Division of Child Development and Early Education website: ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov frequently to stay updated on rule requirements. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me at wanda.fowler@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919 218-0988. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times