Supervision
Name of Operation: Hawthorn Montessori School Facility ID: 11000959 Consultant: KAORU EDDINS Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 5/19/2026 Number Present: 11 Completed Date: 5/19/2026 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 270 Time In: 09:22 AM Time Out: 01:52 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 compliance during an annual compliance visit with the Rated License Assessment visit. A computerized generated report of today’s visit was completed and reviewed with you. A signature on the visit summary was not obtained during today's visit due to consultant portable printer being dysfunctional and the provider had internet outage. The visit summary will be printed and signed by Kaoru Eddins, Child Care Consultant and will be emailed to you for a signature. Today, Ms. Anderson was available during the visit. The indoor and outdoor areas were monitored today, including supervision, staff/child ratios, permit restrictions, discipline, nutrition and routine caregiving activities. An annual compliance monitoring checklist for child care centers was used to note the requirements monitored and is attached to the computerized generated visit summary for your records. The center’s compliance history was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was ninety-one (91) percent as of today prior to this visit. The North Carolina Secretary of State website was viewed prior to today’s visit and non-profit corporation; Hawthorn Montessori School is current/active as of 5/18/26. Permit type – four-star center license issued on 1/31/25. Special Services/Restrictions – daytime care, no children in diapers, meets enhanced ratios and space, children under 2 ½ years old in rooms with direct exits only. Maximum of four (4) staff allowed per septic system restrictions. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on 7/14/25. The last fire drill was practiced on 4/21/26. The last shelter-in-place drill was practiced on 4/29/26. The last playground inspection was documented on 4/21/26. The last fire inspection was approved on 12/4/25. The last sanitation inspection was conducted on 9/16/25 with thirteen (13) demerits for a superior classification. The Emergency Medical Care plan was posted and current. The approved curriculum is Creative Curriculum. Lead water testing was completed on 8/20/24 with or without hazards. Lead paint and asbestos testing was completed on 10/22/24. Three (3) staff members were listed on the Automated Criminal Background Check Management System (ABCMS). Upon arrival, I announced my presence and the purpose of the visit. The program utilizes spaces #1–#3 as a single classroom. At the time of observation, one staff member was supervising children in space #2, while the second staff member was supervising children in space #3. Space #1 is currently designated for cubby storage and napping. The children’s bathroom is located between spaces #2 and #3, with a short hallway connecting the areas. During the observation, children moved freely between spaces #2 and #3. In space #2, children played with pretend shoes and laces, housekeeping accessories and art materials. In space #3, some children played with pretend animals on the floor while others observed Painted ladies hatch from their cocoons. Staff member in space #3 read “Bugs in Blanket” book to a small group of children. A total of eleven (11) children, three-to-five years old, were present. Staff/Child ratios were maintained in each space during today’s visit. No staff members had more than ten (10) children alone. Per Ms. Anderson, staff members are aware of maximum capacity for each space and center's staff/child ratios and make sure that they are maintained. Sunscreen, lip balms, insect repellent, lotion were maintained in a locked cabinet in space #1. Permission forms were all valid. No other types of medications were maintained at this facility. Supervision and interaction were adequate. The playground were monitored, and no safety concerns were observed. Two (2) children’s files were monitored. All children have Nutrition Opt-out forms on file. They bring meals from home. Lunch time was observed, and the supervision during meal was adequate. Staff files: One (1) new staff file and one (1) existing staff file were monitored in full, and one (1) existing staff member’s file was monitored partially due to outdated dates on the Staff and Training Worksheet. R. Leal: Substitute staff CBC – issued on 1/17/24, expires on 1/17/29 – verified on ABCMS Per Ms. Anderson, this staff member works average of eight (8) hours or so each week. D. Whitney: TB - 12/4/24 HQ – 7/15/24 CPR/First Aid expiration date – 8/13/27 EPR/EMC review – 8/19/25 SDP through June 2026 – on file Review of OP/PP – 7/15/24 ASE/SDP- 8/1/25 On-going training – 9 hours so far (current training period ends on 7/14/26) Health and Safety training- 7/6/25 K. Anderson: Health and Safety Training – last completed on 9/27/20 All topics of health and safety except for “Medication in Child Care” training renewal completed on 5/18/26. This is considered incomplete. CPR/FA expiration date – 8/13/27 EPR/EMS review – 8/19/25 Rated License Assessment: Application for the Rated license Assessment was submitted during today's visit. The documents include Family and Community engagement standard form, CQI for facility and individuals and self-study verification forms. The program will choose Program Assessment pathway. The current restrictions meet the staff/child ratio requirement for four-star level. The curriculum for four-year-old is Creative Curriculum. Family and Community Engagement standards – five (5) foundational practices and three (3) additional standard, one (1) from each categories were verified. Supporting documentation including parent handbook, email communications, school calendar and other notifications to the parents. CQI: One (1) CQI for facility, three(3) individual CQIs were submitted and reviewed during today's visit. ECES-3: The program received an Outreach Assessment on 4/1/26 and scored 5.47. Per Ms. Anderson, all low-scored items were corrected. The last day of school is 6/19/26. When compliance for today's visit is met, I will submit a request for ECERS-3. Self-study verification form was submitted during today's visit. Education: D. Whitney - administrator's application/resume stated license child care experiences since August 2016. Ms. Anderson's application also reflected licensed child care experience since December 2012. WORKS letters for both staff members were reviewed during today's visit, but verification for enrollment in bachelor's degree or associate degree was not reviewed during today's visit. QIRS staff information and education worksheet was submitted during today's visit. You must submit additional documents verifying that Ms. Whitney is enrolled in bachelor's degree or associate degree. I used the Child Care Center Item Number Listing (DCDEE-0357) as a basic monitoring tool to assess compliance with all applicable child care requirements pertinent to this facility. For specific rule references, refer to Chapter 110 General Statues Child Care Facilities, Chapter nine (9) Child Care Rule (10A NCAC 09) and Section 2800 Sanitation of Child Care Center (15A NCAC 18A) for additional information. Updated copies of these rules can be located on our website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ The program does not provide transportation. License, lesson plans, summary of child care law, EMC, and staff/child ratio information were posted and verified during today’s visit. The following violations were documented during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Two (2) staff members' health questionnaire were not updated annually - one (1) HQ expired on 7/15/25, and the other one on 8/11/25. .0701(a) 1043 All staff records, except financial records, were not made available for review. Staff file documents for one (1) substitute staff member who was present during today's visit, were not available for review. Staff and Training Worksheet for the same staff member was not available, either. G.S. 110-91( 9) 1805 A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers, as defined in G.S. 110-90.2(a)(2), who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. Employment of one (1) substitute staff member was not reported to the Division - the staff member was not listed on the ABCMS roster. G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) 1899 Health and safety training topics were not included as part of on-going training within five years of completing the previous health and safety training topics. One (1) staff member did not complete "Medication in Child Care" training as a part of fifth year renewal of Health and Safety training. .1103(b) Technical assistance was provided as follows: 1034: HQ Health Questionnaire must be updated annually. To comply, K. Anderson and D. Whitney must update their Health Questionnaire forms. In your compliance letter, please verify completion of this task. 1043: staff records Staff records must be available for review The following documents must be included in the substitute staff files: Application TB screening Health Questionnaire Emergency information form Orientation EMC review EPR review CPR/First Aid certificate (within 90 days of employment) Review of Shaken Baby policy Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training (within 90 days of employment) Professional Development Plan Evaluation Review of job description, operational policy and personnel policy Additionally, Health and Safety training including “Medication in Child Care” training is required if the substitute staff member work more than ten (10) days in 12 months period. To comply, you must obtain the document listed above for R. Leal. Please create Staff and Training Worksheet and submit it to me within the next 24 hours. I will verify the compliance of this item through the submission of Staff and Training Worksheet. Please make sure that all documents are valid. 1805: ABCMS roster All staff members including substitute staff members must be listed on the ABCMS system. To comply, Please list R. Leal on the ABCMS system. In your compliance letter, please verify the completion of this task. 1899: Health and Safety training Health and Safety training must be completed within the first year of employment and every five (5) years thereafter. Health and Safety training can be completed on DCDEE Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/ Health and Safety training is typically listed as CCDF training. However, “Medication in Child Care” training required as a part of Health and Safety training but not included in the CCDF training. Therefore, you must find it separately. You can type “medication” in the search box located on the bottom of the page. To comply, K. Anderson must complete Medication in Child Care training. In your compliance letter, please verify completion of this task. Achieving Compliance: Child Care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. I must receive a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. Please be aware any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. The violations documented above must be corrected immediately. Send me a letter of compliance describing in detail specifically how each violation was corrected and how compliance will be maintained in the future. Include the following: • Facility name • Facility ID# • Date of visit • Violation item number • Signed statement of compliance I must receive your compliance statement by 6/2/26. Email the compliance letter on signed letterhead or in the email identifying your facility name, ID#, name and position to: kaoru.eddins@ dhhs.nc.gov or you can mail to: Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development and Early Education Attn: Kaoru Eddins PO Box 795 Pisgah Forest, NC 28768 Please call me at 828-556-9013, or email [email protected], if you need assistance. Please note: if mailing the letter of compliance, I must receive it by the due date listed above. You will need to mail a compliance statement three to five days prior to the due date to ensure receipt is within the designated timeline. Failure to correct the violations and send the written statement by the due date listed above may result in an unannounced follow-up visit being conducted. Based on Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 Section .2200, the Division of Child Development may take administrative action against the license and/or impose civil penalties based on the failure of the operator to correct any documented violations within the established time period. Consultation is provided as follows: Renovation: Ms. Anderson is planning to renovate space #1 and Space #2 - removing some of the wall between space #1 and #2 to make space #1/#2 one room. She is in contact with Environmental Health specialist and aware of the needs for Building Inspection. Staff/child ratios: Even though no staff/child ratios violations were observed during today’s visit, I reiterated importance of maintaining adequate staff/child ratios in each space. When children, three (3) years of age, are present, no staff members can exceed ten (10) children. Annual compliance visit: This year, 2nd annual compliance visit was conducted to adjust routine visit schedule due to summer closure of the program. Typically, one (1) annual compliance visit and one (1) routine unannounced visit are conducted each year with some exceptions. Parent participation: The following rule reference was shared with Ms. Anderson: 10A NCAC 09 .0515 PARENT PARTICIPATION (a) Each center shall have a plan that will encourage parent participation and inform parents about the program and its services. The plan shall be discussed with parents on or before the child's first day of attendance and shall be posted in the center or a copy shall be given to parents on or before the child's first day of attendance. (b) The plan shall include the following: (1) a procedure for registering a child for child care that involves both parents when possible and that encourages a visit to the center by the child and the child's parents before the child begins attending the center; (2) opportunities for caregiving staff to meet with parents on a regular basis to discuss their child's needs and progress and to exchange information about the program; (3) activities that provide parents opportunities to participate in the center's program on an individual basis and as a group; (4) a procedure for parents who need information or have complaints about the child care program. If you elect to change and/or alter any previously approved spaces used by children as indicated on the approved indoor and outdoor floor plan, you will need to contact me within thirty (30) days prior to the change. Failure to notify a DCDEE representative may result in a violation of child care requirements. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) states “Each operator shall schedule and obtain a fire inspection within 12 months of the center's previous fire inspection. The operator shall notify the local fire inspector when it is time for the center's annual fire inspection. The operator shall submit the original of the approved annual fire inspection report to the Division within one week of the inspection visit on the form provided by the Division.” As child care providers, you are a vital part in the prevention and intervention of child maltreatment! You may see potential indicators of maltreatment in the children under your care. Some children may even be more likely to disclose maltreatment to a child care provider than to a family member. It is required that all providers are aware of maltreatment indicators and to report any suspicions of maltreatment. Follow child care rules related to child maltreatment training: 10A NCAC 09 .1102(g) and 10A NCAC 09 .1703(a)(5) states the child care administrator, operator, and all staff members sha ll complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment. It is the center operator’s responsibility to make sure each staff person has registered for a WORKS account, submit an official transcript (if applicable) and apply for a position for evaluation. This should be completed immediately upon hiring or at the latest, by the end of the six-week orientation process. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3222 (c) If employment-related changes occur at a facility that result in noncompliance with or failure to meet the standards in the Section for the star rating issued, the operator shall correct the noncompliance within six months. If the operator does not correct the noncompliance within six months, the operator shall notify the Division. It is your responsibility to understand the health and safety requirements in child care rule .1102. If the program is out of compliance in accordance with health and safety requirements, Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), it may affect subsidy funding. Stay updated with changes and new rule updates by visiting the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/.It is your responsibility to understand the rules and laws that are applicable your program. All rules/laws cannot be verbally reviewed during any monitoring visit. Please ask questions if you are having difficulty and would like additional technical assistance. I welcome your questions and want to be a resource for you. We appreciate all you are doing to serve the children and families of NC. If you have questions, please contact me at [email protected] or 828.556.9013, or Bonnie Mathis, Licensing Supervisor, at [email protected]. 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