Knowledge Beginnings

10A NCAC 09 .2703 · Violation

Name of Operation: KNOWLEDGE BEGINNINGS Facility ID: 92001322 Consultant: KIMBERLY GIROUARD Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 12/16/2024 Number Present: 75 Completed Date: 12/16/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 330 Time In: 11:30 AM Time Out: 05:00 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 compliance during an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the director, Ms. Maureen Bosman and Assistant Director, Ms. Shae Cabrera. Ms. Cabrera accompanied me on my walk-through of the facility today. MONITORING During today’s visit, a full assessment was conducted, monitoring all indoor and outdoor space occupied by the children. Staff files were monitored today. A selection of children’s files was monitored. All spaces were monitored for supervision, staff/child ratios, materials, equipment and required postings. A checklist was used to note the requirements that were monitored today. The completed checklist was given to the director at the conclusion of the visit. At the time of my visit there were a total of 75 children present between the ages of 0yrs. – 5yrs. years of age. The children were observed engaged in indoor and outdoor play, eating lunch and going down for nap. One infant room was monitored today. Two infants were observed napping and save sleep checks were found to be in compliance. Two infants were observed engaged in floor activities and the teacher was observed feeding one infant a bottle. During my walkthrough of the facility today, I observed the staff engaged in the children’s activities while providing appropriate supervision. LICENSE STATUS Currently this center operates with a Five (5) Star license issued July 21, 2021. License restrictions are as follows; First shift- Daytime care only, Children under 2 ½ years old in rooms with direct exits only, Meeting Enhanced Ratios as well as Enhanced Space. INSPECTIONS I reviewed all required inspections including fire drills, emergency drills, sanitation, fire, and outdoor inspections. All inspections were found to be in compliance today. The facility’s EPR plan was updated on March 28, 2024. VIOLATIONS CITED The following three (3) violations of childcare requirements were observed today, documented and technical assistance regarding maintaining compliance was documented and discussed. Violation Number Comment Rule 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). One employee (initials B.A.) was found to have an expired qualification letter. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. .1002(b) 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. One staff member did not have the required Child Maltreatment certificate on file confirming the training was successfully completed. .1102(g) According to NC General Statute all Child Care programs must maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past 18 months or during the length of time the facility has operated, whichever is less. Any violations documented during visits to your program may have an impact on the total compliance history score and cause your score to drop below the mandated level. **Prior to today’s visit, the compliance history score for the center was 96%. The following were discussed with you during today’s visit: COMPLIANCE HISTORY 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. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & CONSULTATION Technical Assistance was provided with the following suggestions that may be beneficial: Record keeping is one of the most time-consuming tasks associated with administering a child care program. It is an important part of licensure. Review staff files often to ensure the program is maintaining accurate licensing records. Organization and completeness of records is important to ensure easy access to information in emergency situations. We discussed making sure that you develop a record-keeping system for staff and children’s records that promotes organization and efficiency. Administrative staff must allow time to review all necessary documentation prior to employment of staff to ensure accuracy. As an administrator, it is your responsibility to review all employment documentation and verify that required documents are received within the specified time frame. Using a checklist to check and date receipt of documents will help you track employment documents. A staff file checklist is available on the DCDEE website under the Provider tab and provider documents links. Please refer to the Staff and Training Worksheets to continue to keep all staff members current with their upcoming due dates for CPR/First Aid training, child maltreatment training, and health and safety training requirements. *Criminal background checks (CBC) are completed to protect the children from abuse and reduce liability risks. The CBC process must be completed before a person can begin work; therefore, a Qualification Letter must be on file prior to employment. Any employee in a licensed childcare facility who is ever left alone with a child or group of children for any length of time must have a background check completed through the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). A CBC must be completed every five years. An expiration date is listed on each Qualification Letter. Submissions can be made six months before the expiration date. Operators will need to be proactive and make staffing decisions and arrangements in advance to avoid non-compliance with this and other DCDEE staffing requirements. Having applicants submit a copy of their Qualification Letter along with their resume and application can facilitate a shorter selection and hiring process. Criminal background checks must be completed online. To complete online criminal background check applications, go to www.ncchildcare.nc.gov/general/dhhscrc.asp. The $26.50 payment is a part of the online criminal background check application process. Fingerprints must be completed through LIVESCAN at your local county sheriff’s office. If you have any questions regarding the criminal background check process, dial 1-800-859-0829 and ask for the criminal background unit. * Linking Criminal Background Checks – Staff need to log into the Criminal Background Check Portal on the DCDEE website and link to the facility license number. It is important to do this so staff at DCDEE can contact the center if a random criminal history check uncovers a staff member with a criminal charge or conviction working in a child care facility. It is also a way for staff at the CBC Unit to keep you updated on the status of out-of-state checks if a new employee has a Provisional Qualification. Instructions on how to link to the facility was provided today. In the future, new staff need to link within five days of hire or transfer to your center. Review Criminal History Record Check Requirements for Child Care Centers in the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .2703. *Today I talked to the infant teacher about the importance of always documenting that infants are placed on their back when being placed in their crib for nap time, unless there is a Written Waiver on file, signed by the child’s parent/legal guardian. This includes if the infant rolls onto their tummy or side when being placed down for nap. By documenting tummy or back on the infants’ safe sleep check, the care giver is stating they purposefully placed the infant on their tummy or side when placing them in the crib for nap time. Sleep checks should tell a clear story of how the infant was initially placed in the crib when going down for nap and the time the infant went don for nap, each position the infant was observed in during each sleep check conducted by the infant room staff, and when the infant woke up. I recommended that if an infant does not nap on any given day, that the infant room staff document on their safe sleep chart, NO NAP, on that specific day. *I suggested the facility administrative team create a tickler system to track and maintain compliance with items such as bus registration and insurance expiration dates as well as deadlines for needed documentation from staff such as expiring criminal background checks. *Keep an eye on the playground equipment on the Infant/Toddler play yard. There are areas that might need attention due to peeling paint in the near future. *Continue to remind Infant and Toddler staff to make sure the shed on the Infant/Toddler playground remains locked an all times due to gardening equipment being stored in there. Reminder/Notes *The preschool playground is currently closed for a complete renovation. *One employee was found to have an expired criminal background check. I reminded the director, Ms. Bosman and the Assistant Director, Ms. Cabrera, that this employee may not return to work until she has an up-to-date Criminal Background letter on file at the facility. RESOURCES *The Healthy Social Behaviors (HSB) Project supports teachers to promote healthy social-emotional development and reduce the expulsion rate among young children in licensed child care centers across North Carolina. Specialists are available with early childhood education backgrounds who are passionate about empowering teachers to develop learning environments and teaching practices that promote prosocial skills in young children. A flyer with the challenging behaviors hotline information was provided today. *Background Checks - Center directors/owners can now access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS), the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. Please link you and your staff asap. This access will allow providers to: • See the real-time background check status of staff members. • Run a printable report of the staff roster to assist with compliance visits. • See new background check applicants and add to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. The course is titled ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training - under the Early Childhood Professional Development Tab, then under the Criminal Background (CBC) tab. *Please continue to visit DCDEE’s website for child care updates at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. In the future, new staff need to link within five days of hire or transfer to your center. Review Criminal History Record Check Requirements for Child Care Centers in the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .2703. Please submit a corrective action letter for the above three (3) 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. Do to the upcoming holidays, your corrective action letter is due no later than January 3, 2025, and should be emailed to Kimberly Girouard at Kimberly.Girouard@dhhs.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by phone at 919-602-2582 or email at Kimberly.Girouard@dhhs.nc.gov. You can also contact my supervisor Michele Remington at by email at Michele.Remington@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

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: KNOWLEDGE BEGINNINGS Facility ID: 92001322 Consultant: KIMBERLY GIROUARD Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 12/16/2024 Number Present: 75 Completed Date: 12/16/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 330 Time In: 11:30 AM Time Out: 05:00 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 compliance during an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the director, Ms. Maureen Bosman and Assistant Director, Ms. Shae Cabrera. Ms. Cabrera accompanied me on my walk-through of the facility today. MONITORING During today’s visit, a full assessment was conducted, monitoring all indoor and outdoor space occupied by the children. Staff files were monitored today. A selection of children’s files was monitored. All spaces were monitored for supervision, staff/child ratios, materials, equipment and required postings. A checklist was used to note the requirements that were monitored today. The completed checklist was given to the director at the conclusion of the visit. At the time of my visit there were a total of 75 children present between the ages of 0yrs. – 5yrs. years of age. The children were observed engaged in indoor and outdoor play, eating lunch and going down for nap. One infant room was monitored today. Two infants were observed napping and save sleep checks were found to be in compliance. Two infants were observed engaged in floor activities and the teacher was observed feeding one infant a bottle. During my walkthrough of the facility today, I observed the staff engaged in the children’s activities while providing appropriate supervision. LICENSE STATUS Currently this center operates with a Five (5) Star license issued July 21, 2021. License restrictions are as follows; First shift- Daytime care only, Children under 2 ½ years old in rooms with direct exits only, Meeting Enhanced Ratios as well as Enhanced Space. INSPECTIONS I reviewed all required inspections including fire drills, emergency drills, sanitation, fire, and outdoor inspections. All inspections were found to be in compliance today. The facility’s EPR plan was updated on March 28, 2024. VIOLATIONS CITED The following three (3) violations of childcare requirements were observed today, documented and technical assistance regarding maintaining compliance was documented and discussed. Violation Number Comment Rule 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). One employee (initials B.A.) was found to have an expired qualification letter. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. .1002(b) 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. One staff member did not have the required Child Maltreatment certificate on file confirming the training was successfully completed. .1102(g) According to NC General Statute all Child Care programs must maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past 18 months or during the length of time the facility has operated, whichever is less. Any violations documented during visits to your program may have an impact on the total compliance history score and cause your score to drop below the mandated level. **Prior to today’s visit, the compliance history score for the center was 96%. The following were discussed with you during today’s visit: COMPLIANCE HISTORY 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. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & CONSULTATION Technical Assistance was provided with the following suggestions that may be beneficial: Record keeping is one of the most time-consuming tasks associated with administering a child care program. It is an important part of licensure. Review staff files often to ensure the program is maintaining accurate licensing records. Organization and completeness of records is important to ensure easy access to information in emergency situations. We discussed making sure that you develop a record-keeping system for staff and children’s records that promotes organization and efficiency. Administrative staff must allow time to review all necessary documentation prior to employment of staff to ensure accuracy. As an administrator, it is your responsibility to review all employment documentation and verify that required documents are received within the specified time frame. Using a checklist to check and date receipt of documents will help you track employment documents. A staff file checklist is available on the DCDEE website under the Provider tab and provider documents links. Please refer to the Staff and Training Worksheets to continue to keep all staff members current with their upcoming due dates for CPR/First Aid training, child maltreatment training, and health and safety training requirements. *Criminal background checks (CBC) are completed to protect the children from abuse and reduce liability risks. The CBC process must be completed before a person can begin work; therefore, a Qualification Letter must be on file prior to employment. Any employee in a licensed childcare facility who is ever left alone with a child or group of children for any length of time must have a background check completed through the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). A CBC must be completed every five years. An expiration date is listed on each Qualification Letter. Submissions can be made six months before the expiration date. Operators will need to be proactive and make staffing decisions and arrangements in advance to avoid non-compliance with this and other DCDEE staffing requirements. Having applicants submit a copy of their Qualification Letter along with their resume and application can facilitate a shorter selection and hiring process. Criminal background checks must be completed online. To complete online criminal background check applications, go to www.ncchildcare.nc.gov/general/dhhscrc.asp. The $26.50 payment is a part of the online criminal background check application process. Fingerprints must be completed through LIVESCAN at your local county sheriff’s office. If you have any questions regarding the criminal background check process, dial 1-800-859-0829 and ask for the criminal background unit. * Linking Criminal Background Checks – Staff need to log into the Criminal Background Check Portal on the DCDEE website and link to the facility license number. It is important to do this so staff at DCDEE can contact the center if a random criminal history check uncovers a staff member with a criminal charge or conviction working in a child care facility. It is also a way for staff at the CBC Unit to keep you updated on the status of out-of-state checks if a new employee has a Provisional Qualification. Instructions on how to link to the facility was provided today. In the future, new staff need to link within five days of hire or transfer to your center. Review Criminal History Record Check Requirements for Child Care Centers in the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .2703. *Today I talked to the infant teacher about the importance of always documenting that infants are placed on their back when being placed in their crib for nap time, unless there is a Written Waiver on file, signed by the child’s parent/legal guardian. This includes if the infant rolls onto their tummy or side when being placed down for nap. By documenting tummy or back on the infants’ safe sleep check, the care giver is stating they purposefully placed the infant on their tummy or side when placing them in the crib for nap time. Sleep checks should tell a clear story of how the infant was initially placed in the crib when going down for nap and the time the infant went don for nap, each position the infant was observed in during each sleep check conducted by the infant room staff, and when the infant woke up. I recommended that if an infant does not nap on any given day, that the infant room staff document on their safe sleep chart, NO NAP, on that specific day. *I suggested the facility administrative team create a tickler system to track and maintain compliance with items such as bus registration and insurance expiration dates as well as deadlines for needed documentation from staff such as expiring criminal background checks. *Keep an eye on the playground equipment on the Infant/Toddler play yard. There are areas that might need attention due to peeling paint in the near future. *Continue to remind Infant and Toddler staff to make sure the shed on the Infant/Toddler playground remains locked an all times due to gardening equipment being stored in there. Reminder/Notes *The preschool playground is currently closed for a complete renovation. *One employee was found to have an expired criminal background check. I reminded the director, Ms. Bosman and the Assistant Director, Ms. Cabrera, that this employee may not return to work until she has an up-to-date Criminal Background letter on file at the facility. RESOURCES *The Healthy Social Behaviors (HSB) Project supports teachers to promote healthy social-emotional development and reduce the expulsion rate among young children in licensed child care centers across North Carolina. Specialists are available with early childhood education backgrounds who are passionate about empowering teachers to develop learning environments and teaching practices that promote prosocial skills in young children. A flyer with the challenging behaviors hotline information was provided today. *Background Checks - Center directors/owners can now access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS), the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. Please link you and your staff asap. This access will allow providers to: • See the real-time background check status of staff members. • Run a printable report of the staff roster to assist with compliance visits. • See new background check applicants and add to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. The course is titled ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training - under the Early Childhood Professional Development Tab, then under the Criminal Background (CBC) tab. *Please continue to visit DCDEE’s website for child care updates at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. In the future, new staff need to link within five days of hire or transfer to your center. Review Criminal History Record Check Requirements for Child Care Centers in the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .2703. Please submit a corrective action letter for the above three (3) 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. Do to the upcoming holidays, your corrective action letter is due no later than January 3, 2025, and should be emailed to Kimberly Girouard at Kimberly.Girouard@dhhs.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by phone at 919-602-2582 or email at Kimberly.Girouard@dhhs.nc.gov. You can also contact my supervisor Michele Remington at by email at Michele.Remington@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

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: KNOWLEDGE BEGINNINGS Facility ID: 92001322 Consultant: KIMBERLY GIROUARD Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 12/16/2024 Number Present: 75 Completed Date: 12/16/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 330 Time In: 11:30 AM Time Out: 05:00 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 compliance during an annual compliance visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the director, Ms. Maureen Bosman and Assistant Director, Ms. Shae Cabrera. Ms. Cabrera accompanied me on my walk-through of the facility today. MONITORING During today’s visit, a full assessment was conducted, monitoring all indoor and outdoor space occupied by the children. Staff files were monitored today. A selection of children’s files was monitored. All spaces were monitored for supervision, staff/child ratios, materials, equipment and required postings. A checklist was used to note the requirements that were monitored today. The completed checklist was given to the director at the conclusion of the visit. At the time of my visit there were a total of 75 children present between the ages of 0yrs. – 5yrs. years of age. The children were observed engaged in indoor and outdoor play, eating lunch and going down for nap. One infant room was monitored today. Two infants were observed napping and save sleep checks were found to be in compliance. Two infants were observed engaged in floor activities and the teacher was observed feeding one infant a bottle. During my walkthrough of the facility today, I observed the staff engaged in the children’s activities while providing appropriate supervision. LICENSE STATUS Currently this center operates with a Five (5) Star license issued July 21, 2021. License restrictions are as follows; First shift- Daytime care only, Children under 2 ½ years old in rooms with direct exits only, Meeting Enhanced Ratios as well as Enhanced Space. INSPECTIONS I reviewed all required inspections including fire drills, emergency drills, sanitation, fire, and outdoor inspections. All inspections were found to be in compliance today. The facility’s EPR plan was updated on March 28, 2024. VIOLATIONS CITED The following three (3) violations of childcare requirements were observed today, documented and technical assistance regarding maintaining compliance was documented and discussed. Violation Number Comment Rule 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). One employee (initials B.A.) was found to have an expired qualification letter. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. .1002(b) 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. One staff member did not have the required Child Maltreatment certificate on file confirming the training was successfully completed. .1102(g) According to NC General Statute all Child Care programs must maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past 18 months or during the length of time the facility has operated, whichever is less. Any violations documented during visits to your program may have an impact on the total compliance history score and cause your score to drop below the mandated level. **Prior to today’s visit, the compliance history score for the center was 96%. The following were discussed with you during today’s visit: COMPLIANCE HISTORY 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. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & CONSULTATION Technical Assistance was provided with the following suggestions that may be beneficial: Record keeping is one of the most time-consuming tasks associated with administering a child care program. It is an important part of licensure. Review staff files often to ensure the program is maintaining accurate licensing records. Organization and completeness of records is important to ensure easy access to information in emergency situations. We discussed making sure that you develop a record-keeping system for staff and children’s records that promotes organization and efficiency. Administrative staff must allow time to review all necessary documentation prior to employment of staff to ensure accuracy. As an administrator, it is your responsibility to review all employment documentation and verify that required documents are received within the specified time frame. Using a checklist to check and date receipt of documents will help you track employment documents. A staff file checklist is available on the DCDEE website under the Provider tab and provider documents links. Please refer to the Staff and Training Worksheets to continue to keep all staff members current with their upcoming due dates for CPR/First Aid training, child maltreatment training, and health and safety training requirements. *Criminal background checks (CBC) are completed to protect the children from abuse and reduce liability risks. The CBC process must be completed before a person can begin work; therefore, a Qualification Letter must be on file prior to employment. Any employee in a licensed childcare facility who is ever left alone with a child or group of children for any length of time must have a background check completed through the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). A CBC must be completed every five years. An expiration date is listed on each Qualification Letter. Submissions can be made six months before the expiration date. Operators will need to be proactive and make staffing decisions and arrangements in advance to avoid non-compliance with this and other DCDEE staffing requirements. Having applicants submit a copy of their Qualification Letter along with their resume and application can facilitate a shorter selection and hiring process. Criminal background checks must be completed online. To complete online criminal background check applications, go to www.ncchildcare.nc.gov/general/dhhscrc.asp. The $26.50 payment is a part of the online criminal background check application process. Fingerprints must be completed through LIVESCAN at your local county sheriff’s office. If you have any questions regarding the criminal background check process, dial 1-800-859-0829 and ask for the criminal background unit. * Linking Criminal Background Checks – Staff need to log into the Criminal Background Check Portal on the DCDEE website and link to the facility license number. It is important to do this so staff at DCDEE can contact the center if a random criminal history check uncovers a staff member with a criminal charge or conviction working in a child care facility. It is also a way for staff at the CBC Unit to keep you updated on the status of out-of-state checks if a new employee has a Provisional Qualification. Instructions on how to link to the facility was provided today. In the future, new staff need to link within five days of hire or transfer to your center. Review Criminal History Record Check Requirements for Child Care Centers in the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .2703. *Today I talked to the infant teacher about the importance of always documenting that infants are placed on their back when being placed in their crib for nap time, unless there is a Written Waiver on file, signed by the child’s parent/legal guardian. This includes if the infant rolls onto their tummy or side when being placed down for nap. By documenting tummy or back on the infants’ safe sleep check, the care giver is stating they purposefully placed the infant on their tummy or side when placing them in the crib for nap time. Sleep checks should tell a clear story of how the infant was initially placed in the crib when going down for nap and the time the infant went don for nap, each position the infant was observed in during each sleep check conducted by the infant room staff, and when the infant woke up. I recommended that if an infant does not nap on any given day, that the infant room staff document on their safe sleep chart, NO NAP, on that specific day. *I suggested the facility administrative team create a tickler system to track and maintain compliance with items such as bus registration and insurance expiration dates as well as deadlines for needed documentation from staff such as expiring criminal background checks. *Keep an eye on the playground equipment on the Infant/Toddler play yard. There are areas that might need attention due to peeling paint in the near future. *Continue to remind Infant and Toddler staff to make sure the shed on the Infant/Toddler playground remains locked an all times due to gardening equipment being stored in there. Reminder/Notes *The preschool playground is currently closed for a complete renovation. *One employee was found to have an expired criminal background check. I reminded the director, Ms. Bosman and the Assistant Director, Ms. Cabrera, that this employee may not return to work until she has an up-to-date Criminal Background letter on file at the facility. RESOURCES *The Healthy Social Behaviors (HSB) Project supports teachers to promote healthy social-emotional development and reduce the expulsion rate among young children in licensed child care centers across North Carolina. Specialists are available with early childhood education backgrounds who are passionate about empowering teachers to develop learning environments and teaching practices that promote prosocial skills in young children. A flyer with the challenging behaviors hotline information was provided today. *Background Checks - Center directors/owners can now access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS), the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. Please link you and your staff asap. This access will allow providers to: • See the real-time background check status of staff members. • Run a printable report of the staff roster to assist with compliance visits. • See new background check applicants and add to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. The course is titled ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training - under the Early Childhood Professional Development Tab, then under the Criminal Background (CBC) tab. *Please continue to visit DCDEE’s website for child care updates at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. In the future, new staff need to link within five days of hire or transfer to your center. Review Criminal History Record Check Requirements for Child Care Centers in the NC Child Care Requirements 10A NCAC 09 .2703. Please submit a corrective action letter for the above three (3) 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. Do to the upcoming holidays, your corrective action letter is due no later than January 3, 2025, and should be emailed to Kimberly Girouard at Kimberly.Girouard@dhhs.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by phone at 919-602-2582 or email at Kimberly.Girouard@dhhs.nc.gov. You can also contact my supervisor Michele Remington at by email at Michele.Remington@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