Early Start Academy

GS 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: EARLY START ACADEMY Facility ID: 32001891 Consultant: TONI FULLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/18/2026 Number Present: 56 Completed Date: 3/18/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 100 Time In: 11:50 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced Upon arrival the staff greeted me. They contacted the owner/director, who arrived at the center in approximately 15 minutes. The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor applicable child care requirements during a Routine Unannounced visit. The last Annual Compliance visit was conducted on 8/6/25. This center operates with a five-star license, which was issued 8/14/25. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: The compliance history for this center for the previous eighteen-month timeframe was 94%. During today’s visit all indoor and outdoor licensed space was monitored. OBSERVATIONS: I observed the children resting on their mats for naptime. I observed the infants having a circle/tummy time and music time with the teacher. The required information was posted on the parent information board. The food allergy lists were posted in each classroom and in the kitchen. Lunch today consisted of chicken tetrazzini, green beans, strawberries, and milk. Lunches for this facility are catered daily from Early Years. STAFF RECORDS: The files for three staff, who began employment after the 8/6/25 Annual Compliance visit, were reviewed today. TRANSPORTATION: This program does not offer transportation services. INSPECTIONS: The last documented annual fire inspection was completed on 8/22/25. The last documented sanitation inspection was conducted on 12/8/25. The last documented fire drill was conducted on 3/9/26. The last documented lockdown drill was conducted on 1/28/26. The last documented playground inspection was completed on 3/11/26. The last documented water testing for Clean Water for NC Kids was completed on 10/4/23. I reminded the owner/director that the water testing was due to be completed again by 10/4/26. The center completed Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids on 8/27/24. The following violation was cited today: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The posted activity plans in classroom space #4 were not current. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) Since the violation cited today was corrected during the visit, a Corrective Action letter was not requested for today’s visit. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE was provided today in the following areas: ABCMS PROVIDER PORTAL: North Carolina child care administrators can now view and edit their facility staff roster in ABCMS, the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. The provider will have access to see background check status for all employees and add/delete applicants on their roster. Access to the ABCMS Provider Portal is granted by the DCDEE Criminal Record Check Unit after completing the required Moodle training and submitting the signed form available at the conclusion of the training. NC child care providers must obtain access to the ABCMS Provider Portal to meet the requirement to record new employees within five days of hire, in accordance with NC Child Care Rules. The Division no longer recognizes or accepts the Change of Information form. AGENCY NEWS AND UPDATES: Visit the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ often. Click on the “What’s New” tab for new requirements and updates. CONTACT INFORMATION: Please contact me if I can be of any assistance to you. I can be reached at toni.fuller@dhhs.nc.gov or (919) 819-9366. You can also reach out to the licensing supervisor, Holli Hemby, at holli.hemby@dhhs.nc.gov or (919) 819-9363. 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 .0902 · Violation

Name of Operation: EARLY START ACADEMY Facility ID: 32001891 Consultant: TONI FULLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 8/6/2025 Number Present: 56 Completed Date: 8/6/2025 Age: From 0 To 6 Total Minutes: 255 Time In: 09:00 AM Time Out: 01:15 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 unannounced visit was to monitor applicable child care requirements during the Annual Compliance visit to include Rated License reassessment. This center operates with a five-star license, which was issued on 7/12/17. The last Annual Compliance visit was conducted on 8/27/24. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: The compliance history for this center for the previous eighteen-month timeframe was 92%. CORPORATION STATUS: According to the information on the NC Secretary of State web site, the status of Early Start Academy, Inc, is “active-current”. During today’s visit all indoor and outdoor licensed space was monitored. OBSERVATIONS: I visited each classroom and observed the children engaged in a variety of indoor activities. Each classroom had current activity plans posted. The center allergy list was posted in each classroom. CHILDREN’S RECORDS: Ten children’s records were reviewed today. STAFF RECORDS: During today’s visit I reviewed the files for three staff, who began employment after the 8/27/24 Annual Compliance visit. I reviewed an additional four staff files during the visit to include tallying in-service training requirements since the 8/27/24 visit. Please update the in-service training log for the remaining employees to reflect that their yearly in-service training requirement starts again tomorrow. CURRICULUM: This center implements the Creative Curriculum. TRANSPORTATION: This program does not offer transportation services. NUTRITION: Lunches for this center are catered through Early Years of Durham. Current menus were posted. INSPECTIONS: The last documented annual fire inspection was completed on 3/11/25. The last documented sanitation inspection was conducted on 6/20/25. The last documented fire drill was conducted on 7/10/25. The last documented shelter-in-place drill was conducted on 7/2/25. The last documented playground inspection was completed on 8/4/25. The last documented water testing for Clean Water for NC Kids was completed on 9/12/25. The center completed the lead/asbestos testing for clearance on 8/27/24. The following violations were cited today: Violation Number Comment Rule 540 An individual written feeding plan was not provided by child's parent or health care provider or was not followed and posted. One child, under the age of 15 months, in classroom space #3 did not have a feeding schedule. 10A NCAC 09 .0902(a) 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. The staff person, who began employment on 3/31/25, needed to complete First Aid training. .1102(c) 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. It could not be verified today that the staff person, who began employment on 3/31/25, had completed the training. .1102(g) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a signed Corrective Action letter by 8/20/25, stating how each violation has been corrected. RATED LICENSE: On 6/17/25 I received an application for Rated License reassessment to include the “prep year” Environment Rating Scales assessments, which were conducted at the center on 4/4/24. Education: During today’s visit it was determined that the center had achieved 7 points on the administrator education worksheet, 7 points in the lead teacher category, and 7 points in the teacher category, for an overall score of 7 points in the education component of the Rated License assessment process. Programming: On 4/4/24 this center scored 5.77 on the ECERS-R assessment and 5.37 on the ITERS-R assessment. The two reports were reviewed with the owner/director during the 5/14/24 visit. With an averaged score of 5.57 on the two assessments, this center could achieve 7 points in the programming component, if they agreed to maintain the highest voluntary enhanced staff/child ratio and group size requirements. The owner/director decided to continue maintaining the voluntary enhanced staff/child ratios and group size ratios requirements for a score of 6 points in the programming component of the Rated License assessment process. Quality Point: The owner/director completed the form during today’s visit and selected the following education quality point option: “The child care administrator has at least 10 years of experience child care administrative work experience in a licensed program that can be verified by the Division.” Compliance History: The compliance history for the previous eighteen-month timeframe was 95%. I stated that paperwork would be submitted to issue this center a five-star license with 7 points in education, 6 points in programming, and 1 quality point. I stated that the restrictions on the license would remain the same. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE was provided today in the following areas: LICENSED CAPACITY: I explained that Durham County was no longer requiring 35 square feet of indoor space per child in licensed child care centers in Durham County. To keep the requirements for the five-star license, this center must maintain 30 square feet of indoor space per child in each classroom. During today’s visit I gave the owner/director an updated space calculations worksheet, reflecting the requirements at 25 square feet, 30 square feet, and 35 square feet. I also gave the owner/director a copy of the center’s floorplan with the capacity changes for each classroom. I stated that the owner/director could re-do the staff/child ratio charts in each classroom to reflect the current capacity of each room. However, I stated that the updated license would still reflect a licensed capacity of 75 children, based on the original building inspection form. I stated that a revised building inspection form would be needed to increase the capacity on the license. AGENCY NEWS AND UPDATES: Visit the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ often. Click on the “What’s New” tab for new requirements and updates. CONTACT INFORMATION: Please contact me if I can be of any assistance to you. I can be reached at toni.fuller@dhhs.nc.gov or (919) 819-9366. 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

GS 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: EARLY START ACADEMY Facility ID: 32001891 Consultant: CORRINE FULP Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 2/20/2024 Number Present: 53 Completed Date: 2/20/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 120 Time In: 11:30 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM 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, Kim Adkins assisted me with today’s visit. LICENSE STATUS: The program operates with a 5 star-rated license, issued on 7/12/17. They received 6 points in program standards, 6 points in staff education and 1 quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefits package and an infrastructure of parent involvement. I conducted a walkthrough of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. I observed infants rest/meal time and children engaged in free play both indoors and outdoors. INSPECTION/SAFTEY DRILL STATUS: *The last annual compliance visit was conducted on 8/30/23. *The sanitation inspection was conducted on 10/9/23. *The fire inspection was conducted on 8/6/23. *The last fire drill was conducted on 2/16/24. *The last outdoor inspection was conducted on 2/13/24. *The last shelter-in-place or lock down drill was conducted on 2/2/24. *The EPR Plan was updated on 2/20/24. ITEMS MONITORED: A partial monitoring of applicable child care requirements was conducted, monitoring Supervision, Staff Child Ratio, CPR/First Aid, Special Training, Storage of Hazardous Substances, Storage of Medication, Adequate Approved/Space, Staff Records, Program Records, License Posted, and Permit Restrictions. The following violations were observed and documented during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The activity plan posted in space #1 was dated January-2024. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) The cited violation was corrected during the visit therefore no correction letter is required. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history score was 98%. CONSULTATION RATED LICENSE You are in your planning period and your Assessment period starts 7/1/25. Your request has been confirmed for the Environment Rating Scale Assessment. It's a good idea to have staff check their WORKS accounts to make sure it reflect all current coursework. You can also do the following to help staff prepare for the visit: •Review previous assessment [ECEERS-R] •Look for assessment related resources – ncrlap.org. •Complete self-assessment to become familiar with ERS. •Visit www.ncrlap.org for updated trainings and videos. DCDEE UPDATES AND NEWS Please remember to check the Division of Child Development and Early Education website: ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov frequently to stay updated on rule requirements. ABCMS PORTAL [provider can check qualifying letters] To receive access, complete the training on DCDEE’s Moodle site. Complete the short video and test. A certificate will be issued when the session has been completed. Email the certificate along with your full name, position, and facility ID number to DCDEE_ABCMS_Provider@dhhs.nc.gov. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have any questions about today’s visit, I can be reached via email at corrine.fulp@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at (919) 606-2388. 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