10A NCAC 09 .0701 · Violation

Name of Operation: Lightbridge Academy of Durham Facility ID: 32002358 Consultant: ANGELA ALGER-WALKER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 12/3/2024 Number Present: 36 Completed Date: 12/3/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 390 Time In: 09:30 AM Time Out: 04:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's announced visit has been to conduct the second temporary time period visit. The temporary time period license was issued on 9/30/24 and expires on 3/30/25. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the assistant administrator, Kariamu Henderson. The director was not present today due to her vehicle malfunction and needed repairs but was available by telephone to answer questions as needed. Ms. Henderson toured me through the center. We discussed the monitoring items for today's visit. We observed the center playgrounds and conducted observation of the seven classrooms open for children during today's visit. We concluded the visit by meeting to review this report and resource materials. Preschool-aged children were observed playing outside, washing their hands, listening to story, eating lunch, singing songs, and resting. The infants and toddlers were observed washing their hands, being held for bottle feedings, freely playing with the available toys, playing in the multi-purpose room, and eating lunch. The Children’s Records form was completed during this visit. The Staff Training Worksheets were completed during this visit. The assistant director attests that all children’s file and facility/program records are current and contain all the required information. Thirty-six children were present during this visit. The center had the following items posted/located in a prominent place in the center for parents and available for me to review: --the center's license --a Safe Arrival and Departure Procedure --Summary of the NC Child Care Law posted The recent fire drill was completed on 12/2/24. The recent outdoor inspection was completed on 11/13/24. There first emergency drill must be conducted before 12/30/24. The sanitation inspection was conducted on 10/28/24. The facility received a superior rating with 5 demerits. The director completed the Emergency Preparedness and Response training previously and the Emergency Plan must be completed and reviewed with all staff before 1/30/25. The center does not provide aquatic activities, transportation, or school-age care; thus, those requirements were not monitored during this visit. The following violations were observed during this visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child had an Epipen on file with a medical action plan but did not have a permission form on file with the parents signature. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. One staff person hired on 10/28/24 did not have a medical statement on file during today's visit. (Refer to the Staff Training Worksheets for more information.) 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) The violations documented during today's assessment were reviewed with the operator and must be corrected IMMEDIATELY. Evidence of correction must be sent to me no later than 12/10/24. Compliance verification must be a dated and signed letter that includes statements addressing how and when the violations were corrected. Please include the facility's name and ID number on the letter of compliance. The letter may be emailed to angela.algerwalker@dhhs.nc.gov. If you email the compliance letter, you must include a signature block, which contains your name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 COMPLIANCE HISTORY When you receive your Child Care License from the State of NC, you are agreeing to comply at all times with the Law, Rules and Requirements pertaining to and governing Child Care in NC. It is your responsibility to read, learn, and maintain all Child Care Requirements that apply to your licensed facility. It is also your responsibility to ask Division staff questions for clarification of requirements you do not understand and to monitor your staff to ensure that all requirements are maintained at all times. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTATION The following items were discussed prior to today' visit. 1) 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, ITS-SIDS training, child maltreatment training, and health and safety training requirements. 2) Please refer to the What’s New Section of the DCDEE website for the new rules and other updates. 3) Please use the ECERS Third edition in preparing for rating scale assessments. 4) Emergency Preparedness and Response - It is important to consider how to prepare for and respond to emergency or natural disaster situations and develop written plans accordingly. You are required to have procedures in place to address natural disasters that are relevant to your location (such as tornados, flash floods, and hurricanes) and all hazards/disasters that could occur in any location including acts of violence, bioterrorism/terrorism, exposure to hazardous agents, facility damage, fire, missing child, power outage, and other situations that may require evacuation, lock-down, or shelter-in-place. The procedures must be updated and reviewed annually. The only way to prepare for disasters is to consider various worst case or unique scenarios, and to develop contingency plans. By brainstorming and thinking through a variety of “what if...” situations and developing records, protocols/procedures, and checklists, facilities will be better able to respond to an unusual emergency or disaster situation. EPR training is required to be completed within one year of licensure. 5) Staff Records – Maintaining accurate documentation in your center is critical in demonstrating compliance with the child care rules and to ensuring that your staff meet the requirements to provide a healthy and safe environment for the children in their care. Prior to employment documentation of a completed medical report and a negative tb test result or screening must be provided to you. One staff person hired on 10/28/24 and working today, did not have documentation of the above listed requirements. Utilizing the staff file checklist attached to your files will help you to meet and maintain compliance when hiring staff. 6) Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Maltreatment: Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. All staff are required to complete the training within 90 days of hire. The training may be accessed via the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment is also available on Prevent Child Abuse NC website, www.preventchildabusenc.org, free of charge, and counts toward Health and Safety Training. RATED LICENSE APPLICATION INFORMATION Once you have achieved a full six (6) months of operation, your program will be eligible for a Voluntary Enhanced Rated License. The award of this Rated License will occur at the end of the 6-month Temporary License Time Period. The following information will need to be completed to begin the program's Rated License Assessment: 1) The center has chosen to complete the Environmental Rating Scales during the temporary time period. The completed Application for the Environmental Rating Scale Assessment and Rated License Request Review forms were received during this visit. I will process the ERS application during my next office day. 2) Please ensure that all new staff members’ education information is current in the W.O.R.K.S. database. Each staff member must register in the WORKS system as soon as they are hired at this location. Education evaluations can take some time to process so beginning the process early will help to ensure we have the accurate information needed when it is time to complete the rated license assessment before the end of the temporary time period. You may also want to consider having staff members complete the Early Educator Certification process (www.ncicdp.org) to assist in getting higher education evaluations completed if their degree is not in early childhood education. 3) Begin thinking about which Quality Point Option you will select. We reviewed a list of the Quality Options you can meet at your center. There are both Educational Options and Programmatic Options. Regardless of the total number of Quality Options that are in place, the center can only be awarded one additional point towards your Rated License Assessment. Once you select a Quality Option, it must remain in effect at the center until a new Quality Option has been assessed. RESOURCES Be sure to visit the following websites for helpful information, trainings, and materials 1. www.healthychildcare.unc.edu A First Aid Chart, handwashing, diapering, and no smoking signs can be ordered from this website. You can also find the contact information for your Child Care Health Consultant. 2. www.earlyyearsnc.org Early Years NC: This organization offers technical assistance as well as training resources for operators, the Wage$ program, and the TEACH education reimbursement program. 3. www.preventchildabusenc.org The required training -Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse and Maltreatment - is on this website. All staff are required to complete this free online training within ninety (90) days of hire. Be sure to print either the posttest or certificate for each employee’s file. 4.www.ncchildcare.dhhs.gov DCDEE’s website for WORKS, Moodle, Criminal Background Checks, provider updates, forms, and information. 5. https://ncrlap.org/Resources/Pages/Training/ North Carolina Rated License Assessment Program website offers free training and resources on program quality and the Environment Rating Scales. 6. www.naturalearning.org The Natural Learning Initiative website offers free handouts on enhancing the outdoor learning environments in developmentally appropriate, fun, safe, and natural ways throughout the year. 7. www.ncicdp.org The NC Institute for Child Development Professionals website offers information on the Early Educator Certification process. CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions or need further assistance, I can be reached via email at angela.algerwalker@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

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

10A NCAC 09 .0803 · Violation

Name of Operation: Lightbridge Academy of Durham Facility ID: 32002358 Consultant: ANGELA ALGER-WALKER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 12/3/2024 Number Present: 36 Completed Date: 12/3/2024 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 390 Time In: 09:30 AM Time Out: 04:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's announced visit has been to conduct the second temporary time period visit. The temporary time period license was issued on 9/30/24 and expires on 3/30/25. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the assistant administrator, Kariamu Henderson. The director was not present today due to her vehicle malfunction and needed repairs but was available by telephone to answer questions as needed. Ms. Henderson toured me through the center. We discussed the monitoring items for today's visit. We observed the center playgrounds and conducted observation of the seven classrooms open for children during today's visit. We concluded the visit by meeting to review this report and resource materials. Preschool-aged children were observed playing outside, washing their hands, listening to story, eating lunch, singing songs, and resting. The infants and toddlers were observed washing their hands, being held for bottle feedings, freely playing with the available toys, playing in the multi-purpose room, and eating lunch. The Children’s Records form was completed during this visit. The Staff Training Worksheets were completed during this visit. The assistant director attests that all children’s file and facility/program records are current and contain all the required information. Thirty-six children were present during this visit. The center had the following items posted/located in a prominent place in the center for parents and available for me to review: --the center's license --a Safe Arrival and Departure Procedure --Summary of the NC Child Care Law posted The recent fire drill was completed on 12/2/24. The recent outdoor inspection was completed on 11/13/24. There first emergency drill must be conducted before 12/30/24. The sanitation inspection was conducted on 10/28/24. The facility received a superior rating with 5 demerits. The director completed the Emergency Preparedness and Response training previously and the Emergency Plan must be completed and reviewed with all staff before 1/30/25. The center does not provide aquatic activities, transportation, or school-age care; thus, those requirements were not monitored during this visit. The following violations were observed during this visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child had an Epipen on file with a medical action plan but did not have a permission form on file with the parents signature. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. One staff person hired on 10/28/24 did not have a medical statement on file during today's visit. (Refer to the Staff Training Worksheets for more information.) 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) The violations documented during today's assessment were reviewed with the operator and must be corrected IMMEDIATELY. Evidence of correction must be sent to me no later than 12/10/24. Compliance verification must be a dated and signed letter that includes statements addressing how and when the violations were corrected. Please include the facility's name and ID number on the letter of compliance. The letter may be emailed to angela.algerwalker@dhhs.nc.gov. If you email the compliance letter, you must include a signature block, which contains your name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 COMPLIANCE HISTORY When you receive your Child Care License from the State of NC, you are agreeing to comply at all times with the Law, Rules and Requirements pertaining to and governing Child Care in NC. It is your responsibility to read, learn, and maintain all Child Care Requirements that apply to your licensed facility. It is also your responsibility to ask Division staff questions for clarification of requirements you do not understand and to monitor your staff to ensure that all requirements are maintained at all times. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONSULTATION The following items were discussed prior to today' visit. 1) 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, ITS-SIDS training, child maltreatment training, and health and safety training requirements. 2) Please refer to the What’s New Section of the DCDEE website for the new rules and other updates. 3) Please use the ECERS Third edition in preparing for rating scale assessments. 4) Emergency Preparedness and Response - It is important to consider how to prepare for and respond to emergency or natural disaster situations and develop written plans accordingly. You are required to have procedures in place to address natural disasters that are relevant to your location (such as tornados, flash floods, and hurricanes) and all hazards/disasters that could occur in any location including acts of violence, bioterrorism/terrorism, exposure to hazardous agents, facility damage, fire, missing child, power outage, and other situations that may require evacuation, lock-down, or shelter-in-place. The procedures must be updated and reviewed annually. The only way to prepare for disasters is to consider various worst case or unique scenarios, and to develop contingency plans. By brainstorming and thinking through a variety of “what if...” situations and developing records, protocols/procedures, and checklists, facilities will be better able to respond to an unusual emergency or disaster situation. EPR training is required to be completed within one year of licensure. 5) Staff Records – Maintaining accurate documentation in your center is critical in demonstrating compliance with the child care rules and to ensuring that your staff meet the requirements to provide a healthy and safe environment for the children in their care. Prior to employment documentation of a completed medical report and a negative tb test result or screening must be provided to you. One staff person hired on 10/28/24 and working today, did not have documentation of the above listed requirements. Utilizing the staff file checklist attached to your files will help you to meet and maintain compliance when hiring staff. 6) Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Maltreatment: Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. All staff are required to complete the training within 90 days of hire. The training may be accessed via the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment is also available on Prevent Child Abuse NC website, www.preventchildabusenc.org, free of charge, and counts toward Health and Safety Training. RATED LICENSE APPLICATION INFORMATION Once you have achieved a full six (6) months of operation, your program will be eligible for a Voluntary Enhanced Rated License. The award of this Rated License will occur at the end of the 6-month Temporary License Time Period. The following information will need to be completed to begin the program's Rated License Assessment: 1) The center has chosen to complete the Environmental Rating Scales during the temporary time period. The completed Application for the Environmental Rating Scale Assessment and Rated License Request Review forms were received during this visit. I will process the ERS application during my next office day. 2) Please ensure that all new staff members’ education information is current in the W.O.R.K.S. database. Each staff member must register in the WORKS system as soon as they are hired at this location. Education evaluations can take some time to process so beginning the process early will help to ensure we have the accurate information needed when it is time to complete the rated license assessment before the end of the temporary time period. You may also want to consider having staff members complete the Early Educator Certification process (www.ncicdp.org) to assist in getting higher education evaluations completed if their degree is not in early childhood education. 3) Begin thinking about which Quality Point Option you will select. We reviewed a list of the Quality Options you can meet at your center. There are both Educational Options and Programmatic Options. Regardless of the total number of Quality Options that are in place, the center can only be awarded one additional point towards your Rated License Assessment. Once you select a Quality Option, it must remain in effect at the center until a new Quality Option has been assessed. RESOURCES Be sure to visit the following websites for helpful information, trainings, and materials 1. www.healthychildcare.unc.edu A First Aid Chart, handwashing, diapering, and no smoking signs can be ordered from this website. You can also find the contact information for your Child Care Health Consultant. 2. www.earlyyearsnc.org Early Years NC: This organization offers technical assistance as well as training resources for operators, the Wage$ program, and the TEACH education reimbursement program. 3. www.preventchildabusenc.org The required training -Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse and Maltreatment - is on this website. All staff are required to complete this free online training within ninety (90) days of hire. Be sure to print either the posttest or certificate for each employee’s file. 4.www.ncchildcare.dhhs.gov DCDEE’s website for WORKS, Moodle, Criminal Background Checks, provider updates, forms, and information. 5. https://ncrlap.org/Resources/Pages/Training/ North Carolina Rated License Assessment Program website offers free training and resources on program quality and the Environment Rating Scales. 6. www.naturalearning.org The Natural Learning Initiative website offers free handouts on enhancing the outdoor learning environments in developmentally appropriate, fun, safe, and natural ways throughout the year. 7. www.ncicdp.org The NC Institute for Child Development Professionals website offers information on the Early Educator Certification process. CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions or need further assistance, I can be reached via email at angela.algerwalker@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