10A NCAC 09 .2818 · Violation

Name of Operation: CHOWAN EARLY LEARNING CENTER Facility ID: 21000074 Consultant: KESHIA HAYWARD Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/7/2026 Number Present: 42 Completed Date: 1/7/2026 Age: From 1 To 5 Total Minutes: 155 Time In: 08:25 AM Time Out: 11:00 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit. P. Boyce, Family Advocate, assisted me with the visit. You arrived shortly after and assisted. Your program currently operates with a four-star license, issued October 27, 2021 earning 4 points in the education component, 6 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratio and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for offering a staff benefits package and infrastructure of parent involvement. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. You stated the program currently uses the Creative Curriculum. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on February 6, 2025. The sanitation inspection was completed March 12, 2025, with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on March 7, 2025, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The center's compliance history was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was one hundred percent as of January 7, 2026. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on January 7, 2026, and Economic Improvement Council, Inc. was listed as current- active. I visited each indoor and outdoor space. Children were observed completing toileting and hand-washing routines, engaged in outdoor play and free choice play, completing morning review, and interacting with teachers. Proper hand-washing procedures were observed. Breakfast was observed and consisted of grits, pineapples, and milk. The following violation was documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 1756 Enhanced staff/child ratios and group sizes were not met. Enhanced staff/child ratios were not maintained when one caregiver was providing care to fourteen (14) children ranging from ages three (3) to five (5) years old in Space #5. 10A NCAC 09 .2818 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. On or before January 21, 2026, 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. Mail or email the information to: Keshia Hayward, Child Care Consultant PO Box 13 Ahoskie, NC 27910 keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 STAFF/CHILD RATIO REQUIREMENTS: Upon arrival at the facility, an individual was observed positioned at the front entrance allowing parents and visitors to enter the building. Upon entry, this same individual opened the door and greeted me. When asked, the individual later identified as Ms. P. Boyce stated the administrator was not on the premises and she would call her to notify her of my presence. Ms. Boyce was informed that the visit would begin and that the administrator would be met upon arrival. Ms. Boyce then proceeded down the hallway, entered Space #5, and I followed to start the observations of the visit. Ms. Boyce and I entered classroom #5, where one teacher was observed providing care for fourteen children between the ages of three to five years old. When asked, the teacher confirmed she was the only caregiver in the classroom with the children. I explained to you based on the observation and information reported; the classroom was out of compliance with staff/child ratio. We talked about steps that could have been implemented to avoid noncompliance with staff/child ratio. I explained possibly having the cook to listen to hear the doorbell and answer parents and visitors upon arrival. Maintaining appropriate staff to child ratios is critical to ensuring the health, safety and supervision of children in care. Required ratios are established to ensure children are adequately always supervised, including transitions, arrival, and departure and when administrative staff are not on the premises. When ratios are not maintained, children may not receive appropriate supervision, which increases the risk of injury, behavioral incident, and unmet individual needs. Maintaining compliance with staff-child ratio requirements supports child safety, promotes positive interactions, and ensures the program remains in compliance with child care licensing regulations. QRIS CONVERSATION: A meeting was conducted with all Head Start administrative staff on September 22, 2025, to review and discuss the QRIS transition plan and pathways. During the meeting information was shared about the three pathways and requirements. Applications requesting completion for the QRIS Pathway to the Stars have been emailed to the Head Start director. The Director was encouraged to complete the application and submit it when ready to begin the transition process. If additional information, guidance, or assistance is needed, please contact me to discuss. The Chowan/Perquimans Smart Start Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues. Their phone number is (252) 482-3035 or check out their website at www.cp-smartstart.org. SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY: North Carolina General Statute 14-208 requires sex offenders to register with the North Carolina Department of Justice. The law states that a sex offender shall not knowingly reside within 1,000 feet of the property on which any public or nonpublic school or child care center is located. This does not apply to child care centers that are located on or within 1,000 feet of property of an institution of higher education where the registrant is a student or is employed. All licensed child care centers must register to receive e-mail notification when a registered sex offender moves within a one-mile radius of the center. (§14-208.19) To register for the e-mail notification, go to http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov. If you have any questions, please contact your local sheriff's department. NCID CREDENTIALS: Please remember to use your NCID credential periodically to prevent your user ID and password from becoming inactive. If your NCID credentials are not used within a twelve (12) to fifteen (15) month period, access to your account may be restricted due to inactivity. To avoid disruption, it is strongly recommended that you schedule regular logins to ensure your credentials remain active and valid. RAISE NC NEWSLETTER: The Raise NC Newsletter, sent directly to providers via email, contains valuable and up-to-date information about important updates and changes within the child care sector in North Carolina. I encourage you to set aside time to read each issue upon receipt to ensure you remain informed and updated on the latest developments, resources and guidance impacting child care programs. Staying connected helps support quality child care and compliance across the state. NEW OFFICE LOCATION: The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services, including the Division of Child Development and Early Education, has moved to a new location. The DCDEE mailing address will remain at 2201 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2200. If you are visiting the new building, the paid parking deck for our headquarters is immediately beside the building at 1910 Human Services Lane. All guests will check in at the front desk and be escorted by a DHHS staff member to the appropriate floor for their meeting. Getting Here: For GPS and map apps, use 3905 Reedy Creek Rd, Raleigh NC 27607 to get directions. DCDEE RESOURCES: I recommended you periodically visit the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ under the "What's New" tab to stay abreast of updated information provided. Be reminded you are responsible for maintaining compliance with all applicable child care requirements whether they have been discussed or reviewed with you in the past. Due to computer issues, the computer generated visit summary report was not completed. At the completion of the visit, a one-page visit summary was completed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. The computer- generated visit summary report will be emailed within twenty-four hours. Keshia Hayward, Child Care Consultant, 252-214-2709, or email keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, 252-373-4199, or email jennifer.linhardt@dhhs.nc.gov if you have questions. 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: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: CHOWAN EARLY LEARNING CENTER Facility ID: 21000074 Consultant: KESHIA HAYWARD Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/7/2026 Number Present: 42 Completed Date: 1/7/2026 Age: From 1 To 5 Total Minutes: 155 Time In: 08:25 AM Time Out: 11:00 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit. P. Boyce, Family Advocate, assisted me with the visit. You arrived shortly after and assisted. Your program currently operates with a four-star license, issued October 27, 2021 earning 4 points in the education component, 6 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratio and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for offering a staff benefits package and infrastructure of parent involvement. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. You stated the program currently uses the Creative Curriculum. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on February 6, 2025. The sanitation inspection was completed March 12, 2025, with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on March 7, 2025, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The center's compliance history was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was one hundred percent as of January 7, 2026. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on January 7, 2026, and Economic Improvement Council, Inc. was listed as current- active. I visited each indoor and outdoor space. Children were observed completing toileting and hand-washing routines, engaged in outdoor play and free choice play, completing morning review, and interacting with teachers. Proper hand-washing procedures were observed. Breakfast was observed and consisted of grits, pineapples, and milk. The following violation was documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 1756 Enhanced staff/child ratios and group sizes were not met. Enhanced staff/child ratios were not maintained when one caregiver was providing care to fourteen (14) children ranging from ages three (3) to five (5) years old in Space #5. 10A NCAC 09 .2818 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. On or before January 21, 2026, 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. Mail or email the information to: Keshia Hayward, Child Care Consultant PO Box 13 Ahoskie, NC 27910 keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 STAFF/CHILD RATIO REQUIREMENTS: Upon arrival at the facility, an individual was observed positioned at the front entrance allowing parents and visitors to enter the building. Upon entry, this same individual opened the door and greeted me. When asked, the individual later identified as Ms. P. Boyce stated the administrator was not on the premises and she would call her to notify her of my presence. Ms. Boyce was informed that the visit would begin and that the administrator would be met upon arrival. Ms. Boyce then proceeded down the hallway, entered Space #5, and I followed to start the observations of the visit. Ms. Boyce and I entered classroom #5, where one teacher was observed providing care for fourteen children between the ages of three to five years old. When asked, the teacher confirmed she was the only caregiver in the classroom with the children. I explained to you based on the observation and information reported; the classroom was out of compliance with staff/child ratio. We talked about steps that could have been implemented to avoid noncompliance with staff/child ratio. I explained possibly having the cook to listen to hear the doorbell and answer parents and visitors upon arrival. Maintaining appropriate staff to child ratios is critical to ensuring the health, safety and supervision of children in care. Required ratios are established to ensure children are adequately always supervised, including transitions, arrival, and departure and when administrative staff are not on the premises. When ratios are not maintained, children may not receive appropriate supervision, which increases the risk of injury, behavioral incident, and unmet individual needs. Maintaining compliance with staff-child ratio requirements supports child safety, promotes positive interactions, and ensures the program remains in compliance with child care licensing regulations. QRIS CONVERSATION: A meeting was conducted with all Head Start administrative staff on September 22, 2025, to review and discuss the QRIS transition plan and pathways. During the meeting information was shared about the three pathways and requirements. Applications requesting completion for the QRIS Pathway to the Stars have been emailed to the Head Start director. The Director was encouraged to complete the application and submit it when ready to begin the transition process. If additional information, guidance, or assistance is needed, please contact me to discuss. The Chowan/Perquimans Smart Start Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues. Their phone number is (252) 482-3035 or check out their website at www.cp-smartstart.org. SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY: North Carolina General Statute 14-208 requires sex offenders to register with the North Carolina Department of Justice. The law states that a sex offender shall not knowingly reside within 1,000 feet of the property on which any public or nonpublic school or child care center is located. This does not apply to child care centers that are located on or within 1,000 feet of property of an institution of higher education where the registrant is a student or is employed. All licensed child care centers must register to receive e-mail notification when a registered sex offender moves within a one-mile radius of the center. (§14-208.19) To register for the e-mail notification, go to http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov. If you have any questions, please contact your local sheriff's department. NCID CREDENTIALS: Please remember to use your NCID credential periodically to prevent your user ID and password from becoming inactive. If your NCID credentials are not used within a twelve (12) to fifteen (15) month period, access to your account may be restricted due to inactivity. To avoid disruption, it is strongly recommended that you schedule regular logins to ensure your credentials remain active and valid. RAISE NC NEWSLETTER: The Raise NC Newsletter, sent directly to providers via email, contains valuable and up-to-date information about important updates and changes within the child care sector in North Carolina. I encourage you to set aside time to read each issue upon receipt to ensure you remain informed and updated on the latest developments, resources and guidance impacting child care programs. Staying connected helps support quality child care and compliance across the state. NEW OFFICE LOCATION: The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services, including the Division of Child Development and Early Education, has moved to a new location. The DCDEE mailing address will remain at 2201 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-2200. If you are visiting the new building, the paid parking deck for our headquarters is immediately beside the building at 1910 Human Services Lane. All guests will check in at the front desk and be escorted by a DHHS staff member to the appropriate floor for their meeting. Getting Here: For GPS and map apps, use 3905 Reedy Creek Rd, Raleigh NC 27607 to get directions. DCDEE RESOURCES: I recommended you periodically visit the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ under the "What's New" tab to stay abreast of updated information provided. Be reminded you are responsible for maintaining compliance with all applicable child care requirements whether they have been discussed or reviewed with you in the past. Due to computer issues, the computer generated visit summary report was not completed. At the completion of the visit, a one-page visit summary was completed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. The computer- generated visit summary report will be emailed within twenty-four hours. Keshia Hayward, Child Care Consultant, 252-214-2709, or email keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, 252-373-4199, or email jennifer.linhardt@dhhs.nc.gov if you have questions. 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