Just Girls Hearts OF THE Albemarle

10A NCAC 09 .2818 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 8/1/2025 Number Present: 23 Completed Date: 8/1/2025 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 300 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 01:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/7/25 18-month compliance history 94% as of 7/28/25 Last Sanitation Inspection – 9/20/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 7/7/25 – Satisfactory; Daytime Care Only *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the end of the month of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed Lead Paint Testing – completed Asbestos Testing – completed Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. E. Staten, Administrator, and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22, earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. The new QRIS has now been approved and placed into rule. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. Look for news and updates in the weekly Raise NC email blasts. You stated that you completed an Outreach Assessment and would like to move forward with completing the full assessment. An application was shared with you. Once you complete and submit your request to be evaluated, I will submit the request to NCRLAP. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on 7/28/25 and Just Girls, Hearts of the Albemarle was listed as current- active. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in the indoor learning environment. The children were preparing to leave and go to the on an outing. Permission to transport was available for review. Transportation requirements were also reviewed. After lunch, the children had drum lessons. Lunch was observed and consisted of cheese pizza, mixed vegetables, apples, and milk. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 103 The number of children present was not within permit capacity. In space 1, there were 23 children waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. Space 1 is approved for 20 children. GS 110-91(7) & .1401(f) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left unlocked and on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. The first aid kit in van JLL-2444 contained two (2) packs of Tylenol. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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 group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(d) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. .1002(b) 1756 Enhanced staff/child ratios and group sizes were not met. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. The staff/child ratio for this group is 1:19. 10A NCAC 09 .2818 Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 8/12/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Staff/Child Ratio and Capacity - Research has verified that staff-child ratios and group sizes are important quality indicators. Staff-child ratio refers to the maximum number of children who may be supervised by one staff member. Capacity refers to the total number of children that can be in a classroom. Capacity is based on the required square footage and varies for each room. Space 1 is approved for 20 children at enhanced standards. Space 2 is approved for 11 children at enhanced standards. When I arrived, there were 23 children in space 1 waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. When you achieved your 5 start license, you decided to meet enhanced minus 1 staff/ child ratios. The staff/ child ratio, at this level, is 1:19 for children 6 years of age or older. You stated that you have a total of 36 children enrolled and that you are using space 1 and 2 to accommodate them. Two staff members left to run an errand while 2 other staff members prepared lunch. You will need to create a staff in pattern to ensure there is always enough staff to cover each classroom. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) and Qualifying Letters – Criminal background checks help to ensure children are safe with the adults who provide care for them. A qualifying letter must be on file before the provider starts work. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. Per your statements, this provider only works summers and that is why she has not been listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet before. Approved CPR/First Aid – All providers must complete an approved CPR/ First Aid course within 90 days of care. When new staff provide you with a training certificate, you must verify that it is an approved CPR and First Aid provider. To do this, go to the Division website under Provider and Training and Professional Development. In the blue box on the right-hand side of the page you will see “Be a Smart Consumer of First Aid and CPR Training”. This will take you to a page that explains all the training requirements and lists the approved training organizations. If you click on an organization, the page will give more details for the different types of trainings. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR and First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. Because our area is diverse, you may see names of CPR/First Aid trainings that are not familiar to you. Make sure to use this resource to ensure they are an approved provider in North Carolina. Transportation – All vehicles, used to transport children, must have a seatbelt available for each child. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. This must be corrected before the vans can be used to transport the children. You have also acquired a van and asked for it to be approved. Booster seats must be added if needed for smaller children. Storage of Medications - Items that might be poisonous or hazardous to children must be kept in locked storage to prevent unintentional injuries. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. When transporting the medications in the van, they must be stored in locked storage. This could be something as simple as a lock on the zipper of the backpack. Once they return to the facility, they must be stored 5 feet above the floor. There was also two (2) packs of Tylenol in the first aid kit on van JLL-2444. When purchasing a new first aid kit, you must always go through and remove all medications. Consultation: Building Maintenance – You stated that you had two (2) issues going on. The plaster on the ceiling in space 3 has started to fall and there appears to be water damage. The air conditioning in that space is also not working. Per your statements, a contractor came out on 7/23/25 to assess the problem but you have not heard anything from him since. You have blocked the area off and children are not allowed in that space until the problem is resolved. You contacted the board chairman and he arranged for the contractor to come back out today to assess the problem. When I arrived, there was a strong smell in the building. You stated that the smell started on 7/28/25 and you have not found the source of the smell. All toilets are working and there is no problem in the cellar where your hot water heater is kept. W. Hughes, Executive Director, and I walked around the outside of the building and did not see any issues or standing water. A door was left open to allow fresh air into the building. You were instructed to contact Environmental Health to have them come and inspect the building to ensure it is safe for the children to be in care. If a danger is identified and the building is not deemed safe, you must contact me to discuss next steps. Transitions – A fun movement activity was done with the children while they waited for lunch. When transitioning from an activity to serving food, there should be a smooth flow for children to wash hands, the tables to be cleaned and sanitized, and the serving of food. Consider having the children line up to wash hands while the tables are being cleaned and sanitized. Once hand washing is finished, have them stand back from the table and do an activity such as singing with hand movements so they do not touch anything while they wait. Once the table is clean, then the children can be seated and served. Additional Information: Raise NC Newsletter – If you are not receiving and reading the Raise NC Newsletter, you are missing out on current relevant information about early childhood issues in North Carolina, information about proposed rules, available trainings and other information that may be of interest to you and your staff. The Raise NC Newsletter is typically sent out weekly to all facility contact email addresses, but if your email is not the facility contact email address, you can go to the DCDEE Website, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ and click on the “What’s New” tab. Click on “What’s New” and enter your email address and name under “Sign Up for Updates”. As an early learning professional, you need to stay in the know about issues in North Carolina that affect you and your business. Share with your staff so they can be in the know too! NCID Password Rule to Change - If you have a MYNCID or NCID account, when you change your current password after Feb. 23, you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • It consists of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, & * etc. Keep Your NCID Active - Did you know that if you do not login on to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. *Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you, your staff and your household members (CLIAR only) every 6 months to log in and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. *For assistance with NCID, contact ncid.nc.gov or 919.754.6000. Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS Portal - The process of notifying the Division when you have new staff (or household members for family child care homes and centers licensed in a residence) has changed and is now captured in ABCMS, the new Criminal Background Check portal. You have completed the ABCMS Provider Portal Training and are now authorized to log in the ABCMS Provider Portal https://ncabcms.nc.gov/DCDEE/ using your Business NCID. You have created your roster. Continue to update it as staff change so that it reflects staff working at your center. One person can be the portal manager for multiple sites. A staff member can be on a roster at multiple sites. *The following staff need to be added to the roster: Information was also shared on the following topics: 1. New Training in Module – Child Development 2. Public Notice: Proposed Rules Amendment to Orientation, H&S Training, Religious-Sponsored 3. Pathway to the Stars – Where Quality and Choice Meet (QRIS Rules Adopted), Survey available At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 8/1/2025 Number Present: 23 Completed Date: 8/1/2025 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 300 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 01:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/7/25 18-month compliance history 94% as of 7/28/25 Last Sanitation Inspection – 9/20/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 7/7/25 – Satisfactory; Daytime Care Only *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the end of the month of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed Lead Paint Testing – completed Asbestos Testing – completed Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. E. Staten, Administrator, and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22, earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. The new QRIS has now been approved and placed into rule. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. Look for news and updates in the weekly Raise NC email blasts. You stated that you completed an Outreach Assessment and would like to move forward with completing the full assessment. An application was shared with you. Once you complete and submit your request to be evaluated, I will submit the request to NCRLAP. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on 7/28/25 and Just Girls, Hearts of the Albemarle was listed as current- active. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in the indoor learning environment. The children were preparing to leave and go to the on an outing. Permission to transport was available for review. Transportation requirements were also reviewed. After lunch, the children had drum lessons. Lunch was observed and consisted of cheese pizza, mixed vegetables, apples, and milk. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 103 The number of children present was not within permit capacity. In space 1, there were 23 children waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. Space 1 is approved for 20 children. GS 110-91(7) & .1401(f) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left unlocked and on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. The first aid kit in van JLL-2444 contained two (2) packs of Tylenol. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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 group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(d) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. .1002(b) 1756 Enhanced staff/child ratios and group sizes were not met. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. The staff/child ratio for this group is 1:19. 10A NCAC 09 .2818 Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 8/12/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Staff/Child Ratio and Capacity - Research has verified that staff-child ratios and group sizes are important quality indicators. Staff-child ratio refers to the maximum number of children who may be supervised by one staff member. Capacity refers to the total number of children that can be in a classroom. Capacity is based on the required square footage and varies for each room. Space 1 is approved for 20 children at enhanced standards. Space 2 is approved for 11 children at enhanced standards. When I arrived, there were 23 children in space 1 waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. When you achieved your 5 start license, you decided to meet enhanced minus 1 staff/ child ratios. The staff/ child ratio, at this level, is 1:19 for children 6 years of age or older. You stated that you have a total of 36 children enrolled and that you are using space 1 and 2 to accommodate them. Two staff members left to run an errand while 2 other staff members prepared lunch. You will need to create a staff in pattern to ensure there is always enough staff to cover each classroom. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) and Qualifying Letters – Criminal background checks help to ensure children are safe with the adults who provide care for them. A qualifying letter must be on file before the provider starts work. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. Per your statements, this provider only works summers and that is why she has not been listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet before. Approved CPR/First Aid – All providers must complete an approved CPR/ First Aid course within 90 days of care. When new staff provide you with a training certificate, you must verify that it is an approved CPR and First Aid provider. To do this, go to the Division website under Provider and Training and Professional Development. In the blue box on the right-hand side of the page you will see “Be a Smart Consumer of First Aid and CPR Training”. This will take you to a page that explains all the training requirements and lists the approved training organizations. If you click on an organization, the page will give more details for the different types of trainings. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR and First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. Because our area is diverse, you may see names of CPR/First Aid trainings that are not familiar to you. Make sure to use this resource to ensure they are an approved provider in North Carolina. Transportation – All vehicles, used to transport children, must have a seatbelt available for each child. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. This must be corrected before the vans can be used to transport the children. You have also acquired a van and asked for it to be approved. Booster seats must be added if needed for smaller children. Storage of Medications - Items that might be poisonous or hazardous to children must be kept in locked storage to prevent unintentional injuries. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. When transporting the medications in the van, they must be stored in locked storage. This could be something as simple as a lock on the zipper of the backpack. Once they return to the facility, they must be stored 5 feet above the floor. There was also two (2) packs of Tylenol in the first aid kit on van JLL-2444. When purchasing a new first aid kit, you must always go through and remove all medications. Consultation: Building Maintenance – You stated that you had two (2) issues going on. The plaster on the ceiling in space 3 has started to fall and there appears to be water damage. The air conditioning in that space is also not working. Per your statements, a contractor came out on 7/23/25 to assess the problem but you have not heard anything from him since. You have blocked the area off and children are not allowed in that space until the problem is resolved. You contacted the board chairman and he arranged for the contractor to come back out today to assess the problem. When I arrived, there was a strong smell in the building. You stated that the smell started on 7/28/25 and you have not found the source of the smell. All toilets are working and there is no problem in the cellar where your hot water heater is kept. W. Hughes, Executive Director, and I walked around the outside of the building and did not see any issues or standing water. A door was left open to allow fresh air into the building. You were instructed to contact Environmental Health to have them come and inspect the building to ensure it is safe for the children to be in care. If a danger is identified and the building is not deemed safe, you must contact me to discuss next steps. Transitions – A fun movement activity was done with the children while they waited for lunch. When transitioning from an activity to serving food, there should be a smooth flow for children to wash hands, the tables to be cleaned and sanitized, and the serving of food. Consider having the children line up to wash hands while the tables are being cleaned and sanitized. Once hand washing is finished, have them stand back from the table and do an activity such as singing with hand movements so they do not touch anything while they wait. Once the table is clean, then the children can be seated and served. Additional Information: Raise NC Newsletter – If you are not receiving and reading the Raise NC Newsletter, you are missing out on current relevant information about early childhood issues in North Carolina, information about proposed rules, available trainings and other information that may be of interest to you and your staff. The Raise NC Newsletter is typically sent out weekly to all facility contact email addresses, but if your email is not the facility contact email address, you can go to the DCDEE Website, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ and click on the “What’s New” tab. Click on “What’s New” and enter your email address and name under “Sign Up for Updates”. As an early learning professional, you need to stay in the know about issues in North Carolina that affect you and your business. Share with your staff so they can be in the know too! NCID Password Rule to Change - If you have a MYNCID or NCID account, when you change your current password after Feb. 23, you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • It consists of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, & * etc. Keep Your NCID Active - Did you know that if you do not login on to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. *Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you, your staff and your household members (CLIAR only) every 6 months to log in and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. *For assistance with NCID, contact ncid.nc.gov or 919.754.6000. Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS Portal - The process of notifying the Division when you have new staff (or household members for family child care homes and centers licensed in a residence) has changed and is now captured in ABCMS, the new Criminal Background Check portal. You have completed the ABCMS Provider Portal Training and are now authorized to log in the ABCMS Provider Portal https://ncabcms.nc.gov/DCDEE/ using your Business NCID. You have created your roster. Continue to update it as staff change so that it reflects staff working at your center. One person can be the portal manager for multiple sites. A staff member can be on a roster at multiple sites. *The following staff need to be added to the roster: Information was also shared on the following topics: 1. New Training in Module – Child Development 2. Public Notice: Proposed Rules Amendment to Orientation, H&S Training, Religious-Sponsored 3. Pathway to the Stars – Where Quality and Choice Meet (QRIS Rules Adopted), Survey available At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 8/1/2025 Number Present: 23 Completed Date: 8/1/2025 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 300 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 01:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/7/25 18-month compliance history 94% as of 7/28/25 Last Sanitation Inspection – 9/20/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 7/7/25 – Satisfactory; Daytime Care Only *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the end of the month of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed Lead Paint Testing – completed Asbestos Testing – completed Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. E. Staten, Administrator, and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22, earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. The new QRIS has now been approved and placed into rule. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. Look for news and updates in the weekly Raise NC email blasts. You stated that you completed an Outreach Assessment and would like to move forward with completing the full assessment. An application was shared with you. Once you complete and submit your request to be evaluated, I will submit the request to NCRLAP. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on 7/28/25 and Just Girls, Hearts of the Albemarle was listed as current- active. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in the indoor learning environment. The children were preparing to leave and go to the on an outing. Permission to transport was available for review. Transportation requirements were also reviewed. After lunch, the children had drum lessons. Lunch was observed and consisted of cheese pizza, mixed vegetables, apples, and milk. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 103 The number of children present was not within permit capacity. In space 1, there were 23 children waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. Space 1 is approved for 20 children. GS 110-91(7) & .1401(f) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left unlocked and on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. The first aid kit in van JLL-2444 contained two (2) packs of Tylenol. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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 group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(d) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. .1002(b) 1756 Enhanced staff/child ratios and group sizes were not met. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. The staff/child ratio for this group is 1:19. 10A NCAC 09 .2818 Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 8/12/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Staff/Child Ratio and Capacity - Research has verified that staff-child ratios and group sizes are important quality indicators. Staff-child ratio refers to the maximum number of children who may be supervised by one staff member. Capacity refers to the total number of children that can be in a classroom. Capacity is based on the required square footage and varies for each room. Space 1 is approved for 20 children at enhanced standards. Space 2 is approved for 11 children at enhanced standards. When I arrived, there were 23 children in space 1 waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. When you achieved your 5 start license, you decided to meet enhanced minus 1 staff/ child ratios. The staff/ child ratio, at this level, is 1:19 for children 6 years of age or older. You stated that you have a total of 36 children enrolled and that you are using space 1 and 2 to accommodate them. Two staff members left to run an errand while 2 other staff members prepared lunch. You will need to create a staff in pattern to ensure there is always enough staff to cover each classroom. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) and Qualifying Letters – Criminal background checks help to ensure children are safe with the adults who provide care for them. A qualifying letter must be on file before the provider starts work. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. Per your statements, this provider only works summers and that is why she has not been listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet before. Approved CPR/First Aid – All providers must complete an approved CPR/ First Aid course within 90 days of care. When new staff provide you with a training certificate, you must verify that it is an approved CPR and First Aid provider. To do this, go to the Division website under Provider and Training and Professional Development. In the blue box on the right-hand side of the page you will see “Be a Smart Consumer of First Aid and CPR Training”. This will take you to a page that explains all the training requirements and lists the approved training organizations. If you click on an organization, the page will give more details for the different types of trainings. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR and First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. Because our area is diverse, you may see names of CPR/First Aid trainings that are not familiar to you. Make sure to use this resource to ensure they are an approved provider in North Carolina. Transportation – All vehicles, used to transport children, must have a seatbelt available for each child. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. This must be corrected before the vans can be used to transport the children. You have also acquired a van and asked for it to be approved. Booster seats must be added if needed for smaller children. Storage of Medications - Items that might be poisonous or hazardous to children must be kept in locked storage to prevent unintentional injuries. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. When transporting the medications in the van, they must be stored in locked storage. This could be something as simple as a lock on the zipper of the backpack. Once they return to the facility, they must be stored 5 feet above the floor. There was also two (2) packs of Tylenol in the first aid kit on van JLL-2444. When purchasing a new first aid kit, you must always go through and remove all medications. Consultation: Building Maintenance – You stated that you had two (2) issues going on. The plaster on the ceiling in space 3 has started to fall and there appears to be water damage. The air conditioning in that space is also not working. Per your statements, a contractor came out on 7/23/25 to assess the problem but you have not heard anything from him since. You have blocked the area off and children are not allowed in that space until the problem is resolved. You contacted the board chairman and he arranged for the contractor to come back out today to assess the problem. When I arrived, there was a strong smell in the building. You stated that the smell started on 7/28/25 and you have not found the source of the smell. All toilets are working and there is no problem in the cellar where your hot water heater is kept. W. Hughes, Executive Director, and I walked around the outside of the building and did not see any issues or standing water. A door was left open to allow fresh air into the building. You were instructed to contact Environmental Health to have them come and inspect the building to ensure it is safe for the children to be in care. If a danger is identified and the building is not deemed safe, you must contact me to discuss next steps. Transitions – A fun movement activity was done with the children while they waited for lunch. When transitioning from an activity to serving food, there should be a smooth flow for children to wash hands, the tables to be cleaned and sanitized, and the serving of food. Consider having the children line up to wash hands while the tables are being cleaned and sanitized. Once hand washing is finished, have them stand back from the table and do an activity such as singing with hand movements so they do not touch anything while they wait. Once the table is clean, then the children can be seated and served. Additional Information: Raise NC Newsletter – If you are not receiving and reading the Raise NC Newsletter, you are missing out on current relevant information about early childhood issues in North Carolina, information about proposed rules, available trainings and other information that may be of interest to you and your staff. The Raise NC Newsletter is typically sent out weekly to all facility contact email addresses, but if your email is not the facility contact email address, you can go to the DCDEE Website, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ and click on the “What’s New” tab. Click on “What’s New” and enter your email address and name under “Sign Up for Updates”. As an early learning professional, you need to stay in the know about issues in North Carolina that affect you and your business. Share with your staff so they can be in the know too! NCID Password Rule to Change - If you have a MYNCID or NCID account, when you change your current password after Feb. 23, you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • It consists of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, & * etc. Keep Your NCID Active - Did you know that if you do not login on to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. *Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you, your staff and your household members (CLIAR only) every 6 months to log in and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. *For assistance with NCID, contact ncid.nc.gov or 919.754.6000. Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS Portal - The process of notifying the Division when you have new staff (or household members for family child care homes and centers licensed in a residence) has changed and is now captured in ABCMS, the new Criminal Background Check portal. You have completed the ABCMS Provider Portal Training and are now authorized to log in the ABCMS Provider Portal https://ncabcms.nc.gov/DCDEE/ using your Business NCID. You have created your roster. Continue to update it as staff change so that it reflects staff working at your center. One person can be the portal manager for multiple sites. A staff member can be on a roster at multiple sites. *The following staff need to be added to the roster: Information was also shared on the following topics: 1. New Training in Module – Child Development 2. Public Notice: Proposed Rules Amendment to Orientation, H&S Training, Religious-Sponsored 3. Pathway to the Stars – Where Quality and Choice Meet (QRIS Rules Adopted), Survey available At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 8/1/2025 Number Present: 23 Completed Date: 8/1/2025 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 300 Time In: 08:45 AM Time Out: 01:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. Last Annual Compliance visit – 3/7/25 18-month compliance history 94% as of 7/28/25 Last Sanitation Inspection – 9/20/24 - Superior Last Fire Inspection – 7/7/25 – Satisfactory; Daytime Care Only *Sanitation and fire inspections are required at least annually by the end of the month of the previous inspection. Send fire inspections to me within seven (7) days of the inspection. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflects the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing and one-time lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing – completed Lead Paint Testing – completed Asbestos Testing – completed Maintain any paperwork received by mail or email in your Program Records file. E. Staten, Administrator, and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22, earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. The new QRIS has now been approved and placed into rule. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. Look for news and updates in the weekly Raise NC email blasts. You stated that you completed an Outreach Assessment and would like to move forward with completing the full assessment. An application was shared with you. Once you complete and submit your request to be evaluated, I will submit the request to NCRLAP. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on 7/28/25 and Just Girls, Hearts of the Albemarle was listed as current- active. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in the indoor learning environment. The children were preparing to leave and go to the on an outing. Permission to transport was available for review. Transportation requirements were also reviewed. After lunch, the children had drum lessons. Lunch was observed and consisted of cheese pizza, mixed vegetables, apples, and milk. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 103 The number of children present was not within permit capacity. In space 1, there were 23 children waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. Space 1 is approved for 20 children. GS 110-91(7) & .1401(f) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left unlocked and on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. The first aid kit in van JLL-2444 contained two (2) packs of Tylenol. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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 group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. .1102(d) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. .1002(b) 1756 Enhanced staff/child ratios and group sizes were not met. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. The staff/child ratio for this group is 1:19. 10A NCAC 09 .2818 Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 8/12/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Staff/Child Ratio and Capacity - Research has verified that staff-child ratios and group sizes are important quality indicators. Staff-child ratio refers to the maximum number of children who may be supervised by one staff member. Capacity refers to the total number of children that can be in a classroom. Capacity is based on the required square footage and varies for each room. Space 1 is approved for 20 children at enhanced standards. Space 2 is approved for 11 children at enhanced standards. When I arrived, there were 23 children in space 1 waiting to leave for an outing. At lunch, there were 21 children seated at the tables for lunch with 1 group leader in the classroom. When you achieved your 5 start license, you decided to meet enhanced minus 1 staff/ child ratios. The staff/ child ratio, at this level, is 1:19 for children 6 years of age or older. You stated that you have a total of 36 children enrolled and that you are using space 1 and 2 to accommodate them. Two staff members left to run an errand while 2 other staff members prepared lunch. You will need to create a staff in pattern to ensure there is always enough staff to cover each classroom. Criminal Background Checks (CBC) and Qualifying Letters – Criminal background checks help to ensure children are safe with the adults who provide care for them. A qualifying letter must be on file before the provider starts work. A group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had a qualifying letter dated 7/5/24. Per your statements, this provider only works summers and that is why she has not been listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet before. Approved CPR/First Aid – All providers must complete an approved CPR/ First Aid course within 90 days of care. When new staff provide you with a training certificate, you must verify that it is an approved CPR and First Aid provider. To do this, go to the Division website under Provider and Training and Professional Development. In the blue box on the right-hand side of the page you will see “Be a Smart Consumer of First Aid and CPR Training”. This will take you to a page that explains all the training requirements and lists the approved training organizations. If you click on an organization, the page will give more details for the different types of trainings. The group leader, hired on 6/24/24, had documentation of CPR and First Aid through Vector Solutions which is not listed as an approved provider. Because our area is diverse, you may see names of CPR/First Aid trainings that are not familiar to you. Make sure to use this resource to ensure they are an approved provider in North Carolina. Transportation – All vehicles, used to transport children, must have a seatbelt available for each child. The vans used today to transport the children to the splash pad, did not have a seat belt available in three (3) seats. The seat belts had fallen down through the seats and were not accessible for the children to use. This must be corrected before the vans can be used to transport the children. You have also acquired a van and asked for it to be approved. Booster seats must be added if needed for smaller children. Storage of Medications - Items that might be poisonous or hazardous to children must be kept in locked storage to prevent unintentional injuries. The backpack, which contained asthma inhalers, was left on the floor behind the desk when the children returned from their outing. When transporting the medications in the van, they must be stored in locked storage. This could be something as simple as a lock on the zipper of the backpack. Once they return to the facility, they must be stored 5 feet above the floor. There was also two (2) packs of Tylenol in the first aid kit on van JLL-2444. When purchasing a new first aid kit, you must always go through and remove all medications. Consultation: Building Maintenance – You stated that you had two (2) issues going on. The plaster on the ceiling in space 3 has started to fall and there appears to be water damage. The air conditioning in that space is also not working. Per your statements, a contractor came out on 7/23/25 to assess the problem but you have not heard anything from him since. You have blocked the area off and children are not allowed in that space until the problem is resolved. You contacted the board chairman and he arranged for the contractor to come back out today to assess the problem. When I arrived, there was a strong smell in the building. You stated that the smell started on 7/28/25 and you have not found the source of the smell. All toilets are working and there is no problem in the cellar where your hot water heater is kept. W. Hughes, Executive Director, and I walked around the outside of the building and did not see any issues or standing water. A door was left open to allow fresh air into the building. You were instructed to contact Environmental Health to have them come and inspect the building to ensure it is safe for the children to be in care. If a danger is identified and the building is not deemed safe, you must contact me to discuss next steps. Transitions – A fun movement activity was done with the children while they waited for lunch. When transitioning from an activity to serving food, there should be a smooth flow for children to wash hands, the tables to be cleaned and sanitized, and the serving of food. Consider having the children line up to wash hands while the tables are being cleaned and sanitized. Once hand washing is finished, have them stand back from the table and do an activity such as singing with hand movements so they do not touch anything while they wait. Once the table is clean, then the children can be seated and served. Additional Information: Raise NC Newsletter – If you are not receiving and reading the Raise NC Newsletter, you are missing out on current relevant information about early childhood issues in North Carolina, information about proposed rules, available trainings and other information that may be of interest to you and your staff. The Raise NC Newsletter is typically sent out weekly to all facility contact email addresses, but if your email is not the facility contact email address, you can go to the DCDEE Website, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ and click on the “What’s New” tab. Click on “What’s New” and enter your email address and name under “Sign Up for Updates”. As an early learning professional, you need to stay in the know about issues in North Carolina that affect you and your business. Share with your staff so they can be in the know too! NCID Password Rule to Change - If you have a MYNCID or NCID account, when you change your current password after Feb. 23, you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • It consists of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, & * etc. Keep Your NCID Active - Did you know that if you do not login on to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. *Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you, your staff and your household members (CLIAR only) every 6 months to log in and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. *For assistance with NCID, contact ncid.nc.gov or 919.754.6000. Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS Portal - The process of notifying the Division when you have new staff (or household members for family child care homes and centers licensed in a residence) has changed and is now captured in ABCMS, the new Criminal Background Check portal. You have completed the ABCMS Provider Portal Training and are now authorized to log in the ABCMS Provider Portal https://ncabcms.nc.gov/DCDEE/ using your Business NCID. You have created your roster. Continue to update it as staff change so that it reflects staff working at your center. One person can be the portal manager for multiple sites. A staff member can be on a roster at multiple sites. *The following staff need to be added to the roster: Information was also shared on the following topics: 1. New Training in Module – Child Development 2. Public Notice: Proposed Rules Amendment to Orientation, H&S Training, Religious-Sponsored 3. Pathway to the Stars – Where Quality and Choice Meet (QRIS Rules Adopted), Survey available At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 .0901 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2025 Number Present: 19 Completed Date: 3/7/2025 Age: From 5 To 12 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 01:15 PM Time Out: 04:50 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: 75% of the group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). This means that you do not need to schedule a rated license assessment unless you voluntarily request one. The new QRIS has been approved by the Child Care Commission. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 4/9/24. The sanitation inspection was completed 9/20/24. with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on 6/25/24. 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 94% as of 3/3/25. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. Children throughout the facility were participating in snack time and outdoor play. The staff greeted the children as they arrived on the school bus. Children then washed hands in preparation for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of graham crackers, applesauce, and water. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle, Inc. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child, out of three children's files reviewed, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1103 The driver did not have a valid driver's license of the type required for the vehicle being driven. Documentation on file for one driver, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. 10A NCAC 09 .1003(e)(2) 1921 Staff working in part-time, full-day or track out school age care programs required to complete BSAC training, did not complete it within three months of employment. One provider, hired on 8/12/24, did not complete the training until 1/28/25. .2510(j) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 3/21/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Parental Permission to Administer Medication - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail. Parents/guardians and prescribing health professionals must give a caregiver/teacher written authorization to administer medication to the child. One child, BJ, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. All medication forms must be reviewed to ensure they are current and accurate. You must create a tracking system for reviewing all medication forms to ensure they are kept current and accurate. The tracking plan must be submitted as part of your compliance verification letter. Nutrition - Nutritious foods should be offered daily to ensure children are getting the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow and be healthy. All meals and snack served must meet the Meal Pattern Guide used by the food program. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. Consider posting a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide in your kitchen to serve as a reference to you as you are planning your menu. You can print a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide by going to the Division’s website, www.ncchildcare.nc.gov, under Provider and Provider Documents. Per our discussion, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09.0901 requires meals and snacks served to children in a child care center to comply with the meal patterns for children in child care. For more information about the meal patterns, including very helpful menu checklists and technical assistance webinars, go to the Nutritionnc.com/snp/meal-patterns.htm page of the Division of Public Health. Transportation – There are many layers to ensuring that children are being safely transported. All drivers must have a current drivers license on file. Documentation on file for one provider, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. This person may not transport children until documentation of a valid driver’s license is on file and available for review. Additional Information: Capacity vs. Staff/Child Ratios - As your enrollment has increased, we reviewed the difference between required staff/child ratios and the total capacity of each room. Together we reviewed the posted Staff/child ratio chart in space 1. NCID Password Change – In the Raise NC email blast sent out on 2/21/25, announced changes to the password rules. As part of ongoing efforts to protect state systems and data, the N.C. Department of Information Technology will be changing the minimum length of NCID passwords from 8 to 14 characters. The change will apply to all providers. NCID passwords must be updated on a regular basis to keep them active. The next time you update your current password; you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • Consist of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, &, * etc. • Passwords shall not contain number or character substitutes to create dictionary words (e.g., d33psl33p for deepsleep). Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS New Process - As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. No action is needed on your part if you have completed the reference training and are currently using the ABCMS Provider Portal to update information regarding new hires or residents. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you have completed the water and asbestos testing and are in process with completing lead-based paint abatement. Natural Learning Initiative has created resources, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative’s interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience and growth of all children. You can explore and use these resources on their website https://naturalearning.org/resources/. You stated that you are currently planning to replace the slide on the playground with a different piece of equipment. I reviewed the requirements for fall zones, entrapments, and platform height with you. You were encouraged to review the rules for playground equipment and get full documentation of measurements before making a final decision. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 .0803 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2025 Number Present: 19 Completed Date: 3/7/2025 Age: From 5 To 12 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 01:15 PM Time Out: 04:50 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: 75% of the group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). This means that you do not need to schedule a rated license assessment unless you voluntarily request one. The new QRIS has been approved by the Child Care Commission. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 4/9/24. The sanitation inspection was completed 9/20/24. with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on 6/25/24. 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 94% as of 3/3/25. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. Children throughout the facility were participating in snack time and outdoor play. The staff greeted the children as they arrived on the school bus. Children then washed hands in preparation for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of graham crackers, applesauce, and water. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle, Inc. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child, out of three children's files reviewed, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1103 The driver did not have a valid driver's license of the type required for the vehicle being driven. Documentation on file for one driver, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. 10A NCAC 09 .1003(e)(2) 1921 Staff working in part-time, full-day or track out school age care programs required to complete BSAC training, did not complete it within three months of employment. One provider, hired on 8/12/24, did not complete the training until 1/28/25. .2510(j) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 3/21/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Parental Permission to Administer Medication - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail. Parents/guardians and prescribing health professionals must give a caregiver/teacher written authorization to administer medication to the child. One child, BJ, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. All medication forms must be reviewed to ensure they are current and accurate. You must create a tracking system for reviewing all medication forms to ensure they are kept current and accurate. The tracking plan must be submitted as part of your compliance verification letter. Nutrition - Nutritious foods should be offered daily to ensure children are getting the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow and be healthy. All meals and snack served must meet the Meal Pattern Guide used by the food program. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. Consider posting a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide in your kitchen to serve as a reference to you as you are planning your menu. You can print a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide by going to the Division’s website, www.ncchildcare.nc.gov, under Provider and Provider Documents. Per our discussion, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09.0901 requires meals and snacks served to children in a child care center to comply with the meal patterns for children in child care. For more information about the meal patterns, including very helpful menu checklists and technical assistance webinars, go to the Nutritionnc.com/snp/meal-patterns.htm page of the Division of Public Health. Transportation – There are many layers to ensuring that children are being safely transported. All drivers must have a current drivers license on file. Documentation on file for one provider, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. This person may not transport children until documentation of a valid driver’s license is on file and available for review. Additional Information: Capacity vs. Staff/Child Ratios - As your enrollment has increased, we reviewed the difference between required staff/child ratios and the total capacity of each room. Together we reviewed the posted Staff/child ratio chart in space 1. NCID Password Change – In the Raise NC email blast sent out on 2/21/25, announced changes to the password rules. As part of ongoing efforts to protect state systems and data, the N.C. Department of Information Technology will be changing the minimum length of NCID passwords from 8 to 14 characters. The change will apply to all providers. NCID passwords must be updated on a regular basis to keep them active. The next time you update your current password; you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • Consist of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, &, * etc. • Passwords shall not contain number or character substitutes to create dictionary words (e.g., d33psl33p for deepsleep). Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS New Process - As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. No action is needed on your part if you have completed the reference training and are currently using the ABCMS Provider Portal to update information regarding new hires or residents. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you have completed the water and asbestos testing and are in process with completing lead-based paint abatement. Natural Learning Initiative has created resources, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative’s interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience and growth of all children. You can explore and use these resources on their website https://naturalearning.org/resources/. You stated that you are currently planning to replace the slide on the playground with a different piece of equipment. I reviewed the requirements for fall zones, entrapments, and platform height with you. You were encouraged to review the rules for playground equipment and get full documentation of measurements before making a final decision. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 .1003 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2025 Number Present: 19 Completed Date: 3/7/2025 Age: From 5 To 12 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 01:15 PM Time Out: 04:50 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: 75% of the group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). This means that you do not need to schedule a rated license assessment unless you voluntarily request one. The new QRIS has been approved by the Child Care Commission. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 4/9/24. The sanitation inspection was completed 9/20/24. with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on 6/25/24. 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 94% as of 3/3/25. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. Children throughout the facility were participating in snack time and outdoor play. The staff greeted the children as they arrived on the school bus. Children then washed hands in preparation for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of graham crackers, applesauce, and water. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle, Inc. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child, out of three children's files reviewed, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1103 The driver did not have a valid driver's license of the type required for the vehicle being driven. Documentation on file for one driver, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. 10A NCAC 09 .1003(e)(2) 1921 Staff working in part-time, full-day or track out school age care programs required to complete BSAC training, did not complete it within three months of employment. One provider, hired on 8/12/24, did not complete the training until 1/28/25. .2510(j) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 3/21/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Parental Permission to Administer Medication - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail. Parents/guardians and prescribing health professionals must give a caregiver/teacher written authorization to administer medication to the child. One child, BJ, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. All medication forms must be reviewed to ensure they are current and accurate. You must create a tracking system for reviewing all medication forms to ensure they are kept current and accurate. The tracking plan must be submitted as part of your compliance verification letter. Nutrition - Nutritious foods should be offered daily to ensure children are getting the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow and be healthy. All meals and snack served must meet the Meal Pattern Guide used by the food program. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. Consider posting a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide in your kitchen to serve as a reference to you as you are planning your menu. You can print a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide by going to the Division’s website, www.ncchildcare.nc.gov, under Provider and Provider Documents. Per our discussion, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09.0901 requires meals and snacks served to children in a child care center to comply with the meal patterns for children in child care. For more information about the meal patterns, including very helpful menu checklists and technical assistance webinars, go to the Nutritionnc.com/snp/meal-patterns.htm page of the Division of Public Health. Transportation – There are many layers to ensuring that children are being safely transported. All drivers must have a current drivers license on file. Documentation on file for one provider, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. This person may not transport children until documentation of a valid driver’s license is on file and available for review. Additional Information: Capacity vs. Staff/Child Ratios - As your enrollment has increased, we reviewed the difference between required staff/child ratios and the total capacity of each room. Together we reviewed the posted Staff/child ratio chart in space 1. NCID Password Change – In the Raise NC email blast sent out on 2/21/25, announced changes to the password rules. As part of ongoing efforts to protect state systems and data, the N.C. Department of Information Technology will be changing the minimum length of NCID passwords from 8 to 14 characters. The change will apply to all providers. NCID passwords must be updated on a regular basis to keep them active. The next time you update your current password; you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • Consist of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, &, * etc. • Passwords shall not contain number or character substitutes to create dictionary words (e.g., d33psl33p for deepsleep). Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS New Process - As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. No action is needed on your part if you have completed the reference training and are currently using the ABCMS Provider Portal to update information regarding new hires or residents. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you have completed the water and asbestos testing and are in process with completing lead-based paint abatement. Natural Learning Initiative has created resources, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative’s interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience and growth of all children. You can explore and use these resources on their website https://naturalearning.org/resources/. You stated that you are currently planning to replace the slide on the playground with a different piece of equipment. I reviewed the requirements for fall zones, entrapments, and platform height with you. You were encouraged to review the rules for playground equipment and get full documentation of measurements before making a final decision. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 09.0901 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2025 Number Present: 19 Completed Date: 3/7/2025 Age: From 5 To 12 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 01:15 PM Time Out: 04:50 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: 75% of the group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). This means that you do not need to schedule a rated license assessment unless you voluntarily request one. The new QRIS has been approved by the Child Care Commission. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 4/9/24. The sanitation inspection was completed 9/20/24. with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on 6/25/24. 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 94% as of 3/3/25. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. Children throughout the facility were participating in snack time and outdoor play. The staff greeted the children as they arrived on the school bus. Children then washed hands in preparation for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of graham crackers, applesauce, and water. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle, Inc. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child, out of three children's files reviewed, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1103 The driver did not have a valid driver's license of the type required for the vehicle being driven. Documentation on file for one driver, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. 10A NCAC 09 .1003(e)(2) 1921 Staff working in part-time, full-day or track out school age care programs required to complete BSAC training, did not complete it within three months of employment. One provider, hired on 8/12/24, did not complete the training until 1/28/25. .2510(j) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 3/21/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Parental Permission to Administer Medication - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail. Parents/guardians and prescribing health professionals must give a caregiver/teacher written authorization to administer medication to the child. One child, BJ, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. All medication forms must be reviewed to ensure they are current and accurate. You must create a tracking system for reviewing all medication forms to ensure they are kept current and accurate. The tracking plan must be submitted as part of your compliance verification letter. Nutrition - Nutritious foods should be offered daily to ensure children are getting the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow and be healthy. All meals and snack served must meet the Meal Pattern Guide used by the food program. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. Consider posting a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide in your kitchen to serve as a reference to you as you are planning your menu. You can print a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide by going to the Division’s website, www.ncchildcare.nc.gov, under Provider and Provider Documents. Per our discussion, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09.0901 requires meals and snacks served to children in a child care center to comply with the meal patterns for children in child care. For more information about the meal patterns, including very helpful menu checklists and technical assistance webinars, go to the Nutritionnc.com/snp/meal-patterns.htm page of the Division of Public Health. Transportation – There are many layers to ensuring that children are being safely transported. All drivers must have a current drivers license on file. Documentation on file for one provider, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. This person may not transport children until documentation of a valid driver’s license is on file and available for review. Additional Information: Capacity vs. Staff/Child Ratios - As your enrollment has increased, we reviewed the difference between required staff/child ratios and the total capacity of each room. Together we reviewed the posted Staff/child ratio chart in space 1. NCID Password Change – In the Raise NC email blast sent out on 2/21/25, announced changes to the password rules. As part of ongoing efforts to protect state systems and data, the N.C. Department of Information Technology will be changing the minimum length of NCID passwords from 8 to 14 characters. The change will apply to all providers. NCID passwords must be updated on a regular basis to keep them active. The next time you update your current password; you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • Consist of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, &, * etc. • Passwords shall not contain number or character substitutes to create dictionary words (e.g., d33psl33p for deepsleep). Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS New Process - As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. No action is needed on your part if you have completed the reference training and are currently using the ABCMS Provider Portal to update information regarding new hires or residents. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you have completed the water and asbestos testing and are in process with completing lead-based paint abatement. Natural Learning Initiative has created resources, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative’s interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience and growth of all children. You can explore and use these resources on their website https://naturalearning.org/resources/. You stated that you are currently planning to replace the slide on the playground with a different piece of equipment. I reviewed the requirements for fall zones, entrapments, and platform height with you. You were encouraged to review the rules for playground equipment and get full documentation of measurements before making a final decision. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2025 Number Present: 19 Completed Date: 3/7/2025 Age: From 5 To 12 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 01:15 PM Time Out: 04:50 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: 75% of the group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). This means that you do not need to schedule a rated license assessment unless you voluntarily request one. The new QRIS has been approved by the Child Care Commission. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 4/9/24. The sanitation inspection was completed 9/20/24. with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on 6/25/24. 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 94% as of 3/3/25. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. Children throughout the facility were participating in snack time and outdoor play. The staff greeted the children as they arrived on the school bus. Children then washed hands in preparation for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of graham crackers, applesauce, and water. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle, Inc. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child, out of three children's files reviewed, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1103 The driver did not have a valid driver's license of the type required for the vehicle being driven. Documentation on file for one driver, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. 10A NCAC 09 .1003(e)(2) 1921 Staff working in part-time, full-day or track out school age care programs required to complete BSAC training, did not complete it within three months of employment. One provider, hired on 8/12/24, did not complete the training until 1/28/25. .2510(j) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 3/21/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Parental Permission to Administer Medication - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail. Parents/guardians and prescribing health professionals must give a caregiver/teacher written authorization to administer medication to the child. One child, BJ, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. All medication forms must be reviewed to ensure they are current and accurate. You must create a tracking system for reviewing all medication forms to ensure they are kept current and accurate. The tracking plan must be submitted as part of your compliance verification letter. Nutrition - Nutritious foods should be offered daily to ensure children are getting the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow and be healthy. All meals and snack served must meet the Meal Pattern Guide used by the food program. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. Consider posting a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide in your kitchen to serve as a reference to you as you are planning your menu. You can print a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide by going to the Division’s website, www.ncchildcare.nc.gov, under Provider and Provider Documents. Per our discussion, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09.0901 requires meals and snacks served to children in a child care center to comply with the meal patterns for children in child care. For more information about the meal patterns, including very helpful menu checklists and technical assistance webinars, go to the Nutritionnc.com/snp/meal-patterns.htm page of the Division of Public Health. Transportation – There are many layers to ensuring that children are being safely transported. All drivers must have a current drivers license on file. Documentation on file for one provider, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. This person may not transport children until documentation of a valid driver’s license is on file and available for review. Additional Information: Capacity vs. Staff/Child Ratios - As your enrollment has increased, we reviewed the difference between required staff/child ratios and the total capacity of each room. Together we reviewed the posted Staff/child ratio chart in space 1. NCID Password Change – In the Raise NC email blast sent out on 2/21/25, announced changes to the password rules. As part of ongoing efforts to protect state systems and data, the N.C. Department of Information Technology will be changing the minimum length of NCID passwords from 8 to 14 characters. The change will apply to all providers. NCID passwords must be updated on a regular basis to keep them active. The next time you update your current password; you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • Consist of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, &, * etc. • Passwords shall not contain number or character substitutes to create dictionary words (e.g., d33psl33p for deepsleep). Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS New Process - As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. No action is needed on your part if you have completed the reference training and are currently using the ABCMS Provider Portal to update information regarding new hires or residents. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you have completed the water and asbestos testing and are in process with completing lead-based paint abatement. Natural Learning Initiative has created resources, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative’s interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience and growth of all children. You can explore and use these resources on their website https://naturalearning.org/resources/. You stated that you are currently planning to replace the slide on the playground with a different piece of equipment. I reviewed the requirements for fall zones, entrapments, and platform height with you. You were encouraged to review the rules for playground equipment and get full documentation of measurements before making a final decision. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2025 Number Present: 19 Completed Date: 3/7/2025 Age: From 5 To 12 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 01:15 PM Time Out: 04:50 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: 75% of the group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). This means that you do not need to schedule a rated license assessment unless you voluntarily request one. The new QRIS has been approved by the Child Care Commission. The Division is working on implementation and trainings for the new system. North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project - NCRLAP’s mission is to promote the quality of child care by consistently and reliably assessing environments for the North Carolina Star Rated License. They collaborate with professionals in the early childhood education field to foster the development and learning of young children. Their website, ncrlap.org, offers resources, trainings, videos, worksheets, and help to get ready for the new ITERS-3, ECERS-3, and FCCRS-3 assessment tools that will be used in the new QRIS system. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 4/9/24. The sanitation inspection was completed 9/20/24. with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted on 6/25/24. 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 94% as of 3/3/25. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, the information is current and accurate. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. Children throughout the facility were participating in snack time and outdoor play. The staff greeted the children as they arrived on the school bus. Children then washed hands in preparation for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of graham crackers, applesauce, and water. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle, Inc. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. One child, out of three children's files reviewed, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 1103 The driver did not have a valid driver's license of the type required for the vehicle being driven. Documentation on file for one driver, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. 10A NCAC 09 .1003(e)(2) 1921 Staff working in part-time, full-day or track out school age care programs required to complete BSAC training, did not complete it within three months of employment. One provider, hired on 8/12/24, did not complete the training until 1/28/25. .2510(j) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 3/21/25, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Parental Permission to Administer Medication - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge and careful attention to detail. Parents/guardians and prescribing health professionals must give a caregiver/teacher written authorization to administer medication to the child. One child, BJ, had a permission form on file that expired on 2/30/25. All medication forms must be reviewed to ensure they are current and accurate. You must create a tracking system for reviewing all medication forms to ensure they are kept current and accurate. The tracking plan must be submitted as part of your compliance verification letter. Nutrition - Nutritious foods should be offered daily to ensure children are getting the nourishment and energy they need to learn, grow and be healthy. All meals and snack served must meet the Meal Pattern Guide used by the food program. The posted menu documented that on 3/3/25 donuts and fruit juice were served. Honey buns and milk were listed for 3/6/25 and 3/14/25. Cookies and milk were listed for 3/21/25 and Rice Krispy Treats were listed for 3/30/25. Consider posting a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide in your kitchen to serve as a reference to you as you are planning your menu. You can print a copy of the Meal Patterns Guide by going to the Division’s website, www.ncchildcare.nc.gov, under Provider and Provider Documents. Per our discussion, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09.0901 requires meals and snacks served to children in a child care center to comply with the meal patterns for children in child care. For more information about the meal patterns, including very helpful menu checklists and technical assistance webinars, go to the Nutritionnc.com/snp/meal-patterns.htm page of the Division of Public Health. Transportation – There are many layers to ensuring that children are being safely transported. All drivers must have a current drivers license on file. Documentation on file for one provider, hired on 11/7/19 had a driver’s license on file that expired on 12/21/23. This person may not transport children until documentation of a valid driver’s license is on file and available for review. Additional Information: Capacity vs. Staff/Child Ratios - As your enrollment has increased, we reviewed the difference between required staff/child ratios and the total capacity of each room. Together we reviewed the posted Staff/child ratio chart in space 1. NCID Password Change – In the Raise NC email blast sent out on 2/21/25, announced changes to the password rules. As part of ongoing efforts to protect state systems and data, the N.C. Department of Information Technology will be changing the minimum length of NCID passwords from 8 to 14 characters. The change will apply to all providers. NCID passwords must be updated on a regular basis to keep them active. The next time you update your current password; you will be required to create a new one that must: • Be a minimum of 14 characters. • Consist of at least one numeric character, at least one uppercase letter, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one special character such as #, &, * etc. • Passwords shall not contain number or character substitutes to create dictionary words (e.g., d33psl33p for deepsleep). Strong, unique passwords, along with practicing mindful cybersecurity practices, are key components to the Division protecting your devices and personal information ABCMS New Process - As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. No action is needed on your part if you have completed the reference training and are currently using the ABCMS Provider Portal to update information regarding new hires or residents. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you have completed the water and asbestos testing and are in process with completing lead-based paint abatement. Natural Learning Initiative has created resources, often in collaboration with the Natural Learning Initiative’s interdisciplinary partners, to support technical assistance, professional development, and generally to promote the importance of the natural environment in the daily experience and growth of all children. You can explore and use these resources on their website https://naturalearning.org/resources/. You stated that you are currently planning to replace the slide on the playground with a different piece of equipment. I reviewed the requirements for fall zones, entrapments, and platform height with you. You were encouraged to review the rules for playground equipment and get full documentation of measurements before making a final decision. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 .0604 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 4/9/2024 Number Present: 16 Completed Date: 4/9/2024 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 195 Time In: 01:30 PM Time Out: 04:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. On June 27, 2023, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) introduced a cohort model and timeline for resuming the star rated license reassessments. This cohort model includes a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility will be in Cohort 3 which means your preparation year will be 7/1/25-6/30/26 and your reassessment year will be 7/1/26-6/30/27. There are opportunities within the preparation year that will help prepare your facility for the reassessment year. Additional information and supports are available on the Division website under Providers, Licensing, Star Rated License, and Resuming Star Rated License. The North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project (https://ncrlap.org/) also has helpful information for your prep year and your assessment year. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 5/10/23. The sanitation inspection was completed 6/8/23 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 7/5/23. 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 89% as of 4/8/24. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, you would like to update your facility email address to the Executive Director’s email. You must submit a written request to make the change. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When the children arrived at the facility, they washed hands and prepared for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of fresh fruit, crackers, and water. After snack, the provider announced the girls who would be representing the facility at public events for the coming year. After the awards, the children went outside to the playground. There continues to be a fenced playground. The children walked around the playground and then did exercises in a group. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. There were rusted hooks on the backboard of the mud kitchen. The side of the shed, used to store play materials, was peeling and deteriorating across the bottom of the side next to the fence. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. The bus driver, hired on 2/8/24, did not complete the criminal background check until 2/29/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. The sand under the 5 foot stationary slide measured 7 inches and did not meet the 12 inch requirement. There was grass growing in the fall zone sand. .0605(k)(1-4) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 4/23/24, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Criminal Background Check - Criminal Background Check for staff are completed in an effort to protect the children enrolled in your center from abuse and reduce liability risks. The CRC process must be completed before a person can begin work; therefore, a Qualification Letter must be on file prior to employment. The bus driver, hired on 2/8/24, did not complete the criminal background check until 2/29/24. 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. Consider having applicants submit a copy of their Qualification Letter along with their resume and application to facilitate a shorter selection and hiring process. Playground Safety - Regular outdoor inspections are critical to prevent deterioration of equipment and accumulation of hazardous materials within the outdoor play area and to ensure that appropriate repairs are made as soon as possible. The sand under the 5 foot stationary slide measured 7 inches and did not meet the 12 inch requirement. There was grass growing in the fall zone sand. There were rusted hooks on the backboard of the mud kitchen. The side of the shed, used to store play materials, was peeling and deteriorating across the bottom of the side next to the fence. The outdoor play area should be inspected daily to ensure the materials are clean and ready for use by the children. Additional Information: 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. The team is made up of specialists 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. To speak to a Behavior Support Advisor, contact 1-888-600-1685 option 1. Provider Access to ABCMS - Beginning February 1, child care administrators can access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS) 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 them to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. All staff must connect their CBC with your license number and the date this was completed listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you are in the process of completing these tests. You must email the results to me once these are completed. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 4/9/2024 Number Present: 16 Completed Date: 4/9/2024 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 195 Time In: 01:30 PM Time Out: 04:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. On June 27, 2023, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) introduced a cohort model and timeline for resuming the star rated license reassessments. This cohort model includes a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility will be in Cohort 3 which means your preparation year will be 7/1/25-6/30/26 and your reassessment year will be 7/1/26-6/30/27. There are opportunities within the preparation year that will help prepare your facility for the reassessment year. Additional information and supports are available on the Division website under Providers, Licensing, Star Rated License, and Resuming Star Rated License. The North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project (https://ncrlap.org/) also has helpful information for your prep year and your assessment year. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 5/10/23. The sanitation inspection was completed 6/8/23 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 7/5/23. 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 89% as of 4/8/24. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, you would like to update your facility email address to the Executive Director’s email. You must submit a written request to make the change. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When the children arrived at the facility, they washed hands and prepared for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of fresh fruit, crackers, and water. After snack, the provider announced the girls who would be representing the facility at public events for the coming year. After the awards, the children went outside to the playground. There continues to be a fenced playground. The children walked around the playground and then did exercises in a group. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. There were rusted hooks on the backboard of the mud kitchen. The side of the shed, used to store play materials, was peeling and deteriorating across the bottom of the side next to the fence. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. The bus driver, hired on 2/8/24, did not complete the criminal background check until 2/29/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. The sand under the 5 foot stationary slide measured 7 inches and did not meet the 12 inch requirement. There was grass growing in the fall zone sand. .0605(k)(1-4) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 4/23/24, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Criminal Background Check - Criminal Background Check for staff are completed in an effort to protect the children enrolled in your center from abuse and reduce liability risks. The CRC process must be completed before a person can begin work; therefore, a Qualification Letter must be on file prior to employment. The bus driver, hired on 2/8/24, did not complete the criminal background check until 2/29/24. 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. Consider having applicants submit a copy of their Qualification Letter along with their resume and application to facilitate a shorter selection and hiring process. Playground Safety - Regular outdoor inspections are critical to prevent deterioration of equipment and accumulation of hazardous materials within the outdoor play area and to ensure that appropriate repairs are made as soon as possible. The sand under the 5 foot stationary slide measured 7 inches and did not meet the 12 inch requirement. There was grass growing in the fall zone sand. There were rusted hooks on the backboard of the mud kitchen. The side of the shed, used to store play materials, was peeling and deteriorating across the bottom of the side next to the fence. The outdoor play area should be inspected daily to ensure the materials are clean and ready for use by the children. Additional Information: 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. The team is made up of specialists 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. To speak to a Behavior Support Advisor, contact 1-888-600-1685 option 1. Provider Access to ABCMS - Beginning February 1, child care administrators can access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS) 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 them to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. All staff must connect their CBC with your license number and the date this was completed listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you are in the process of completing these tests. You must email the results to me once these are completed. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 4/9/2024 Number Present: 16 Completed Date: 4/9/2024 Age: From 6 To 12 Total Minutes: 195 Time In: 01:30 PM Time Out: 04:45 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my unannounced Annual Compliance Visit today was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements. The administrator assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced ratios minus one and enhanced space) and 1 quality point for: In a stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years of experience in no more than 2 different school age settings. On June 27, 2023, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) introduced a cohort model and timeline for resuming the star rated license reassessments. This cohort model includes a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility will be in Cohort 3 which means your preparation year will be 7/1/25-6/30/26 and your reassessment year will be 7/1/26-6/30/27. There are opportunities within the preparation year that will help prepare your facility for the reassessment year. Additional information and supports are available on the Division website under Providers, Licensing, Star Rated License, and Resuming Star Rated License. The North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project (https://ncrlap.org/) also has helpful information for your prep year and your assessment year. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 5/10/23. The sanitation inspection was completed 6/8/23 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 7/5/23. 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 89% as of 4/8/24. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, you would like to update your facility email address to the Executive Director’s email. You must submit a written request to make the change. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When the children arrived at the facility, they washed hands and prepared for snack. Snack was observed and consisted of fresh fruit, crackers, and water. After snack, the provider announced the girls who would be representing the facility at public events for the coming year. After the awards, the children went outside to the playground. There continues to be a fenced playground. The children walked around the playground and then did exercises in a group. Corporation Status: This facility is currently owned by Just Girls Hearts of the Albemarle. According to the NC Secretary of State's website, this corporation is current and active. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility. The Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families / Child Care Resource & Referral is able to provide you with resources and information, training opportunities, and technical assistance on child care issues and the Environment Rating Scales. Their phone number is (252) 333-1233 or check out their website at www.albemarleafc.org. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. There were rusted hooks on the backboard of the mud kitchen. The side of the shed, used to store play materials, was peeling and deteriorating across the bottom of the side next to the fence. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. The bus driver, hired on 2/8/24, did not complete the criminal background check until 2/29/24. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. The sand under the 5 foot stationary slide measured 7 inches and did not meet the 12 inch requirement. There was grass growing in the fall zone sand. .0605(k)(1-4) Be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and environmental health rules; review them with your staff and assist them with understanding and implementing them to maintain compliance and keep children safe and healthy. The most recent versions of child care laws and rules and environmental health rules in North Carolina, the Items Number Listing (can be used as a detailed checklist of required items) and What’s New information are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Check the designated facility email at least weekly to stay current with communication and email blasts from DCDEE. If your email is not the facility email, sign up for email blasts on the What’s New page for general information and communication from DCDEE. 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 4/23/24, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Criminal Background Check - Criminal Background Check for staff are completed in an effort to protect the children enrolled in your center from abuse and reduce liability risks. The CRC process must be completed before a person can begin work; therefore, a Qualification Letter must be on file prior to employment. The bus driver, hired on 2/8/24, did not complete the criminal background check until 2/29/24. 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. Consider having applicants submit a copy of their Qualification Letter along with their resume and application to facilitate a shorter selection and hiring process. Playground Safety - Regular outdoor inspections are critical to prevent deterioration of equipment and accumulation of hazardous materials within the outdoor play area and to ensure that appropriate repairs are made as soon as possible. The sand under the 5 foot stationary slide measured 7 inches and did not meet the 12 inch requirement. There was grass growing in the fall zone sand. There were rusted hooks on the backboard of the mud kitchen. The side of the shed, used to store play materials, was peeling and deteriorating across the bottom of the side next to the fence. The outdoor play area should be inspected daily to ensure the materials are clean and ready for use by the children. Additional Information: 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. The team is made up of specialists 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. To speak to a Behavior Support Advisor, contact 1-888-600-1685 option 1. Provider Access to ABCMS - Beginning February 1, child care administrators can access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS) 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 them to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. All staff must connect their CBC with your license number and the date this was completed listed on your Staff and Training Worksheet. Required Water, Lead Paint, and Asbestos Testing - New child care rules require child care facilities to test for lead in drinking water, lead paint, and asbestos. Testing is required by 1/1/2025. Check out the FAQ in the updated Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids. Currently there is funding to pay for the testing and to mitigate lead paint or asbestos hazards. Depending on the age of your home or building and the information you provide in the enrollment process, testing for lead paint and asbestos may not be required. Water testing will be required every three years. For more information go to https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ or contact your Environmental Health Specialist. Based on the information in the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids, you are in the process of completing these tests. You must email the results to me once these are completed. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 .0604 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/18/2023 Number Present: 17 Completed Date: 10/18/2023 Age: From 7 To 11 Total Minutes: 205 Time In: 01:35 PM Time Out: 05:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. E. Staten, Administrator and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced space and ratios) and 1 quality point for: Has reduced staff/child ratios by one in each classroom from the seven point level and in stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years’ experience in no more than 2 different school settings. On June 27, 2023, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) introduced a cohort model and timeline for resuming the star rated license reassessments. This cohort model includes a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility will be in Cohort 3 which means your preparation year will be 7/1/25-6/30/26 and your reassessment year will be 7/1/26-6/30/27. There are opportunities within the preparation year that will help prepare your facility for the reassessment year. Additional information and supports are available on the Division website under Providers, Licensing, Star Rated License, and Resuming Star Rated License. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 5/10/23. The sanitation inspection was completed 6/8/23 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 7/3/23 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 89% as of 10/16/23. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, you have requested to update the administrator’s home phone number. Contact me if you need to make any other changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When the children arrived on the bus, they were greeted at the door, stored their backpacks in their assigned cubbies, and washed hands. A snack of cheese crackers, peaches, and water was provided. After snack, the children went outside to play. Outside, the children played basketball, dug in the sand, and did cartwheels in the grass. The provider was stationed where she could see and supervise all the children. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 828 Air conditioning units were accessible or did not have a guard to keep objects from being thrown into the unit. The new Heat Pump unit, located behind the facility and on the playground, was accessible to the children. .0604 (m) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. The permission form for IW's albuterol inhaler was not signed by the parent. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. On the playground there was a board at the bottom of the ramp to the pink and green storage shed that had warped on each end exposing the nails. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. On the grey bus, the seat belt buckles on the back two seats had been pulled down through the seat and were on the floor of the van. .1002(b) As a licensed child care operator, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to maintain compliance with them. The NC General Statutes (Updated September 2020), Child Care Rules (Updated February 2021), and the “What’s New” section of The Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) website, ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov, are excellent resources to help you stay current with the child care requirements. The most current forms and documents needed for your licensed facility are available under the Provider tab. Many of them are now interactive so that you can type right into the form. Many of the forms needed for families are now offered in Spanish too. And of course, I am also available to assist you, should you have questions about the child care requirements. 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 11/1/23, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Medications - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge, and careful attention to detail. Remember, before accepting medication from a parent, you must have: 1. The medication in the original pharmacy box with all the required information. Make sure the expiration date on the box matches the date on the medication. 2. A Medical Action Plan completed by a physician attached to the child’s application in their file and in the Ready to Go file. 3. Written permission to administer the medication, with complete instructions for how and when the medication is to be administered and signed by the parent. You would use the long form for chronic conditions for this type of medication. Before receiving any medication from a parent, you must carefully review the medication, the pharmacy box, the medical action plan, and the permission to administer forms to ensure everything is correct and all information matches. Consider creating a checklist to complete each time medication is brought to the facility to help staff verify they have all the required information. Outdoor Environment – Outdoor spaces must be checked daily for hazards to ensure the space is safe and ready for the children to use. Today, on the playground there was a board at the bottom of the ramp to the pink and green storage shed that had warped on each end exposing the nails. This must be repaired or replaced immediately. Also, the new Heat Pump unit, located behind the facility and on the playground, must be made inaccessible to the children. Per our discussion, lattice fencing could be placed around the unit or it could be covered with plastic screen. Children should not be able to fit their fingers in the space where the fan is located. Check the playground daily before children arrive and immediately remove any broken items, trash, and other hazards. Transportation – Vehicles must be kept in good repair to ensure the safety of the children being transported. On the grey bus, the seat belt buckles on the back seats had been pulled down through the seat and were on the floor of the van. Children may not use these seats until this has been repaired. You stated that the van was scheduled for maintenance, and you would have them complete the repair. Additional Technical Assistance: Staff and Children’s records – There are times when staff or a child do not attend for extended periods of time. Per our discussion, consider adding policies and procedures that clarify at what point the staff member would no longer be considered employed or the child no longer enrolled. Because information in each file has items that must be updated or renewed, these things can go delinquent during long absences. Your policies and procedures should address how this will be handled to ensure the information on file is current and accurate. You could set a time limit after which the person or child would have to reapply and create a new file. You could also specify that to remain at the facility, they would have to agree to provide the required information at intervals to keep the information current. How you define these policies and procedures is up to you. Additional Information: Child Care Immunization Report 2023-2024 - This year's Child Care Immunization Reports are due by midnight on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will not be accepted after that date. Failure to submit an annual child care immunization report per G.S. 130A-155 will be reported to the Local Health Director for your county. You must submit a report even if no children are attending your child care center or your child care center has closed. This will ensure your center meets the reporting requirement and is not considered delinquent. See the email sent from the Division on 9/26/23 for links to download instructions and a worksheet to assist in determining the status of each child (Word document) and access the worksheet as a PDF. This worksheet is only an aid and does not need to be submitted. The summary table on the fourth page contains the information required to complete the online report. You can also access a guide to submitting a child care report through the online portal. If you have questions about the Child Care Immunization Report, please email Immunization.Reports@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-707-5595. Self-Service License Fee Coming in November - This fall, DCDEE will use the ABCMS (Automated Background Check Management System) portal to offer a new way to manage the annual license fee*. Instead of watching your mailbox for a paper invoice, you’ll be emailed an invoice directly from ABCMS. You will also be able to download/print invoices and submit online payments all within the same ABCMS portal. Operators and administrators will sign in to ABCMS using their business NCID credentials. If you don’t have a business NCID account, register one at https://ncid.nc.gov/. See the “Raising North Carolina email on 9/12/23 for helpful links and more information on the new ABSCS portal. *Annual license fees do not apply to state or public-school operated child care facilities, or to religious sponsored facilities operated pursuant to a Notice of Compliance. New Pathways to the Early Childhood Education Profession – Early educators now have multiple options to achieve higher education. -Staff can earn a no-cost nationally recognized Child Development Associate® (CDA) certificate through a free Professional Development Teacher Membership from Teaching Strategies. Courses are offered in English and Spanish. In addition, a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship is available to cover the CDA book and assessment fees. -They could also choose take the free online NC Early Childhood Equivalency Exam on DCDEE Moodle to earn the North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Certificate. This certificate is equivalent to the EDU 119 college course for star rated license evaluation. -A third options for staff is to turn their training and experience into a degree in Early Childhood Education. Providers can submit a Credit for Prior Learning portfolio to receive up to nine community college ECE credits for your early childhood knowledge and skills from participating NC Community Colleges. Credits can be applied toward the newly created Early Childhood Workforce Certificate, Early Childhood Education Diploma, Certificate and/or an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Early Childhood Education. See the Raise North Carolina email blast from 9/1/23 for links to more information. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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 .0803 · Violation

Name of Operation: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/18/2023 Number Present: 17 Completed Date: 10/18/2023 Age: From 7 To 11 Total Minutes: 205 Time In: 01:35 PM Time Out: 05:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. E. Staten, Administrator and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced space and ratios) and 1 quality point for: Has reduced staff/child ratios by one in each classroom from the seven point level and in stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years’ experience in no more than 2 different school settings. On June 27, 2023, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) introduced a cohort model and timeline for resuming the star rated license reassessments. This cohort model includes a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility will be in Cohort 3 which means your preparation year will be 7/1/25-6/30/26 and your reassessment year will be 7/1/26-6/30/27. There are opportunities within the preparation year that will help prepare your facility for the reassessment year. Additional information and supports are available on the Division website under Providers, Licensing, Star Rated License, and Resuming Star Rated License. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 5/10/23. The sanitation inspection was completed 6/8/23 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 7/3/23 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 89% as of 10/16/23. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, you have requested to update the administrator’s home phone number. Contact me if you need to make any other changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When the children arrived on the bus, they were greeted at the door, stored their backpacks in their assigned cubbies, and washed hands. A snack of cheese crackers, peaches, and water was provided. After snack, the children went outside to play. Outside, the children played basketball, dug in the sand, and did cartwheels in the grass. The provider was stationed where she could see and supervise all the children. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 828 Air conditioning units were accessible or did not have a guard to keep objects from being thrown into the unit. The new Heat Pump unit, located behind the facility and on the playground, was accessible to the children. .0604 (m) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. The permission form for IW's albuterol inhaler was not signed by the parent. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. On the playground there was a board at the bottom of the ramp to the pink and green storage shed that had warped on each end exposing the nails. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. On the grey bus, the seat belt buckles on the back two seats had been pulled down through the seat and were on the floor of the van. .1002(b) As a licensed child care operator, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to maintain compliance with them. The NC General Statutes (Updated September 2020), Child Care Rules (Updated February 2021), and the “What’s New” section of The Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) website, ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov, are excellent resources to help you stay current with the child care requirements. The most current forms and documents needed for your licensed facility are available under the Provider tab. Many of them are now interactive so that you can type right into the form. Many of the forms needed for families are now offered in Spanish too. And of course, I am also available to assist you, should you have questions about the child care requirements. 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 11/1/23, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Medications - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge, and careful attention to detail. Remember, before accepting medication from a parent, you must have: 1. The medication in the original pharmacy box with all the required information. Make sure the expiration date on the box matches the date on the medication. 2. A Medical Action Plan completed by a physician attached to the child’s application in their file and in the Ready to Go file. 3. Written permission to administer the medication, with complete instructions for how and when the medication is to be administered and signed by the parent. You would use the long form for chronic conditions for this type of medication. Before receiving any medication from a parent, you must carefully review the medication, the pharmacy box, the medical action plan, and the permission to administer forms to ensure everything is correct and all information matches. Consider creating a checklist to complete each time medication is brought to the facility to help staff verify they have all the required information. Outdoor Environment – Outdoor spaces must be checked daily for hazards to ensure the space is safe and ready for the children to use. Today, on the playground there was a board at the bottom of the ramp to the pink and green storage shed that had warped on each end exposing the nails. This must be repaired or replaced immediately. Also, the new Heat Pump unit, located behind the facility and on the playground, must be made inaccessible to the children. Per our discussion, lattice fencing could be placed around the unit or it could be covered with plastic screen. Children should not be able to fit their fingers in the space where the fan is located. Check the playground daily before children arrive and immediately remove any broken items, trash, and other hazards. Transportation – Vehicles must be kept in good repair to ensure the safety of the children being transported. On the grey bus, the seat belt buckles on the back seats had been pulled down through the seat and were on the floor of the van. Children may not use these seats until this has been repaired. You stated that the van was scheduled for maintenance, and you would have them complete the repair. Additional Technical Assistance: Staff and Children’s records – There are times when staff or a child do not attend for extended periods of time. Per our discussion, consider adding policies and procedures that clarify at what point the staff member would no longer be considered employed or the child no longer enrolled. Because information in each file has items that must be updated or renewed, these things can go delinquent during long absences. Your policies and procedures should address how this will be handled to ensure the information on file is current and accurate. You could set a time limit after which the person or child would have to reapply and create a new file. You could also specify that to remain at the facility, they would have to agree to provide the required information at intervals to keep the information current. How you define these policies and procedures is up to you. Additional Information: Child Care Immunization Report 2023-2024 - This year's Child Care Immunization Reports are due by midnight on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will not be accepted after that date. Failure to submit an annual child care immunization report per G.S. 130A-155 will be reported to the Local Health Director for your county. You must submit a report even if no children are attending your child care center or your child care center has closed. This will ensure your center meets the reporting requirement and is not considered delinquent. See the email sent from the Division on 9/26/23 for links to download instructions and a worksheet to assist in determining the status of each child (Word document) and access the worksheet as a PDF. This worksheet is only an aid and does not need to be submitted. The summary table on the fourth page contains the information required to complete the online report. You can also access a guide to submitting a child care report through the online portal. If you have questions about the Child Care Immunization Report, please email Immunization.Reports@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-707-5595. Self-Service License Fee Coming in November - This fall, DCDEE will use the ABCMS (Automated Background Check Management System) portal to offer a new way to manage the annual license fee*. Instead of watching your mailbox for a paper invoice, you’ll be emailed an invoice directly from ABCMS. You will also be able to download/print invoices and submit online payments all within the same ABCMS portal. Operators and administrators will sign in to ABCMS using their business NCID credentials. If you don’t have a business NCID account, register one at https://ncid.nc.gov/. See the “Raising North Carolina email on 9/12/23 for helpful links and more information on the new ABSCS portal. *Annual license fees do not apply to state or public-school operated child care facilities, or to religious sponsored facilities operated pursuant to a Notice of Compliance. New Pathways to the Early Childhood Education Profession – Early educators now have multiple options to achieve higher education. -Staff can earn a no-cost nationally recognized Child Development Associate® (CDA) certificate through a free Professional Development Teacher Membership from Teaching Strategies. Courses are offered in English and Spanish. In addition, a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship is available to cover the CDA book and assessment fees. -They could also choose take the free online NC Early Childhood Equivalency Exam on DCDEE Moodle to earn the North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Certificate. This certificate is equivalent to the EDU 119 college course for star rated license evaluation. -A third options for staff is to turn their training and experience into a degree in Early Childhood Education. Providers can submit a Credit for Prior Learning portfolio to receive up to nine community college ECE credits for your early childhood knowledge and skills from participating NC Community Colleges. Credits can be applied toward the newly created Early Childhood Workforce Certificate, Early Childhood Education Diploma, Certificate and/or an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Early Childhood Education. See the Raise North Carolina email blast from 9/1/23 for links to more information. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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: JUST GIRLS HEARTS OF THE ALBEMARLE Facility ID: 70000288 Consultant: ANNE BUCK Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/18/2023 Number Present: 17 Completed Date: 10/18/2023 Age: From 7 To 11 Total Minutes: 205 Time In: 01:35 PM Time Out: 05:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. E. Staten, Administrator and W. Hughes, Executive Director, assisted me with today’s visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued 7/4/22 earning 5 points in the education component, 7 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced space and ratios) and 1 quality point for: Has reduced staff/child ratios by one in each classroom from the seven point level and in stand alone school age program, 75% of group leaders have at least 5 years’ experience in no more than 2 different school settings. On June 27, 2023, the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) introduced a cohort model and timeline for resuming the star rated license reassessments. This cohort model includes a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility will be in Cohort 3 which means your preparation year will be 7/1/25-6/30/26 and your reassessment year will be 7/1/26-6/30/27. There are opportunities within the preparation year that will help prepare your facility for the reassessment year. Additional information and supports are available on the Division website under Providers, Licensing, Star Rated License, and Resuming Star Rated License. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 5/10/23. The sanitation inspection was completed 6/8/23 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 7/3/23 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 89% as of 10/16/23. Facility Information: We reviewed your facility information and per your statements, you have requested to update the administrator’s home phone number. Contact me if you need to make any other changes to your information, e.g., phone numbers, email address, mailing address, owner information, or Legal Designee. A walk-through of the facility was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When the children arrived on the bus, they were greeted at the door, stored their backpacks in their assigned cubbies, and washed hands. A snack of cheese crackers, peaches, and water was provided. After snack, the children went outside to play. Outside, the children played basketball, dug in the sand, and did cartwheels in the grass. The provider was stationed where she could see and supervise all the children. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 828 Air conditioning units were accessible or did not have a guard to keep objects from being thrown into the unit. The new Heat Pump unit, located behind the facility and on the playground, was accessible to the children. .0604 (m) 847 Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. The permission form for IW's albuterol inhaler was not signed by the parent. 10A NCAC 09 .0803(4)(6-9) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. On the playground there was a board at the bottom of the ramp to the pink and green storage shed that had warped on each end exposing the nails. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1110 Vehicles used to transport children enrolled in the child care center did not comply with all applicable State and federal laws and regulations. On the grey bus, the seat belt buckles on the back two seats had been pulled down through the seat and were on the floor of the van. .1002(b) As a licensed child care operator, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to maintain compliance with them. The NC General Statutes (Updated September 2020), Child Care Rules (Updated February 2021), and the “What’s New” section of The Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) website, ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov, are excellent resources to help you stay current with the child care requirements. The most current forms and documents needed for your licensed facility are available under the Provider tab. Many of them are now interactive so that you can type right into the form. Many of the forms needed for families are now offered in Spanish too. And of course, I am also available to assist you, should you have questions about the child care requirements. 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 11/1/23, 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 considered 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: Anne Buck, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2363 Elizabeth City, NC 27906 Anne.Buck@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 Technical Assistance: Medications - Administering medication requires skill, knowledge, and careful attention to detail. Remember, before accepting medication from a parent, you must have: 1. The medication in the original pharmacy box with all the required information. Make sure the expiration date on the box matches the date on the medication. 2. A Medical Action Plan completed by a physician attached to the child’s application in their file and in the Ready to Go file. 3. Written permission to administer the medication, with complete instructions for how and when the medication is to be administered and signed by the parent. You would use the long form for chronic conditions for this type of medication. Before receiving any medication from a parent, you must carefully review the medication, the pharmacy box, the medical action plan, and the permission to administer forms to ensure everything is correct and all information matches. Consider creating a checklist to complete each time medication is brought to the facility to help staff verify they have all the required information. Outdoor Environment – Outdoor spaces must be checked daily for hazards to ensure the space is safe and ready for the children to use. Today, on the playground there was a board at the bottom of the ramp to the pink and green storage shed that had warped on each end exposing the nails. This must be repaired or replaced immediately. Also, the new Heat Pump unit, located behind the facility and on the playground, must be made inaccessible to the children. Per our discussion, lattice fencing could be placed around the unit or it could be covered with plastic screen. Children should not be able to fit their fingers in the space where the fan is located. Check the playground daily before children arrive and immediately remove any broken items, trash, and other hazards. Transportation – Vehicles must be kept in good repair to ensure the safety of the children being transported. On the grey bus, the seat belt buckles on the back seats had been pulled down through the seat and were on the floor of the van. Children may not use these seats until this has been repaired. You stated that the van was scheduled for maintenance, and you would have them complete the repair. Additional Technical Assistance: Staff and Children’s records – There are times when staff or a child do not attend for extended periods of time. Per our discussion, consider adding policies and procedures that clarify at what point the staff member would no longer be considered employed or the child no longer enrolled. Because information in each file has items that must be updated or renewed, these things can go delinquent during long absences. Your policies and procedures should address how this will be handled to ensure the information on file is current and accurate. You could set a time limit after which the person or child would have to reapply and create a new file. You could also specify that to remain at the facility, they would have to agree to provide the required information at intervals to keep the information current. How you define these policies and procedures is up to you. Additional Information: Child Care Immunization Report 2023-2024 - This year's Child Care Immunization Reports are due by midnight on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will not be accepted after that date. Failure to submit an annual child care immunization report per G.S. 130A-155 will be reported to the Local Health Director for your county. You must submit a report even if no children are attending your child care center or your child care center has closed. This will ensure your center meets the reporting requirement and is not considered delinquent. See the email sent from the Division on 9/26/23 for links to download instructions and a worksheet to assist in determining the status of each child (Word document) and access the worksheet as a PDF. This worksheet is only an aid and does not need to be submitted. The summary table on the fourth page contains the information required to complete the online report. You can also access a guide to submitting a child care report through the online portal. If you have questions about the Child Care Immunization Report, please email Immunization.Reports@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-707-5595. Self-Service License Fee Coming in November - This fall, DCDEE will use the ABCMS (Automated Background Check Management System) portal to offer a new way to manage the annual license fee*. Instead of watching your mailbox for a paper invoice, you’ll be emailed an invoice directly from ABCMS. You will also be able to download/print invoices and submit online payments all within the same ABCMS portal. Operators and administrators will sign in to ABCMS using their business NCID credentials. If you don’t have a business NCID account, register one at https://ncid.nc.gov/. See the “Raising North Carolina email on 9/12/23 for helpful links and more information on the new ABSCS portal. *Annual license fees do not apply to state or public-school operated child care facilities, or to religious sponsored facilities operated pursuant to a Notice of Compliance. New Pathways to the Early Childhood Education Profession – Early educators now have multiple options to achieve higher education. -Staff can earn a no-cost nationally recognized Child Development Associate® (CDA) certificate through a free Professional Development Teacher Membership from Teaching Strategies. Courses are offered in English and Spanish. In addition, a T.E.A.C.H. scholarship is available to cover the CDA book and assessment fees. -They could also choose take the free online NC Early Childhood Equivalency Exam on DCDEE Moodle to earn the North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Certificate. This certificate is equivalent to the EDU 119 college course for star rated license evaluation. -A third options for staff is to turn their training and experience into a degree in Early Childhood Education. Providers can submit a Credit for Prior Learning portfolio to receive up to nine community college ECE credits for your early childhood knowledge and skills from participating NC Community Colleges. Credits can be applied toward the newly created Early Childhood Workforce Certificate, Early Childhood Education Diploma, Certificate and/or an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Early Childhood Education. See the Raise North Carolina email blast from 9/1/23 for links to more information. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at 252-333-2084 or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, may also be contacted at (252) 373-4199. 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