10A NCAC 09 .0701 · Violation

Name of Operation: Youth Enrichment Connect Facility ID: 43000638 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/8/2026 Number Present: 2 Completed Date: 1/8/2026 Age: From 6 To 8 Total Minutes: 170 Time In: 02:50 PM Time Out: 05:40 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of my unannounced visit today was to monitor your center for meeting applicable child care requirements during your Temporary License period and to conduct a rated license assessment. This is the third temporary time period visit for this facility. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from July 11, 2025 to January 11, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first and second shift capacity of 15 children from 5 to 1 years of age. Sharoneta Garner, Regional Manager, assisted with today’s visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by owner representative V. Cogdell. M. Pearson, Administrator was also present for the visit. Children were observed arriving for the day, conducting routines (toileting and hand washing), and eating snack. The snack served today consisted of cheese cubes, goldfish crackers, apple slices, and apple juice. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website, your corporation Word Afire Ministries, Inc. is current and active. The indoor and outdoor spaces were monitored today. A sampling of children’s files and all staff files were reviewed. As children have not been consistently enrolled, fire drills and shelter in place or lockdown drills have not been completed. The most recent outdoor playground inspection was conducted on January 6, 2026. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024 with a Superior classification and 8 demerits. We discussed today that this inspection is more than a year old. You contacted the inspector today to request the inspection. The most recent fire inspection was conducted on December 23, 2025. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 104 Center has not passed required sanitation inspection and received an approved or superior rating. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(b) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. The medical assessment on file for one staff member was older than 12 months at hire. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing in detail how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than January 22, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. We discussed that a license following the temporary license cannot be issued until the violations from today’s visit have been verified as having been corrected. Your temporary license expires on January 11, 2026. Therefore, a Provisional License may be requested in order to provide time for the inspection to be completed and documentation to be received. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Rule Book, as well as a hard copy of the rules. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website (www.ncchildcare.nc.gov) on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that I notified you during the temporary time period visit conducted on December 15, 2025 that the fire and sanitation inspections would be expiring, with dates being provided. I received an email from the owner representative requesting the inspection from the Environmental Health Specialist on December 24, 2025. You requested the inspection again today. We discussed that you provided the Environmental Health Specialist notified you the inspection must be unannounced, and children must be present. You stated you had provided her with dates and times children would be in attendance. Technical Assistance and Consultation: The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. The outdoor play area must be kept free of hazards. Trash Cans and grills should not be located in this fenced area. All outlets accessible to children must be in use or covered. We discussed that two of the staff member’s Criminal Background Qualification will expire in 2026. I reminded you that you may request these checks six months in advance. We discussed that all staff must provide a medical statement and a negative TB test or screening before hire. The results of the TB test must be received before hire. Management staff should review the documentation submitted to ensure the documents are not more than a year old at hire. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. All topic areas must be covered. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. When new staff are hired, they may bring in Health and Safety training they have completed within the last year only. Trainings that were completed more than a year before hire are not accepted. New staff have 90 days to complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicion of Child Maltreatment and CPR/First Aid certifications. They must complete the remainder of the Health and Safety trainings within one year of employment. I encouraged you to use the Health and Safety Training Log to ensure all topic areas are covered. The discipline policy statement must include the child’s name and date of enrollment. I observed today that the form being used does not contain the date of enrollment. I asked that you modify the form for future use. The staff child ratio posting must be fully complete. It should list the age of the youngest child to be enrolled in the classroom, the applicable ratio, and the maximum number allowed by either group size or space capacity, whichever is less. We also discussed that you are now meeting the enhanced reduced staff/child ratio requirements, therefore the postings should be updated to reflect this change. RATED LICENSE: During today's visit, the results of your center’s assessment for a Rated License were discussed. You submitted an application for a rated license assessment received on January 2, 2026. We discussed that staff members submitted their education information, and an expedited evaluation was requested. The results of those evaluations were reviewed, and I notified you that updated status letters are available in the staff member’s WORKS portal. The staff education worksheet was completed based on the information provided. Please note that these results are not official until they have been reviewed and approved by Management and continued successful compliance. This facility has requested to be assessed using the Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway. This worksheet was reviewed with the owner representative and the administrator today. We discussed the facility has requested to meet reduced enhanced staff/child ratio requirements. The family and community engagement practices selected were reviewed, and sample practices were provided. I reminded you to keep documentation of meeting these practices on file for review during your annual compliance visit. You had previously submitted the CQI plan for the facility, and I observed CQI plans for each staff member today. You stated today that you wished to change the curriculum and formative assessments chosen. The application was updated to reflect this. I reminded you that the children’s assessments must be reviewed with families twice per year. We also reviewed the coaching and training options for the Administrator. You stated she has not yet completed the requirements. I reminded you to keep documentation of the mentoring or training on file for review during the annual compliance visit. Based on the information provided, this facility will earn a Five Star License. As discussed, this license cannot be issued until compliance verification has been received. Once compliance verification has been received and reviewed, I will submit your Rated License Application and recommend the issuance of this license. Should any of the above projected point levels change upon full evaluation and review of your application, you will be notified. 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. Prior to today’s visit this facility’s score was 87%. ANNUAL COMPLIANCE VISIT: Your center will be due for an annual compliance visit prior to July 11, 2026. Additional visits may be conducted by the Child Care Consultant prior to that date. I encouraged you to keep an up to date staff and training worksheet available for any monitoring visit that may be conducted. You will need to submit this document to your consultant in preparation for your annual compliance visit. You will need to have an annual fire inspection by December 23, 2026. It is your responsibility to contact the local fire inspector to request this inspection. An annual sanitation inspection will be due, however more frequent visits may be conducted. If you are within 30-60 days of the inspection expiring, please contact the inspector to request the inspection. The sanitation and fire inspections must be submitted to your consultant within 7 days. I also reminded you that the water must be tested for lead every three years. ON-GOING TRAINING: Training hours will be monitored for compliance during your annual compliance visit. Training hours are required to be recorded on the on-going training log with certificates attached to the log for verification. HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING: All staff must complete Health & Safety training topics within one year of hire. CPR/First Aid and Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment are due within the first 90 days of hire. After initial completion all topic areas must be completed every five years. A training log is available on the DCDEE website. This training information will be reviewed by a DCDEE consultant during a monitoring visit. Annually you must review the EPR plan online and print the review form for your records. You must review the EPR plan and the EMC plan with all staff on an annual basis. I recommend doing this at the same time everyone completes an annual health questionnaire and emergency information. This would also be a good time to do annual staff evaluations and staff development plans. Annual Licensing Fee: Pursuant to GS 110-90(1a) the Division establishes an annual fee for licensed child care facilities. The invoices for the fees are assessed based on your licensed capacity and mailed after the 1st of November every year. You will only receive one invoice and payment is due in FULL within 30 days. Please closely monitor your mail and be on the lookout for your invoice. Please don’t delay making your payment and be aware that Payment Plans are NOT available. In addition, please be aware that failure to pay a license fee within 30 days of receipt will result in late charges. If payments are made late and late charges are applied, the fee as well as the late charge must be resolved. Please be reminded that, failure to pay a license fee could also result in the facility's child care license being revoked. Provider Portal for ABCMS (the criminal records check database): 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 (household members in a Family Child Care Home) within five business days. Previously, written notification such as the “Change of Information” form was used, however the process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. Once you receive your Star Rated License, 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 already completed the 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 with the portal or the training, please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-6401and someone will assist you. GENERAL INFORMATION: If you have any changes to your phone number, email or mailing address, please notify your consultant so they may be updated in our computer system. This information is what DCDEE uses on the Search for Childcare site, it is also the only way DCDEE communities with you. Child care licensing requirements are established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. I encourage you to review DCDEE training modules, and to check your email for any additional information or updates. You will need to have an NCID which is the same NCID that you use for Health and Safety training, WORKS login, and the CBC Portal- to view Moodle training. For the most up to date information, copies of sample forms, and copies of the child care requirements, updates to rules/laws you were encouraged to periodically visit the Division's website and click on the What’s New tab at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. Once you have been issued your star rated license, your file will be transferred to your assigned childcare consultant. I will email you with their contact information when this occurs. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: Youth Enrichment Connect Facility ID: 43000638 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/8/2026 Number Present: 2 Completed Date: 1/8/2026 Age: From 6 To 8 Total Minutes: 170 Time In: 02:50 PM Time Out: 05:40 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of my unannounced visit today was to monitor your center for meeting applicable child care requirements during your Temporary License period and to conduct a rated license assessment. This is the third temporary time period visit for this facility. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from July 11, 2025 to January 11, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first and second shift capacity of 15 children from 5 to 1 years of age. Sharoneta Garner, Regional Manager, assisted with today’s visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by owner representative V. Cogdell. M. Pearson, Administrator was also present for the visit. Children were observed arriving for the day, conducting routines (toileting and hand washing), and eating snack. The snack served today consisted of cheese cubes, goldfish crackers, apple slices, and apple juice. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website, your corporation Word Afire Ministries, Inc. is current and active. The indoor and outdoor spaces were monitored today. A sampling of children’s files and all staff files were reviewed. As children have not been consistently enrolled, fire drills and shelter in place or lockdown drills have not been completed. The most recent outdoor playground inspection was conducted on January 6, 2026. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024 with a Superior classification and 8 demerits. We discussed today that this inspection is more than a year old. You contacted the inspector today to request the inspection. The most recent fire inspection was conducted on December 23, 2025. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 104 Center has not passed required sanitation inspection and received an approved or superior rating. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(b) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. The medical assessment on file for one staff member was older than 12 months at hire. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing in detail how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than January 22, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. We discussed that a license following the temporary license cannot be issued until the violations from today’s visit have been verified as having been corrected. Your temporary license expires on January 11, 2026. Therefore, a Provisional License may be requested in order to provide time for the inspection to be completed and documentation to be received. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Rule Book, as well as a hard copy of the rules. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website (www.ncchildcare.nc.gov) on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that I notified you during the temporary time period visit conducted on December 15, 2025 that the fire and sanitation inspections would be expiring, with dates being provided. I received an email from the owner representative requesting the inspection from the Environmental Health Specialist on December 24, 2025. You requested the inspection again today. We discussed that you provided the Environmental Health Specialist notified you the inspection must be unannounced, and children must be present. You stated you had provided her with dates and times children would be in attendance. Technical Assistance and Consultation: The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. The outdoor play area must be kept free of hazards. Trash Cans and grills should not be located in this fenced area. All outlets accessible to children must be in use or covered. We discussed that two of the staff member’s Criminal Background Qualification will expire in 2026. I reminded you that you may request these checks six months in advance. We discussed that all staff must provide a medical statement and a negative TB test or screening before hire. The results of the TB test must be received before hire. Management staff should review the documentation submitted to ensure the documents are not more than a year old at hire. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. All topic areas must be covered. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. When new staff are hired, they may bring in Health and Safety training they have completed within the last year only. Trainings that were completed more than a year before hire are not accepted. New staff have 90 days to complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicion of Child Maltreatment and CPR/First Aid certifications. They must complete the remainder of the Health and Safety trainings within one year of employment. I encouraged you to use the Health and Safety Training Log to ensure all topic areas are covered. The discipline policy statement must include the child’s name and date of enrollment. I observed today that the form being used does not contain the date of enrollment. I asked that you modify the form for future use. The staff child ratio posting must be fully complete. It should list the age of the youngest child to be enrolled in the classroom, the applicable ratio, and the maximum number allowed by either group size or space capacity, whichever is less. We also discussed that you are now meeting the enhanced reduced staff/child ratio requirements, therefore the postings should be updated to reflect this change. RATED LICENSE: During today's visit, the results of your center’s assessment for a Rated License were discussed. You submitted an application for a rated license assessment received on January 2, 2026. We discussed that staff members submitted their education information, and an expedited evaluation was requested. The results of those evaluations were reviewed, and I notified you that updated status letters are available in the staff member’s WORKS portal. The staff education worksheet was completed based on the information provided. Please note that these results are not official until they have been reviewed and approved by Management and continued successful compliance. This facility has requested to be assessed using the Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway. This worksheet was reviewed with the owner representative and the administrator today. We discussed the facility has requested to meet reduced enhanced staff/child ratio requirements. The family and community engagement practices selected were reviewed, and sample practices were provided. I reminded you to keep documentation of meeting these practices on file for review during your annual compliance visit. You had previously submitted the CQI plan for the facility, and I observed CQI plans for each staff member today. You stated today that you wished to change the curriculum and formative assessments chosen. The application was updated to reflect this. I reminded you that the children’s assessments must be reviewed with families twice per year. We also reviewed the coaching and training options for the Administrator. You stated she has not yet completed the requirements. I reminded you to keep documentation of the mentoring or training on file for review during the annual compliance visit. Based on the information provided, this facility will earn a Five Star License. As discussed, this license cannot be issued until compliance verification has been received. Once compliance verification has been received and reviewed, I will submit your Rated License Application and recommend the issuance of this license. Should any of the above projected point levels change upon full evaluation and review of your application, you will be notified. 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. Prior to today’s visit this facility’s score was 87%. ANNUAL COMPLIANCE VISIT: Your center will be due for an annual compliance visit prior to July 11, 2026. Additional visits may be conducted by the Child Care Consultant prior to that date. I encouraged you to keep an up to date staff and training worksheet available for any monitoring visit that may be conducted. You will need to submit this document to your consultant in preparation for your annual compliance visit. You will need to have an annual fire inspection by December 23, 2026. It is your responsibility to contact the local fire inspector to request this inspection. An annual sanitation inspection will be due, however more frequent visits may be conducted. If you are within 30-60 days of the inspection expiring, please contact the inspector to request the inspection. The sanitation and fire inspections must be submitted to your consultant within 7 days. I also reminded you that the water must be tested for lead every three years. ON-GOING TRAINING: Training hours will be monitored for compliance during your annual compliance visit. Training hours are required to be recorded on the on-going training log with certificates attached to the log for verification. HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING: All staff must complete Health & Safety training topics within one year of hire. CPR/First Aid and Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment are due within the first 90 days of hire. After initial completion all topic areas must be completed every five years. A training log is available on the DCDEE website. This training information will be reviewed by a DCDEE consultant during a monitoring visit. Annually you must review the EPR plan online and print the review form for your records. You must review the EPR plan and the EMC plan with all staff on an annual basis. I recommend doing this at the same time everyone completes an annual health questionnaire and emergency information. This would also be a good time to do annual staff evaluations and staff development plans. Annual Licensing Fee: Pursuant to GS 110-90(1a) the Division establishes an annual fee for licensed child care facilities. The invoices for the fees are assessed based on your licensed capacity and mailed after the 1st of November every year. You will only receive one invoice and payment is due in FULL within 30 days. Please closely monitor your mail and be on the lookout for your invoice. Please don’t delay making your payment and be aware that Payment Plans are NOT available. In addition, please be aware that failure to pay a license fee within 30 days of receipt will result in late charges. If payments are made late and late charges are applied, the fee as well as the late charge must be resolved. Please be reminded that, failure to pay a license fee could also result in the facility's child care license being revoked. Provider Portal for ABCMS (the criminal records check database): 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 (household members in a Family Child Care Home) within five business days. Previously, written notification such as the “Change of Information” form was used, however the process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. Once you receive your Star Rated License, 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 already completed the 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 with the portal or the training, please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-6401and someone will assist you. GENERAL INFORMATION: If you have any changes to your phone number, email or mailing address, please notify your consultant so they may be updated in our computer system. This information is what DCDEE uses on the Search for Childcare site, it is also the only way DCDEE communities with you. Child care licensing requirements are established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. I encourage you to review DCDEE training modules, and to check your email for any additional information or updates. You will need to have an NCID which is the same NCID that you use for Health and Safety training, WORKS login, and the CBC Portal- to view Moodle training. For the most up to date information, copies of sample forms, and copies of the child care requirements, updates to rules/laws you were encouraged to periodically visit the Division's website and click on the What’s New tab at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. Once you have been issued your star rated license, your file will be transferred to your assigned childcare consultant. I will email you with their contact information when this occurs. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: Youth Enrichment Connect Facility ID: 43000638 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/8/2026 Number Present: 2 Completed Date: 1/8/2026 Age: From 6 To 8 Total Minutes: 170 Time In: 02:50 PM Time Out: 05:40 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of my unannounced visit today was to monitor your center for meeting applicable child care requirements during your Temporary License period and to conduct a rated license assessment. This is the third temporary time period visit for this facility. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from July 11, 2025 to January 11, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first and second shift capacity of 15 children from 5 to 1 years of age. Sharoneta Garner, Regional Manager, assisted with today’s visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by owner representative V. Cogdell. M. Pearson, Administrator was also present for the visit. Children were observed arriving for the day, conducting routines (toileting and hand washing), and eating snack. The snack served today consisted of cheese cubes, goldfish crackers, apple slices, and apple juice. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website, your corporation Word Afire Ministries, Inc. is current and active. The indoor and outdoor spaces were monitored today. A sampling of children’s files and all staff files were reviewed. As children have not been consistently enrolled, fire drills and shelter in place or lockdown drills have not been completed. The most recent outdoor playground inspection was conducted on January 6, 2026. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024 with a Superior classification and 8 demerits. We discussed today that this inspection is more than a year old. You contacted the inspector today to request the inspection. The most recent fire inspection was conducted on December 23, 2025. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 104 Center has not passed required sanitation inspection and received an approved or superior rating. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(b) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. The medical assessment on file for one staff member was older than 12 months at hire. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing in detail how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than January 22, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. We discussed that a license following the temporary license cannot be issued until the violations from today’s visit have been verified as having been corrected. Your temporary license expires on January 11, 2026. Therefore, a Provisional License may be requested in order to provide time for the inspection to be completed and documentation to be received. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Rule Book, as well as a hard copy of the rules. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website (www.ncchildcare.nc.gov) on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that I notified you during the temporary time period visit conducted on December 15, 2025 that the fire and sanitation inspections would be expiring, with dates being provided. I received an email from the owner representative requesting the inspection from the Environmental Health Specialist on December 24, 2025. You requested the inspection again today. We discussed that you provided the Environmental Health Specialist notified you the inspection must be unannounced, and children must be present. You stated you had provided her with dates and times children would be in attendance. Technical Assistance and Consultation: The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. The outdoor play area must be kept free of hazards. Trash Cans and grills should not be located in this fenced area. All outlets accessible to children must be in use or covered. We discussed that two of the staff member’s Criminal Background Qualification will expire in 2026. I reminded you that you may request these checks six months in advance. We discussed that all staff must provide a medical statement and a negative TB test or screening before hire. The results of the TB test must be received before hire. Management staff should review the documentation submitted to ensure the documents are not more than a year old at hire. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. All topic areas must be covered. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. When new staff are hired, they may bring in Health and Safety training they have completed within the last year only. Trainings that were completed more than a year before hire are not accepted. New staff have 90 days to complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicion of Child Maltreatment and CPR/First Aid certifications. They must complete the remainder of the Health and Safety trainings within one year of employment. I encouraged you to use the Health and Safety Training Log to ensure all topic areas are covered. The discipline policy statement must include the child’s name and date of enrollment. I observed today that the form being used does not contain the date of enrollment. I asked that you modify the form for future use. The staff child ratio posting must be fully complete. It should list the age of the youngest child to be enrolled in the classroom, the applicable ratio, and the maximum number allowed by either group size or space capacity, whichever is less. We also discussed that you are now meeting the enhanced reduced staff/child ratio requirements, therefore the postings should be updated to reflect this change. RATED LICENSE: During today's visit, the results of your center’s assessment for a Rated License were discussed. You submitted an application for a rated license assessment received on January 2, 2026. We discussed that staff members submitted their education information, and an expedited evaluation was requested. The results of those evaluations were reviewed, and I notified you that updated status letters are available in the staff member’s WORKS portal. The staff education worksheet was completed based on the information provided. Please note that these results are not official until they have been reviewed and approved by Management and continued successful compliance. This facility has requested to be assessed using the Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway. This worksheet was reviewed with the owner representative and the administrator today. We discussed the facility has requested to meet reduced enhanced staff/child ratio requirements. The family and community engagement practices selected were reviewed, and sample practices were provided. I reminded you to keep documentation of meeting these practices on file for review during your annual compliance visit. You had previously submitted the CQI plan for the facility, and I observed CQI plans for each staff member today. You stated today that you wished to change the curriculum and formative assessments chosen. The application was updated to reflect this. I reminded you that the children’s assessments must be reviewed with families twice per year. We also reviewed the coaching and training options for the Administrator. You stated she has not yet completed the requirements. I reminded you to keep documentation of the mentoring or training on file for review during the annual compliance visit. Based on the information provided, this facility will earn a Five Star License. As discussed, this license cannot be issued until compliance verification has been received. Once compliance verification has been received and reviewed, I will submit your Rated License Application and recommend the issuance of this license. Should any of the above projected point levels change upon full evaluation and review of your application, you will be notified. 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. Prior to today’s visit this facility’s score was 87%. ANNUAL COMPLIANCE VISIT: Your center will be due for an annual compliance visit prior to July 11, 2026. Additional visits may be conducted by the Child Care Consultant prior to that date. I encouraged you to keep an up to date staff and training worksheet available for any monitoring visit that may be conducted. You will need to submit this document to your consultant in preparation for your annual compliance visit. You will need to have an annual fire inspection by December 23, 2026. It is your responsibility to contact the local fire inspector to request this inspection. An annual sanitation inspection will be due, however more frequent visits may be conducted. If you are within 30-60 days of the inspection expiring, please contact the inspector to request the inspection. The sanitation and fire inspections must be submitted to your consultant within 7 days. I also reminded you that the water must be tested for lead every three years. ON-GOING TRAINING: Training hours will be monitored for compliance during your annual compliance visit. Training hours are required to be recorded on the on-going training log with certificates attached to the log for verification. HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING: All staff must complete Health & Safety training topics within one year of hire. CPR/First Aid and Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment are due within the first 90 days of hire. After initial completion all topic areas must be completed every five years. A training log is available on the DCDEE website. This training information will be reviewed by a DCDEE consultant during a monitoring visit. Annually you must review the EPR plan online and print the review form for your records. You must review the EPR plan and the EMC plan with all staff on an annual basis. I recommend doing this at the same time everyone completes an annual health questionnaire and emergency information. This would also be a good time to do annual staff evaluations and staff development plans. Annual Licensing Fee: Pursuant to GS 110-90(1a) the Division establishes an annual fee for licensed child care facilities. The invoices for the fees are assessed based on your licensed capacity and mailed after the 1st of November every year. You will only receive one invoice and payment is due in FULL within 30 days. Please closely monitor your mail and be on the lookout for your invoice. Please don’t delay making your payment and be aware that Payment Plans are NOT available. In addition, please be aware that failure to pay a license fee within 30 days of receipt will result in late charges. If payments are made late and late charges are applied, the fee as well as the late charge must be resolved. Please be reminded that, failure to pay a license fee could also result in the facility's child care license being revoked. Provider Portal for ABCMS (the criminal records check database): 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 (household members in a Family Child Care Home) within five business days. Previously, written notification such as the “Change of Information” form was used, however the process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. Once you receive your Star Rated License, 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 already completed the 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 with the portal or the training, please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-6401and someone will assist you. GENERAL INFORMATION: If you have any changes to your phone number, email or mailing address, please notify your consultant so they may be updated in our computer system. This information is what DCDEE uses on the Search for Childcare site, it is also the only way DCDEE communities with you. Child care licensing requirements are established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. I encourage you to review DCDEE training modules, and to check your email for any additional information or updates. You will need to have an NCID which is the same NCID that you use for Health and Safety training, WORKS login, and the CBC Portal- to view Moodle training. For the most up to date information, copies of sample forms, and copies of the child care requirements, updates to rules/laws you were encouraged to periodically visit the Division's website and click on the What’s New tab at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. Once you have been issued your star rated license, your file will be transferred to your assigned childcare consultant. I will email you with their contact information when this occurs. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: Youth Enrichment Connect Facility ID: 43000638 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/8/2026 Number Present: 2 Completed Date: 1/8/2026 Age: From 6 To 8 Total Minutes: 170 Time In: 02:50 PM Time Out: 05:40 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of my unannounced visit today was to monitor your center for meeting applicable child care requirements during your Temporary License period and to conduct a rated license assessment. This is the third temporary time period visit for this facility. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from July 11, 2025 to January 11, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first and second shift capacity of 15 children from 5 to 1 years of age. Sharoneta Garner, Regional Manager, assisted with today’s visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by owner representative V. Cogdell. M. Pearson, Administrator was also present for the visit. Children were observed arriving for the day, conducting routines (toileting and hand washing), and eating snack. The snack served today consisted of cheese cubes, goldfish crackers, apple slices, and apple juice. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website, your corporation Word Afire Ministries, Inc. is current and active. The indoor and outdoor spaces were monitored today. A sampling of children’s files and all staff files were reviewed. As children have not been consistently enrolled, fire drills and shelter in place or lockdown drills have not been completed. The most recent outdoor playground inspection was conducted on January 6, 2026. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024 with a Superior classification and 8 demerits. We discussed today that this inspection is more than a year old. You contacted the inspector today to request the inspection. The most recent fire inspection was conducted on December 23, 2025. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 104 Center has not passed required sanitation inspection and received an approved or superior rating. The most recent sanitation inspection was conducted on December 27, 2024. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(b) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. The medical assessment on file for one staff member was older than 12 months at hire. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing in detail how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than January 22, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. We discussed that a license following the temporary license cannot be issued until the violations from today’s visit have been verified as having been corrected. Your temporary license expires on January 11, 2026. Therefore, a Provisional License may be requested in order to provide time for the inspection to be completed and documentation to be received. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Rule Book, as well as a hard copy of the rules. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website (www.ncchildcare.nc.gov) on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that I notified you during the temporary time period visit conducted on December 15, 2025 that the fire and sanitation inspections would be expiring, with dates being provided. I received an email from the owner representative requesting the inspection from the Environmental Health Specialist on December 24, 2025. You requested the inspection again today. We discussed that you provided the Environmental Health Specialist notified you the inspection must be unannounced, and children must be present. You stated you had provided her with dates and times children would be in attendance. Technical Assistance and Consultation: The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. The outdoor play area must be kept free of hazards. Trash Cans and grills should not be located in this fenced area. All outlets accessible to children must be in use or covered. We discussed that two of the staff member’s Criminal Background Qualification will expire in 2026. I reminded you that you may request these checks six months in advance. We discussed that all staff must provide a medical statement and a negative TB test or screening before hire. The results of the TB test must be received before hire. Management staff should review the documentation submitted to ensure the documents are not more than a year old at hire. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. All topic areas must be covered. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. When new staff are hired, they may bring in Health and Safety training they have completed within the last year only. Trainings that were completed more than a year before hire are not accepted. New staff have 90 days to complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicion of Child Maltreatment and CPR/First Aid certifications. They must complete the remainder of the Health and Safety trainings within one year of employment. I encouraged you to use the Health and Safety Training Log to ensure all topic areas are covered. The discipline policy statement must include the child’s name and date of enrollment. I observed today that the form being used does not contain the date of enrollment. I asked that you modify the form for future use. The staff child ratio posting must be fully complete. It should list the age of the youngest child to be enrolled in the classroom, the applicable ratio, and the maximum number allowed by either group size or space capacity, whichever is less. We also discussed that you are now meeting the enhanced reduced staff/child ratio requirements, therefore the postings should be updated to reflect this change. RATED LICENSE: During today's visit, the results of your center’s assessment for a Rated License were discussed. You submitted an application for a rated license assessment received on January 2, 2026. We discussed that staff members submitted their education information, and an expedited evaluation was requested. The results of those evaluations were reviewed, and I notified you that updated status letters are available in the staff member’s WORKS portal. The staff education worksheet was completed based on the information provided. Please note that these results are not official until they have been reviewed and approved by Management and continued successful compliance. This facility has requested to be assessed using the Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway. This worksheet was reviewed with the owner representative and the administrator today. We discussed the facility has requested to meet reduced enhanced staff/child ratio requirements. The family and community engagement practices selected were reviewed, and sample practices were provided. I reminded you to keep documentation of meeting these practices on file for review during your annual compliance visit. You had previously submitted the CQI plan for the facility, and I observed CQI plans for each staff member today. You stated today that you wished to change the curriculum and formative assessments chosen. The application was updated to reflect this. I reminded you that the children’s assessments must be reviewed with families twice per year. We also reviewed the coaching and training options for the Administrator. You stated she has not yet completed the requirements. I reminded you to keep documentation of the mentoring or training on file for review during the annual compliance visit. Based on the information provided, this facility will earn a Five Star License. As discussed, this license cannot be issued until compliance verification has been received. Once compliance verification has been received and reviewed, I will submit your Rated License Application and recommend the issuance of this license. Should any of the above projected point levels change upon full evaluation and review of your application, you will be notified. 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. Prior to today’s visit this facility’s score was 87%. ANNUAL COMPLIANCE VISIT: Your center will be due for an annual compliance visit prior to July 11, 2026. Additional visits may be conducted by the Child Care Consultant prior to that date. I encouraged you to keep an up to date staff and training worksheet available for any monitoring visit that may be conducted. You will need to submit this document to your consultant in preparation for your annual compliance visit. You will need to have an annual fire inspection by December 23, 2026. It is your responsibility to contact the local fire inspector to request this inspection. An annual sanitation inspection will be due, however more frequent visits may be conducted. If you are within 30-60 days of the inspection expiring, please contact the inspector to request the inspection. The sanitation and fire inspections must be submitted to your consultant within 7 days. I also reminded you that the water must be tested for lead every three years. ON-GOING TRAINING: Training hours will be monitored for compliance during your annual compliance visit. Training hours are required to be recorded on the on-going training log with certificates attached to the log for verification. HEALTH & SAFETY TRAINING: All staff must complete Health & Safety training topics within one year of hire. CPR/First Aid and Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment are due within the first 90 days of hire. After initial completion all topic areas must be completed every five years. A training log is available on the DCDEE website. This training information will be reviewed by a DCDEE consultant during a monitoring visit. Annually you must review the EPR plan online and print the review form for your records. You must review the EPR plan and the EMC plan with all staff on an annual basis. I recommend doing this at the same time everyone completes an annual health questionnaire and emergency information. This would also be a good time to do annual staff evaluations and staff development plans. Annual Licensing Fee: Pursuant to GS 110-90(1a) the Division establishes an annual fee for licensed child care facilities. The invoices for the fees are assessed based on your licensed capacity and mailed after the 1st of November every year. You will only receive one invoice and payment is due in FULL within 30 days. Please closely monitor your mail and be on the lookout for your invoice. Please don’t delay making your payment and be aware that Payment Plans are NOT available. In addition, please be aware that failure to pay a license fee within 30 days of receipt will result in late charges. If payments are made late and late charges are applied, the fee as well as the late charge must be resolved. Please be reminded that, failure to pay a license fee could also result in the facility's child care license being revoked. Provider Portal for ABCMS (the criminal records check database): 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 (household members in a Family Child Care Home) within five business days. Previously, written notification such as the “Change of Information” form was used, however the process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. Once you receive your Star Rated License, 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 already completed the 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 with the portal or the training, please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-6401and someone will assist you. GENERAL INFORMATION: If you have any changes to your phone number, email or mailing address, please notify your consultant so they may be updated in our computer system. This information is what DCDEE uses on the Search for Childcare site, it is also the only way DCDEE communities with you. Child care licensing requirements are established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. I encourage you to review DCDEE training modules, and to check your email for any additional information or updates. You will need to have an NCID which is the same NCID that you use for Health and Safety training, WORKS login, and the CBC Portal- to view Moodle training. For the most up to date information, copies of sample forms, and copies of the child care requirements, updates to rules/laws you were encouraged to periodically visit the Division's website and click on the What’s New tab at www.ncchildcare.nc.gov. Once you have been issued your star rated license, your file will be transferred to your assigned childcare consultant. I will email you with their contact information when this occurs. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.