NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: The Family Tree Preschool Facility ID: 26002653 Consultant: RHONDA BLACKMON Operation Type: Family CC Home Case Number: Visit Date: 6/11/2026 Number Present: 3 Completed Date: 6/11/2026 Age: From 2 To 4 Total Minutes: 190 Time In: 01:20 PM Time Out: 04:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Family CC Home Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a first temporary time period visit. An attempted visit was conducted on May 27, 2026. The initial assessment visit was completed on April 14, 2026, and prior to today’s visit, the eighteen-month compliance history score was 100%, as required by North Carolina General Statute 110-90(4)(c-d). This program currently operates with a temporary license effective April 20, 2026 to October 20, 2026. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Crystal McLean, and the owner’s corporation status was verified on the NC Secretary of State’s website as current-active. Yolanda Pridgen, Lead Child Care Consultant, accompanied me during today’s visit. Current Inspection is as follows: Sanitation Classification of Superior with zero (0) demerits completed April 10, 2026. C. McLean, Operator/Teacher, was present. I explained the purpose of today’s visit and requested permission to wash our hands. Permission was granted. We washed our hands and completed a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. Children, aged two to four-years-old, slept on their assigned mats with linens, while soft music played in the background. After rest time, the children assisted with clean-up, participated in personal care routines, and transitioned to the table for afternoon snacks. Prior to snack being served, C. McLean cleaned and sanitized the table. P.M. snack consisted of Chex mix, sliced bananas, and milk. During snack time, C. McLean read the book, “Sweet Dreams Alligator.” C. McLean encouraged conversation and asked open-ended questions. The operator’s file, children’s files, and program records were monitored today. At the completion of the visit, the Visit Summary was reviewed with C. McLean. The following violation was observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 2031 Operator did not provide a copy of the shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma policy to parents at time of enrollment, and / or within fourteen days of a changes to the policy. Documentation of parent's receipt of the facility's shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma policy was not on file for all children enrolled. .1726(b)&(c) 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. The violation observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violation observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on June 25, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to Y. Pridgen The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violation was corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Yolanda Pridgen Lead Child Care Consultant P.O. Box 25561 Fayetteville, NC 28314 Yolanda.pridgen@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, you must include a signature block, which contains your name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 Technical Assistance/Consultation/Reminders Specific to Today’s Visit: Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome: North Carolina Child Care Rules 10A NCAC 09 .0608 (center) and .1726 (FCCH) require that all facilities that serve children up to five years of age must develop and adopt policies to prevent shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma. The rule outlines six areas that must be addressed in each facility's policy, requirements for adopting and sharing the policy with staff and families, as well as what to do if changes to the policy are made. The DCDEE has adopted the NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center definition of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and Abusive Head Trauma (AHT). SBS or AHT is the name given to a form of physical child abuse that occurs when an infant or small child is violently shaken and/or there is trauma to the head. Shaking may only last a few seconds, but it can result in severe injury or even death. There is a big difference between violently shaking a child and playing with a child. Simply bouncing a child on your knee, or a child falling out of a chair, are not causes of SBS/AHT. Caregivers should always be aware, and they should never, under any circumstance, shake a young child. During the visit completed April 14, 2026, Y. Pridgen reviewed the program’s Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma Policy and verified compliance; however, during today’s visit there were no signed acknowledgement forms on file for children aged 2-5 years old. Rated License Assessment: During today’s visit, I provided an overview of section .3200 of the child care rules. Each of the following pathway options were discussed: Program Assessment Pathway, Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway, and Accreditation and Head Start Pathway. Education requirements were also reviewed. As discussed, April 14, 2026, the FCCH must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized child care assistance after six (6) months. Based on today’s conversation, C. McLean stated she plans to achieve compliance with Classroom and Instructional Quality: Pathway 2. As a reminder, a child care facility is eligible for a rated license of two through five-stars upon application and assessment of compliance with the requirements. For additional information, you may review the Pathway to the Stars: The NC Quality Rating and Improvement System Child Care Rating System information/requirements at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization. Training: C. McLean completed the health and safety trainings for the required eleven topic areas found at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/ on January 26, 2026. C. McLean completed the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Abuse and Maltreatment training on January 23, 2026. You already know the Division offers early childhood professionals a wide range of professional development opportunities through our online learning platform Moodle. As a reminder, the child care rule roll out module for section .3200 is complete and ready for viewing in Moodle. Please make time to listen to the module, it will further assist your understanding of these new rules. As we continue expanding our training offerings, the DCDEE has established a new email address and phone number for Moodle Support. To get help with Moodle, email DCDEE_Moodle_Support@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6326. Training: Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) in Child Care – C. McLean shall complete the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training within 12 months of licensure (April 20, 2027). C. McLean shall go online at https://rmp.nc.gov/portal/portal.aspx and complete the EPR Plan within four months of completion of the training. Fire drills will be completed monthly and lockdown or shelter in place drills shall be completed within three months. Child care licensing requirements are established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all applicable laws and rules at all times. Periodically review the child care law and rules. Visit the DCDEE website and click on the “What’s New” tab to stay abreast of all updates. NCDHHS Responds to Increase in Measles Cases: Measles are on the rise globally and in North Carolina. As a highly contagious, airborne disease, even one case is a major priority for public health. NCDHHS is taking action by launching new outreach resources for child care providers, families, and community stakeholders to help curb the spread. Child care providers can share information about vaccinations with the families served and be informed with the most current information. For more information and to access tools and resources, visit NCDHHS at dph.ncdhhs.gov/measles. Transportation Safety: With summer in full swing and schools out of session, there are more children in child care. Requirements for safe transportation are not exclusive to child care centers, they involve anyone transporting a child. As such, all child care facilities must practice safe transportation and are encouraged to partner with parents to do the same. Child care centers are required to implement transportation policies and have procedures to check vehicles to ensure that all the children have loaded out, but they can also help parents. If a child is absent, take the time to call the parent. A quick phone call shows that you noticed their child's absence and that you genuinely care about their well-being. That care and concern not only builds a better relationship with enrolled families, but it also forms a partnership and ultimately could save a child's life! Transporting children is a high-risk activity, particularly for child care centers. Child care operators, staff members and parents need to be aware that transporting children requires careful planning and proactive, protective measures to ensure the safety of children and staff. Careful planning also reduces liability for facility operators and their programs. Another great resource for safety information is Safe Kids Worldwide, an organization dedicated to "preventing injuries in children, the number one killer of kids in the United States." Their website, www.safekids.org, contains valuable information on Heat Stroke Prevention as well as Child Passenger Safety. Please visit their website for more information. KidsandCars.org is committed to "preventing injuries and death to children in or around motor vehicles." This non-profit organization provides education and information regarding concerns such as injuries from power windows, trunk entrapment, vehicles accidentally set into motion by children, visual blockage of children while either backing up or driving forward, and children left in vehicles unattended. To learn more about the impact of heat stroke in children related to transportation, click the link to their Heat Stroke section. While this data is not exclusive to child care, it certainly can provide a clear understanding of the concern. Take the time to read the information contained on this website and educate staff in your child care facility. It could save a child's life! For North Carolina Occupant restraint laws, including child passenger safety laws, refer to www.buckleupnc.org. Outdoor Play: Every child must have an opportunity to be outdoors daily; if weather conditions permit. This requirement is for all ages including infants and toddlers. Due to extreme heat indices, it is important to remind parents about the requirement to go outdoors daily and that each child must come to school prepared to go outdoors. This includes bringing the appropriate clothes to child care and ensuring each child is able to participate in daily activities. Parents should determine whether their child is too sick to attend child care if they are unable to participate in the daily activities. The Weather watch chart must be used to determine “weather permitting”, and a thermometer may be posted outside a window, so staff can determine accurate temperatures. Ensure staff are trained in reading your posted Weather watch chart; you can also use the chart to help educate parents about when outdoor play should take place. For additional guidance, you may refer to the following requirements: Child Care Rule .0102 (27) "If weather conditions permit" means: (a) temperatures that fall within the guidelines developed by the Iowa Department of Public Health and specified on the Child Care Weather Watch chart. These guidelines shall be used when determining appropriate weather conditions for taking children outside for outdoor learning activities and playtime. This chart may be downloaded free of charge from https://hhs.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/portals/1/userfiles/128/child%20care%20weather%20watch%20june%202020%20final.pdf; and is incorporated by reference and includes subsequent editions and amendments; (b) following the air quality standards as set out in 15A NCAC 18A .2832(d). The Air Quality Color Guide can be found on the Division's web site at https://airquality.climate.ncsu.edu/air-guide/aq-datasets/ or call 1-888-RU4NCAIR (1- 888-784-6224); and (c) no active precipitation. Caregivers may choose to go outdoors when there is active precipitation if children have appropriate clothing such as rain boots and raincoats, or if they are under a covered area. Sanitation Rule 2832(d): If a daily air quality forecast is made by the Division of Air Quality or the regional air quality agency for the county where a center is located, outdoor activity for children shall be restricted as follows. On days with a code orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) forecast, children shall not be outside participating in physical activity between noon and 8:00 p.m. for more than one hour. On days with a code red (unhealthy) forecast, children shall not be outside participating in physical activity between noon and 8:00 p.m. for more than 15 minutes. On days with a code purple (very unhealthy) forecast, children shall not be outside participating in physical activity between noon and 8:00 p.m. Provisions shall be made to allow children with diagnosed asthma or with coughing or wheezing symptoms to participate in physical activity indoors on days with a code orange, red or purple air quality forecast. As you can see each code within the rule does not prohibit outdoor play, rather, it provides information on when considerations and adjustments should be made to the outdoor play schedule. Partner Update: Starting in June 2026, the administration of the Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood (MCCYN) Program will transition from Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) to the MilitaryChildCare.com Fee Assistance Management (MCC FAM) team. Please feel free to contact Yolanda Pridgen, Lead Child Care Consultant, on (910) 305-2371 if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Rhonda Blackmon Licensing Supervisor PO Box 279 Linden, NC 28356 (910) 709-4168 Rhonda.blackmon@dhhs.nc.gov If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.