Unique Creations Child Care Center South Campus

10A NCAC 09 .0606 · Violation

Name of Operation: UNIQUE CREATIONS CHILD CARE CENTER SOUTH CAMPUS Facility ID: 92003702 Consultant: WANDA FOWLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 2/24/2026 Number Present: 14 Completed Date: 2/24/2026 Age: From 1 To 5 Total Minutes: 120 Time In: 11:30 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of today’s visit was to assess applicable child-care requirements during a routine unannounced visit. When I arrived I was greeted by the center director, Rhonda McKoy, who was responsible for a classroom. She told me where to find the records I needed to review. The director and owner, Joy Mangum, arrived after I had completed the walk-through and had begun on the Paperwork.. I conducted a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. I observed, the children finishing lunch and transitioning to rest time. One infant was sleeping also. RATED LICENSE STATUS The program operates with a 3-star rated license issued on 1/6/22. They received 2 points in program standards, 4 points in staff education and 1 quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure for parent involvement. All staff should be registered and have their education assessed through WORKS. Best practice recommends that this be completed as a part of new employee orientation and then updated as staff education changes. You selected Pathway 1. Today we discussed progress in the pathway. You have completed an outreach assessment and have met with the NCRLAP assessors. You stated that you have started working on the self-study. You stated that your 2nd location was assessed through Pathway 2 and you asked if it was too late to switch pathways. It is not too late, however, I will need to know by the end of March which pathway you choose and you should be prepared to submit your application for a rated license by the end of May. INSPECTIONS The last sanitation inspection was conducted on 7/10/25. The last fire inspection was conducted on 9/12/25. The last documented fire drill was conducted on 2/6/26. The last documented shelter-in-place or lockdown drill was conducted on 12/1/25. The last documented playground inspection was conducted on 2/9/26. During this visit a full assessment of Child Care Requirements was conducted. The facility was assessed using items noted on the Annual Compliance for Centers checklist. The status of the owner, Unique Creations Child Care Centers, Inc., is listed as current and active on the NC Secretary of State’s website. It does look like an annual report is due. Staff on-going training was assessed from 3/1/25 – 4/1/26. The following violations were observed and recorded during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 893 A copy of the safe sleep policy was not given to and/or explained to the parent of each child on or before the first day the infant attended the center. One infant did not have a signed safe sleep policy in their file. 10A NCAC 09 .0606(c) 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). One staff member was present with an expired qualification letter. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) The above violations must be corrected immediately. By 3/10/26. please email me a signed letter of compliance. Before the letter is sent, all violations should be corrected; please contact me if additional time is needed to correct a specific violation. Include the following in your letter: facility ID number, list the item number describing how and when the violations were corrected and tell me how you plan to maintain compliance in the future with each item. If you prefer to mail your letter, you may send it to 2201 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2201 If the compliance action letter is not received by the due date another visit to the center may be made and additional violations may be added. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history was 98%. According to NC General Statute 110-90 (4) (d) all facilities must maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past 18 months. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Criminal record checks are required to assure that all people working in child care meet at least the minimum requirement. One staff member present today had been issued a qualification letter, but it expired some time ago. You stated that this staff member has an appointment to complete her background check already scheduled. All staff should have a current, valid qualification letter on file prior to their employment. If the qualification letter is not received for this staff member within 2 weeks, then they are not permitted to be in the center. One infant did not have a signed safe sleep policy in their file today. You checked in the child’s classroom, and it was not present there either. Obtaining a parent’s signature on the safe sleep policy confirms that the parents have been advised of the center’s staff sleep policy and also explains to the center the measures taken to ensure that infants have a safe sleep environment. Please ask the parent to sign the policy and moving forward, the Safe Sleep Policy should be given to infant parents prior to their enrollment in the center. REMINDERS Your new director Rhonda should complete ITS SIDS training since she is the person in charge in your absence. A staff member with the initials RM qualification letter expires 3/1/26. If she has not already done so, she needs to complete her background check as soon as possible. Your health and safety training should be renewed this year. CONSULTATION All childcare facilities are required to test their drinking and cooking water for led every three years. Your water was last tested, 5/21/24. For more information, you should contact Clean Water for Carolina Kids. Contact www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org for more information. In addition, childcare facilities are now required to test for lead and asbestos hazards in their buildings. Your program was tested in January 2025 and a remediation plan was put in place. You stated that your corrections have been submitted to RTI, however, this is not indicated on their website. Please follow up to ensure that your record is updated. Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed at least every 5 years. It may be time for your staff to complete this training again. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. There is a link to this training on Moodle. Medication Administration is also a required health and safety training topic. This training is available through Moodle as a separate training. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment must also be completed at least every 5 years. ACCESS TO THE ABCMS SYSTEM: Center directors can now access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS), the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. 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 to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. The course is titled ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training - under the Early Childhood Professional Development Tab, then under the Criminal Background (CBC) tab. If you have questions regarding the PROVIDER PORTAL contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-6401 or email: DCDEE_ABCMS_Provider@dhhs.nc.gov. For general questions regarding APPLICANTS, applications, or other CBC questions email: DHHS.CBC.Unit@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6401. To access your staff criminal records, they must have your program listed as their place of employment in ABCMS. This requirement is indicated as Item #7 on the staff and training worksheet and replaces the Data Change form that was previously required to be submitted to the Criminal Records Unit. It is recommended that staff add your program as their place of employment during the first few days of orientation. This change should be documented and placed in their file. The documentation could be a screenshot after the change is made or documented on the Orientation Form in the Other section. The date the change was made should be indicated in Item #7 on the staff and training worksheet during the staff member’s first year of employment. AGENCY UPDATES Please remember to check the Division of Child Development and Early Education website: ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov frequently to stay updated on rule requirements. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me at wanda.fowler@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919 218-0988. 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: UNIQUE CREATIONS CHILD CARE CENTER SOUTH CAMPUS Facility ID: 92003702 Consultant: WANDA FOWLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 2/24/2026 Number Present: 14 Completed Date: 2/24/2026 Age: From 1 To 5 Total Minutes: 120 Time In: 11:30 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of today’s visit was to assess applicable child-care requirements during a routine unannounced visit. When I arrived I was greeted by the center director, Rhonda McKoy, who was responsible for a classroom. She told me where to find the records I needed to review. The director and owner, Joy Mangum, arrived after I had completed the walk-through and had begun on the Paperwork.. I conducted a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. I observed, the children finishing lunch and transitioning to rest time. One infant was sleeping also. RATED LICENSE STATUS The program operates with a 3-star rated license issued on 1/6/22. They received 2 points in program standards, 4 points in staff education and 1 quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure for parent involvement. All staff should be registered and have their education assessed through WORKS. Best practice recommends that this be completed as a part of new employee orientation and then updated as staff education changes. You selected Pathway 1. Today we discussed progress in the pathway. You have completed an outreach assessment and have met with the NCRLAP assessors. You stated that you have started working on the self-study. You stated that your 2nd location was assessed through Pathway 2 and you asked if it was too late to switch pathways. It is not too late, however, I will need to know by the end of March which pathway you choose and you should be prepared to submit your application for a rated license by the end of May. INSPECTIONS The last sanitation inspection was conducted on 7/10/25. The last fire inspection was conducted on 9/12/25. The last documented fire drill was conducted on 2/6/26. The last documented shelter-in-place or lockdown drill was conducted on 12/1/25. The last documented playground inspection was conducted on 2/9/26. During this visit a full assessment of Child Care Requirements was conducted. The facility was assessed using items noted on the Annual Compliance for Centers checklist. The status of the owner, Unique Creations Child Care Centers, Inc., is listed as current and active on the NC Secretary of State’s website. It does look like an annual report is due. Staff on-going training was assessed from 3/1/25 – 4/1/26. The following violations were observed and recorded during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 893 A copy of the safe sleep policy was not given to and/or explained to the parent of each child on or before the first day the infant attended the center. One infant did not have a signed safe sleep policy in their file. 10A NCAC 09 .0606(c) 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). One staff member was present with an expired qualification letter. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) The above violations must be corrected immediately. By 3/10/26. please email me a signed letter of compliance. Before the letter is sent, all violations should be corrected; please contact me if additional time is needed to correct a specific violation. Include the following in your letter: facility ID number, list the item number describing how and when the violations were corrected and tell me how you plan to maintain compliance in the future with each item. If you prefer to mail your letter, you may send it to 2201 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2201 If the compliance action letter is not received by the due date another visit to the center may be made and additional violations may be added. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the program’s compliance history was 98%. According to NC General Statute 110-90 (4) (d) all facilities must maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past 18 months. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Criminal record checks are required to assure that all people working in child care meet at least the minimum requirement. One staff member present today had been issued a qualification letter, but it expired some time ago. You stated that this staff member has an appointment to complete her background check already scheduled. All staff should have a current, valid qualification letter on file prior to their employment. If the qualification letter is not received for this staff member within 2 weeks, then they are not permitted to be in the center. One infant did not have a signed safe sleep policy in their file today. You checked in the child’s classroom, and it was not present there either. Obtaining a parent’s signature on the safe sleep policy confirms that the parents have been advised of the center’s staff sleep policy and also explains to the center the measures taken to ensure that infants have a safe sleep environment. Please ask the parent to sign the policy and moving forward, the Safe Sleep Policy should be given to infant parents prior to their enrollment in the center. REMINDERS Your new director Rhonda should complete ITS SIDS training since she is the person in charge in your absence. A staff member with the initials RM qualification letter expires 3/1/26. If she has not already done so, she needs to complete her background check as soon as possible. Your health and safety training should be renewed this year. CONSULTATION All childcare facilities are required to test their drinking and cooking water for led every three years. Your water was last tested, 5/21/24. For more information, you should contact Clean Water for Carolina Kids. Contact www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org for more information. In addition, childcare facilities are now required to test for lead and asbestos hazards in their buildings. Your program was tested in January 2025 and a remediation plan was put in place. You stated that your corrections have been submitted to RTI, however, this is not indicated on their website. Please follow up to ensure that your record is updated. Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed at least every 5 years. It may be time for your staff to complete this training again. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. There is a link to this training on Moodle. Medication Administration is also a required health and safety training topic. This training is available through Moodle as a separate training. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. Staff should use their individual NCID username and password to access this training. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment must also be completed at least every 5 years. ACCESS TO THE ABCMS SYSTEM: Center directors can now access the Automated Background Check Management System (ABCMS), the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. 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 to staff roster. Access to the ABCMS requires the successful completion of a Moodle course consisting of a short video followed by a test. The course is titled ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training - under the Early Childhood Professional Development Tab, then under the Criminal Background (CBC) tab. If you have questions regarding the PROVIDER PORTAL contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-6401 or email: DCDEE_ABCMS_Provider@dhhs.nc.gov. For general questions regarding APPLICANTS, applications, or other CBC questions email: DHHS.CBC.Unit@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6401. To access your staff criminal records, they must have your program listed as their place of employment in ABCMS. This requirement is indicated as Item #7 on the staff and training worksheet and replaces the Data Change form that was previously required to be submitted to the Criminal Records Unit. It is recommended that staff add your program as their place of employment during the first few days of orientation. This change should be documented and placed in their file. The documentation could be a screenshot after the change is made or documented on the Orientation Form in the Other section. The date the change was made should be indicated in Item #7 on the staff and training worksheet during the staff member’s first year of employment. AGENCY UPDATES Please remember to check the Division of Child Development and Early Education website: ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov frequently to stay updated on rule requirements. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact me at wanda.fowler@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919 218-0988. 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. 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: UNIQUE CREATIONS CHILD CARE CENTER SOUTH CAMPUS Facility ID: 92003702 Consultant: WANDA FOWLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/4/2025 Number Present: 20 Completed Date: 3/4/2025 Age: From 1 To 5 Total Minutes: 120 Time In: 09:30 AM Time Out: 11:30 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Announced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor applicable child care requirements during your annual compliance visit. This documentation was reviewed with you and a copy of the visit summary documentation was given to you at the end of the visit. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the center owner and director, Joy Mangum, and we conducted a general walk through of the indoor and outdoor learning environments. Later, Joy and one of her lead teachers had to leave the center. Joy authorized another staff member to sign the report in her absence. I observed Dr. Seuss story time as the children were waiting their turn to use the bathroom. I also observed the children engaged in free play on the playground. RATED LICENSE STATUS The program operates with a 3-star rated license issued on 1/6/22. They received 2 points in program standards, 4 points in staff education and one quality point through the programmatic option of having a staff benefit package and an infrastructure of parent involvement. The program’s “held harmless status” has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented. This means that rated license visits will not be processed until the new rated license process is completed unless the program requests to proceed with a new rated license. INSPECTIONS The last sanitation inspection was completed on 7/15/24. The last fire inspection was completed 9/9/24. The last documented fire drill was conducted 3/3/25. The last documented lock down or shelter-in-place drill was conducted 3/3/25. The last documented playground inspection was conducted 3/3/25. MONITORING During this visit a full assessment of Child Care Requirements was conducted. The facility was assessed using items noted on the Annual Compliance for Centers checklist. Items that were not confirmed are noted below as a violation. The status of the owner, Unique Creations Child Care Center, Inc. is listed as current and active on the NC Secretary of State’s website. Staff on-going training was assessed from 4/1/24 – 3/31/25. Two of the staff files reviewed today indicated that some staff need additional ongoing training hours for this year. R. McKoy needs 3 more hours and S. Durham needs 7 more hours. The following violations were observed and recorded during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. The laminate on the diapering table in classroom #1 is beginning to separate, leaving the diapering surface exposed around the edge of the table. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(b) The above violations must be corrected immediately. By 3/18/25 please email me a signed letter of compliance. Before the letter is sent, all violations should be corrected; please contact me if additional time is needed to correct a specific violation. Include the following in your letter: facility ID number, list the item number describing how and when the violations were corrected and tell me how you plan to maintain compliance in the future with each item. If you prefer to mail your letter, you may send it my attention at 2201 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-2201 If the compliance action letter is not received by the due date another visit to the center may be made. COMPLIANCE HISTORY Prior to today’s visit, the compliance history score for the center was 100%. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Two staff member’s qualification letters expired 3/4/25. Both were scheduled to have their fingerprints completed a few weeks ago, but the snowy weather prevented them from having this done. They both left the center today to have their fingerprinting completed. It is important to complete you fingerprinting before your qualification letters expire to ensure that all staff remain qualified to work in childcare facility. Staff can renew their qualification letters up to 6 months before its expiration date. If the qualification letters are not received by 3/18/25, the staff will not be permitted to work until their letters are received. Diapering stations should be in good repair so they can easily be cleaned and sanitized between diapering changes. The surface on the changing table in the classroom enrolling one and two-year old children is beginning to separate, and the laminate is starting to curl, exposing the surface underneath. This should be repaired or replaced. CONSULTATION Child Care facilities are required to test their drinking and cooking water for lead every three years. Your water was last tested on 5/21/24. For information you should contact Clean Water for Carolina Kids. Contact www.cleanwaterforcarolinakids.org for more information. In addition, child care facilities are now required to test for lead and asbestos hazards in their buildings. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids program is designed to identify and eliminate exposure to lead and asbestos hazards in building infrastructure, while providing child care facilities with the support needed to meet all rule requirements. The program is free and the first step is to watch one of the pre-enrollment webinars, which are available at www.cleanwaterforUSkids.org/carolina or paste https://rtiorg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vmlhG6iRS26BdkV8SZSaDw#/registration into your web browser. Additional information can be found in the RaiseNC newsletter sent on December 7, 2023. Training in all the required health and safety topics must be completed at least every 5 years. It may be time for your staff to complete this training again. Health and Safety training is available, at no charge, on the DCDEE website, in Moodle. Medication Administration is also a required health and safety training topic. This training is available through Moodle as a separate training. Staff should use their individual NCID user name and password to access this training. Staff should use their individual NCID user name and password to access this training. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment must also be completed at least every 5 years. There is a link to this training on Moodle. AGENCY UPDATES Please check the DCDEE website frequently for updates and changes to child care requirements. The Child Care Commission is publishing new rules related to the modernization of the Quality Rated License Improvement System in the new year. Once the rules are published there will be a 60-day public comment period. This is an opportunity to give input and ask questions regarding this process. If you have any further questions or need any assistance, please contact me at wanda.fowler@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919 218-0988. 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