10A NCAC 09 .0701 · Violation

Name of Operation: Laughing Turtles Learning Academy Facility ID: 66000122 Consultant: RAMIE DOLL Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/3/2026 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 6/3/2026 Age: From 0 To 4 Total Minutes: 225 Time In: 10:15 AM Time Out: 02:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center 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. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 13, 2026. The temporary license is valid through September 13, 2026. This facility is owned and operated by Laughing Turtles Learning Academy. According to the NC Secretary of State, this corporation is current and active. Upon arrival, you were leaving to attend a function at your child’s school. I explained the reason for my visit. You provided me with the staff and children’s records to review. I reviewed a sampling of the children’s records and all current staff records. You provided me with a completed staff and training worksheet to use today. You left the facility but returned prior to the conclusion of the visit. The local Environmental Health Specialist conducted a sanitation inspection today as well. You are serving as this facility’s administrator. You are also cooking meals for the facility. A total of five (5) children, ranging in ages from infancy to four (4) years of age were present. Two separate groups were observed today. No children were present in Room 3 today. Room 3 is being used by children are school aged. Two (2) staff members were present during the visit today. The children in both groups were observed interacting with assigned staff members, playing with toys made available, and playing outdoors within the assigned fenced play area. No school aged children were observed today. All required posted items were available for review and were current. Continue conducting monthly fire drills and outdoor playground inspections at different times each month. Ensure to include the school aged children for fire drills, such as when they have early release from school or a teacher work day. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. One (1) child was observed being served juice as a beverage for lunch. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. Documentation was not on file verifying visual safe sleep checks were conducted for one (1) infant. .0606(g) 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. A medical report was completed on June 1, 2026 for a staff member, whose date of employment was May 26, 2026. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. A TB skin test was read negative on June 1, 2026 for a staff member whose date of employment was May 26, 2026. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A staff member who was hired 3/23/26, was not qualified prior to employment. The staff member was qualified 4/2/26. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1320 Children's records that include an application for enrollment, medical and immunization records, and permission to seek emergency medical care was not on file for each child. A medical exam was not on file for one (1) child that was enrolled March 24, 2026. GS 110-91(1);.0302(d)(2); .0304(g) 1831 At least one child care provider, who has completed ITS-SIDS training was not present in the infant room, while children were in care. The staff member present and assigned to care for children, including an infant, in Room 1 does not have current ITS-SIDS training. .01102 (f) 1908 A child's file did not have a statement with parent signature acknowledging receipt and explanation of the Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy and/or the acknowledgement did not have all the required information. Documentation from the parent of one (1) child was not on file acknowledging the receipt of the center's Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma Policy. .0608(b)(1-6) The above violations must be corrected immediately. One (1) of the violations documented today was verified as corrected during the visit. Email me verification of correction of the violation within the next two (2) weeks, on or before June 17, 2026, stating how the pending violations have been corrected. Contact me with any questions regarding how to submit a compliance letter. My mailing address is: PO Box 1397 Elm City, NC 27822 COMPLIANCE HISTORY: The compliance history for this facility will be reviewed after today’s visit. We reviewed that all facilities must maintain at least a 75% compliance history score over an eighteen-month time frame to be in good standing with DCDEE. If a facility’s compliance history falls below 75% over an eighteen-month time frame, some type of administrative action may be issued. The violations documented today will affect the facility’s compliance history score. Technical Assistance/Consultation/Reminders Specific to Today’s Visit: ITS-SIDS AND VISUAL SAFE SLEEP CHECKS: We reviewed that ITS-SIDS training is required to be completed within the first 2 months of hiring for a staff member, and within the first 3 months for an administrator. At all times, one child care provider who has completed ITS-SIDS training shall be present in the infant room while children are in care. Visual safe sleep checks must be conducted for all infants when they lay down to rest/sleep. When asked, a staff member completed a SIDS training, but it was not approved for North Carolina. I reviewed the certificate on file for her today. We discussed contacting Early Years to register her for the next ITS-SIDS training they are offering June 9, 2026. I showed you how to access the training calendar for Early Years. We also referenced the visual safe sleep chart to use when documenting visual safe sleep checks. NUTRITION: We discussed refencing the applicable NC Child Care rule, .0902(c) regarding juice not being offered to infants in a bottle, to parents so they understand infants in child care cannot be served juice in a bottle. Juice can be served in a sippy cup or cup, but not in a bottle. No infant was observed drinking juice from a bottle today. We reviewed that milk is required to be served as a beverage during lunch and breakfast, per the USDA Meal Patterns for Children. If a child cannot be served cow’s milk, then a milk alternate should be offered and served that meets the nutritional value. STAFF RECORDS: -We reviewed that a person is required to have a current criminal background check qualification letter on file and issued prior to a person’s hire date. One staff member was hired March 23, 2026, and did not have a qualification letter issued until April 2, 2026, after her first day of work. We discussed ensuring staff bring you a copy of their qualification letter prior to their hire date so you can ensure they have a current letter. -A medical exam and proof of a negative TB skin test or a TB screening form can be accepted if completed with the last 12 months of a person’s hire date. If either were completed more than 12 months after a person’s hire date, a new TB skin test or screening form and medical exam must be completed. -Ensure staff continue to complete on-going training and they maintain copies of their training certificates on file for review. They can complete training offered by any Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. -Ensure you use the developed orientation training form to document the hours, and the topics covered during the orientation training. You were using a developed orientation form you created, but we discussed using the orientation training form already developed. CHILDREN’S RECORDS: -A medical exam can be accepted if completed within the last 12 months of enrollment for a child. Medical exams are due within the first 30 days of a child’s first day of enrollment. -Ensure parents complete and sign all policies, etc. at enrollment. A parent did not provide a signature acknowledging the receipt of the facility’s Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy. Review paperwork prior to a child’s first day to ensure all required information is specified, completed, and on file within the required time frame. You are using the Children’s Records Checklist and documenting when information is received. ATTENDANCE SHEETS: We discussed using three (3) attendance sheets for each group of children at the facility since you have three (3) different groups of children enrolled. Staff should use their attendance sheet and sign in/out sheets when going outdoors and during drills. GROUPING OF CHILDREN: Based on the ages of the children enrolled at this facility, two (2) groups are required. We reviewed the applicable NC Child Care rules pertaining to grouping of children. FIRE DRILLS AND OUTDOOR INSPECTIONS: Continue conducting fire drills are each month and when children are enrolled and present. When you conduct fire drills, conduct the drills at different times each month. Contact the fire alarm company to ask that the fire alarm system be put into “test” mode so the fire drill can be conducted. Once the drill is completed, call the fire alarm company to have the alarm taken out of “test” mode. Ensure outdoor inspections are completed using the inspection form that can be printed from the Provider Documents and Forms tab from DCDEE’s website. You can use a calendar or your phone to set reminders each month to complete both a fire drill and an outdoor inspection. You have been conducting monthly fire drills and outdoor playground inspections. HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAININGS: Health and Safety training topics must be completed within the first year and every five (5) years thereafter. The health and safety trainings are offered for free via DCDEE Moodle. Staff must use their individual NCID and password to log into Moodle. 1. Go to the DCDEE website: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov and click on Provider, Training and Professional Development, DCDEE Moodle. OR go directly to the Moodle site - https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov 2. In the upper right corner click login and type in your individual NCID and password 3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see a search bar 4. Type in ”2026 CCDF health and safety in child care” 5. The training module will come up, click “self-enroll.” 6. Eight different trainings will show that you can take 7. A 9th training has been added regarding medication. Go back to the search bar and type 2026 Part 1: Medications in child care to access. 8. Reminder: print your training certificate upon completion and record onto your ongoing training log Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The “Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse and Maltreatment” training must be completed within 90 days of hire and every five years. This training must be completed the first time via the Prevent Child Abuse NC website: www.preventchildabusenc.org. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENT: We discussed and referenced the various Pathways related to the QRIS. We discussed formative assessments and curriculums today. We discussed the self-study, continuous quality improvement plans, family and community engagement options, and other information related to QRIS. You can reference specific NC Child Care rules pertaining to QRIS in section .3200 of the NC Child Care rules. I will continue to work with you regarding QRIS. You will be transitioned from a temporary license to one of the pathways, if you choose to apply for a Rated License. You can also reference information and forms pertaining to QRIS from the “What’s New” tab and “QRIS Modernization” tab. Education Standards: WORKS is a self-service applicant portal that will be used by an individual applicant to register and maintain their workforce information to support education requirements. The WORKS portal is available online and requires the user to maintain an individual North Carolina Identity Management (NCID) username and password. Electronic official transcripts can be submitted to the Workforce Education Unit from a person’s college or university provided the school participates with the National Clearing House. If not, then official transcripts must be mailed to the Workforce Education Unit at DCDEE for evaluation. All staff education should be current before the fifth month (August 2026), of the temporary time period as a rated license will need to be processed before the end date of the temporary license. We reviewed any staff that are not listed and evaluated via WORKS to create a WORKS account and apply for the appropriate position before submitting an official transcript so that the Workforce Education Unit is aware of what needs to be evaluated for a person. We reviewed how to access DCEEE’s WORKS logon link today via DCDEE’s website. For more information about NCID and WORKS, visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov to view more information under the DCDEE WORKS tab http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/general/mb_dcdeeworks.asp. You can also contact the Workforce Education Unit at 1-800-859-0829 for more information concerning WORKS. The total points for the Child Care Star Rated License will be determined around the 5th month (August) before the end of the temporary time period. To continue being eligible to receive subsidy via DSS, a facility must earn at least a Three-star license. We reviewed the importance of hiring staff that have already completed and earned the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential or the equivalent, or they have at least five (5) years of verifiable child care work experience. DCDEE’s WEBSITE: Continue reviewing the Division of Child Development and Early Education’s website for the most up to date information regarding child care requirements. DCDEE’s website is: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. You can access the most current NC Child Care rules, (July 1, 2025), resources, forms, sanitation rules, laws, etc. from DCDEE’s website. If you have questions, please contact me at: (252)373-3074 or ramie.doll@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller, with any questions at (252)373-9809 or via email at susan.fuller@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.

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: Laughing Turtles Learning Academy Facility ID: 66000122 Consultant: RAMIE DOLL Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/3/2026 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 6/3/2026 Age: From 0 To 4 Total Minutes: 225 Time In: 10:15 AM Time Out: 02:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center 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. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 13, 2026. The temporary license is valid through September 13, 2026. This facility is owned and operated by Laughing Turtles Learning Academy. According to the NC Secretary of State, this corporation is current and active. Upon arrival, you were leaving to attend a function at your child’s school. I explained the reason for my visit. You provided me with the staff and children’s records to review. I reviewed a sampling of the children’s records and all current staff records. You provided me with a completed staff and training worksheet to use today. You left the facility but returned prior to the conclusion of the visit. The local Environmental Health Specialist conducted a sanitation inspection today as well. You are serving as this facility’s administrator. You are also cooking meals for the facility. A total of five (5) children, ranging in ages from infancy to four (4) years of age were present. Two separate groups were observed today. No children were present in Room 3 today. Room 3 is being used by children are school aged. Two (2) staff members were present during the visit today. The children in both groups were observed interacting with assigned staff members, playing with toys made available, and playing outdoors within the assigned fenced play area. No school aged children were observed today. All required posted items were available for review and were current. Continue conducting monthly fire drills and outdoor playground inspections at different times each month. Ensure to include the school aged children for fire drills, such as when they have early release from school or a teacher work day. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. One (1) child was observed being served juice as a beverage for lunch. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. Documentation was not on file verifying visual safe sleep checks were conducted for one (1) infant. .0606(g) 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. A medical report was completed on June 1, 2026 for a staff member, whose date of employment was May 26, 2026. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. A TB skin test was read negative on June 1, 2026 for a staff member whose date of employment was May 26, 2026. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A staff member who was hired 3/23/26, was not qualified prior to employment. The staff member was qualified 4/2/26. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1320 Children's records that include an application for enrollment, medical and immunization records, and permission to seek emergency medical care was not on file for each child. A medical exam was not on file for one (1) child that was enrolled March 24, 2026. GS 110-91(1);.0302(d)(2); .0304(g) 1831 At least one child care provider, who has completed ITS-SIDS training was not present in the infant room, while children were in care. The staff member present and assigned to care for children, including an infant, in Room 1 does not have current ITS-SIDS training. .01102 (f) 1908 A child's file did not have a statement with parent signature acknowledging receipt and explanation of the Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy and/or the acknowledgement did not have all the required information. Documentation from the parent of one (1) child was not on file acknowledging the receipt of the center's Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma Policy. .0608(b)(1-6) The above violations must be corrected immediately. One (1) of the violations documented today was verified as corrected during the visit. Email me verification of correction of the violation within the next two (2) weeks, on or before June 17, 2026, stating how the pending violations have been corrected. Contact me with any questions regarding how to submit a compliance letter. My mailing address is: PO Box 1397 Elm City, NC 27822 COMPLIANCE HISTORY: The compliance history for this facility will be reviewed after today’s visit. We reviewed that all facilities must maintain at least a 75% compliance history score over an eighteen-month time frame to be in good standing with DCDEE. If a facility’s compliance history falls below 75% over an eighteen-month time frame, some type of administrative action may be issued. The violations documented today will affect the facility’s compliance history score. Technical Assistance/Consultation/Reminders Specific to Today’s Visit: ITS-SIDS AND VISUAL SAFE SLEEP CHECKS: We reviewed that ITS-SIDS training is required to be completed within the first 2 months of hiring for a staff member, and within the first 3 months for an administrator. At all times, one child care provider who has completed ITS-SIDS training shall be present in the infant room while children are in care. Visual safe sleep checks must be conducted for all infants when they lay down to rest/sleep. When asked, a staff member completed a SIDS training, but it was not approved for North Carolina. I reviewed the certificate on file for her today. We discussed contacting Early Years to register her for the next ITS-SIDS training they are offering June 9, 2026. I showed you how to access the training calendar for Early Years. We also referenced the visual safe sleep chart to use when documenting visual safe sleep checks. NUTRITION: We discussed refencing the applicable NC Child Care rule, .0902(c) regarding juice not being offered to infants in a bottle, to parents so they understand infants in child care cannot be served juice in a bottle. Juice can be served in a sippy cup or cup, but not in a bottle. No infant was observed drinking juice from a bottle today. We reviewed that milk is required to be served as a beverage during lunch and breakfast, per the USDA Meal Patterns for Children. If a child cannot be served cow’s milk, then a milk alternate should be offered and served that meets the nutritional value. STAFF RECORDS: -We reviewed that a person is required to have a current criminal background check qualification letter on file and issued prior to a person’s hire date. One staff member was hired March 23, 2026, and did not have a qualification letter issued until April 2, 2026, after her first day of work. We discussed ensuring staff bring you a copy of their qualification letter prior to their hire date so you can ensure they have a current letter. -A medical exam and proof of a negative TB skin test or a TB screening form can be accepted if completed with the last 12 months of a person’s hire date. If either were completed more than 12 months after a person’s hire date, a new TB skin test or screening form and medical exam must be completed. -Ensure staff continue to complete on-going training and they maintain copies of their training certificates on file for review. They can complete training offered by any Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. -Ensure you use the developed orientation training form to document the hours, and the topics covered during the orientation training. You were using a developed orientation form you created, but we discussed using the orientation training form already developed. CHILDREN’S RECORDS: -A medical exam can be accepted if completed within the last 12 months of enrollment for a child. Medical exams are due within the first 30 days of a child’s first day of enrollment. -Ensure parents complete and sign all policies, etc. at enrollment. A parent did not provide a signature acknowledging the receipt of the facility’s Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy. Review paperwork prior to a child’s first day to ensure all required information is specified, completed, and on file within the required time frame. You are using the Children’s Records Checklist and documenting when information is received. ATTENDANCE SHEETS: We discussed using three (3) attendance sheets for each group of children at the facility since you have three (3) different groups of children enrolled. Staff should use their attendance sheet and sign in/out sheets when going outdoors and during drills. GROUPING OF CHILDREN: Based on the ages of the children enrolled at this facility, two (2) groups are required. We reviewed the applicable NC Child Care rules pertaining to grouping of children. FIRE DRILLS AND OUTDOOR INSPECTIONS: Continue conducting fire drills are each month and when children are enrolled and present. When you conduct fire drills, conduct the drills at different times each month. Contact the fire alarm company to ask that the fire alarm system be put into “test” mode so the fire drill can be conducted. Once the drill is completed, call the fire alarm company to have the alarm taken out of “test” mode. Ensure outdoor inspections are completed using the inspection form that can be printed from the Provider Documents and Forms tab from DCDEE’s website. You can use a calendar or your phone to set reminders each month to complete both a fire drill and an outdoor inspection. You have been conducting monthly fire drills and outdoor playground inspections. HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAININGS: Health and Safety training topics must be completed within the first year and every five (5) years thereafter. The health and safety trainings are offered for free via DCDEE Moodle. Staff must use their individual NCID and password to log into Moodle. 1. Go to the DCDEE website: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov and click on Provider, Training and Professional Development, DCDEE Moodle. OR go directly to the Moodle site - https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov 2. In the upper right corner click login and type in your individual NCID and password 3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see a search bar 4. Type in ”2026 CCDF health and safety in child care” 5. The training module will come up, click “self-enroll.” 6. Eight different trainings will show that you can take 7. A 9th training has been added regarding medication. Go back to the search bar and type 2026 Part 1: Medications in child care to access. 8. Reminder: print your training certificate upon completion and record onto your ongoing training log Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The “Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse and Maltreatment” training must be completed within 90 days of hire and every five years. This training must be completed the first time via the Prevent Child Abuse NC website: www.preventchildabusenc.org. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENT: We discussed and referenced the various Pathways related to the QRIS. We discussed formative assessments and curriculums today. We discussed the self-study, continuous quality improvement plans, family and community engagement options, and other information related to QRIS. You can reference specific NC Child Care rules pertaining to QRIS in section .3200 of the NC Child Care rules. I will continue to work with you regarding QRIS. You will be transitioned from a temporary license to one of the pathways, if you choose to apply for a Rated License. You can also reference information and forms pertaining to QRIS from the “What’s New” tab and “QRIS Modernization” tab. Education Standards: WORKS is a self-service applicant portal that will be used by an individual applicant to register and maintain their workforce information to support education requirements. The WORKS portal is available online and requires the user to maintain an individual North Carolina Identity Management (NCID) username and password. Electronic official transcripts can be submitted to the Workforce Education Unit from a person’s college or university provided the school participates with the National Clearing House. If not, then official transcripts must be mailed to the Workforce Education Unit at DCDEE for evaluation. All staff education should be current before the fifth month (August 2026), of the temporary time period as a rated license will need to be processed before the end date of the temporary license. We reviewed any staff that are not listed and evaluated via WORKS to create a WORKS account and apply for the appropriate position before submitting an official transcript so that the Workforce Education Unit is aware of what needs to be evaluated for a person. We reviewed how to access DCEEE’s WORKS logon link today via DCDEE’s website. For more information about NCID and WORKS, visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov to view more information under the DCDEE WORKS tab http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/general/mb_dcdeeworks.asp. You can also contact the Workforce Education Unit at 1-800-859-0829 for more information concerning WORKS. The total points for the Child Care Star Rated License will be determined around the 5th month (August) before the end of the temporary time period. To continue being eligible to receive subsidy via DSS, a facility must earn at least a Three-star license. We reviewed the importance of hiring staff that have already completed and earned the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential or the equivalent, or they have at least five (5) years of verifiable child care work experience. DCDEE’s WEBSITE: Continue reviewing the Division of Child Development and Early Education’s website for the most up to date information regarding child care requirements. DCDEE’s website is: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. You can access the most current NC Child Care rules, (July 1, 2025), resources, forms, sanitation rules, laws, etc. from DCDEE’s website. If you have questions, please contact me at: (252)373-3074 or ramie.doll@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller, with any questions at (252)373-9809 or via email at susan.fuller@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.

GS 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: Laughing Turtles Learning Academy Facility ID: 66000122 Consultant: RAMIE DOLL Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/3/2026 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 6/3/2026 Age: From 0 To 4 Total Minutes: 225 Time In: 10:15 AM Time Out: 02:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center 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. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 13, 2026. The temporary license is valid through September 13, 2026. This facility is owned and operated by Laughing Turtles Learning Academy. According to the NC Secretary of State, this corporation is current and active. Upon arrival, you were leaving to attend a function at your child’s school. I explained the reason for my visit. You provided me with the staff and children’s records to review. I reviewed a sampling of the children’s records and all current staff records. You provided me with a completed staff and training worksheet to use today. You left the facility but returned prior to the conclusion of the visit. The local Environmental Health Specialist conducted a sanitation inspection today as well. You are serving as this facility’s administrator. You are also cooking meals for the facility. A total of five (5) children, ranging in ages from infancy to four (4) years of age were present. Two separate groups were observed today. No children were present in Room 3 today. Room 3 is being used by children are school aged. Two (2) staff members were present during the visit today. The children in both groups were observed interacting with assigned staff members, playing with toys made available, and playing outdoors within the assigned fenced play area. No school aged children were observed today. All required posted items were available for review and were current. Continue conducting monthly fire drills and outdoor playground inspections at different times each month. Ensure to include the school aged children for fire drills, such as when they have early release from school or a teacher work day. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 501 Meals/snacks did not comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. One (1) child was observed being served juice as a beverage for lunch. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(a) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. Documentation was not on file verifying visual safe sleep checks were conducted for one (1) infant. .0606(g) 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. A medical report was completed on June 1, 2026 for a staff member, whose date of employment was May 26, 2026. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. A TB skin test was read negative on June 1, 2026 for a staff member whose date of employment was May 26, 2026. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A staff member who was hired 3/23/26, was not qualified prior to employment. The staff member was qualified 4/2/26. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1320 Children's records that include an application for enrollment, medical and immunization records, and permission to seek emergency medical care was not on file for each child. A medical exam was not on file for one (1) child that was enrolled March 24, 2026. GS 110-91(1);.0302(d)(2); .0304(g) 1831 At least one child care provider, who has completed ITS-SIDS training was not present in the infant room, while children were in care. The staff member present and assigned to care for children, including an infant, in Room 1 does not have current ITS-SIDS training. .01102 (f) 1908 A child's file did not have a statement with parent signature acknowledging receipt and explanation of the Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy and/or the acknowledgement did not have all the required information. Documentation from the parent of one (1) child was not on file acknowledging the receipt of the center's Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma Policy. .0608(b)(1-6) The above violations must be corrected immediately. One (1) of the violations documented today was verified as corrected during the visit. Email me verification of correction of the violation within the next two (2) weeks, on or before June 17, 2026, stating how the pending violations have been corrected. Contact me with any questions regarding how to submit a compliance letter. My mailing address is: PO Box 1397 Elm City, NC 27822 COMPLIANCE HISTORY: The compliance history for this facility will be reviewed after today’s visit. We reviewed that all facilities must maintain at least a 75% compliance history score over an eighteen-month time frame to be in good standing with DCDEE. If a facility’s compliance history falls below 75% over an eighteen-month time frame, some type of administrative action may be issued. The violations documented today will affect the facility’s compliance history score. Technical Assistance/Consultation/Reminders Specific to Today’s Visit: ITS-SIDS AND VISUAL SAFE SLEEP CHECKS: We reviewed that ITS-SIDS training is required to be completed within the first 2 months of hiring for a staff member, and within the first 3 months for an administrator. At all times, one child care provider who has completed ITS-SIDS training shall be present in the infant room while children are in care. Visual safe sleep checks must be conducted for all infants when they lay down to rest/sleep. When asked, a staff member completed a SIDS training, but it was not approved for North Carolina. I reviewed the certificate on file for her today. We discussed contacting Early Years to register her for the next ITS-SIDS training they are offering June 9, 2026. I showed you how to access the training calendar for Early Years. We also referenced the visual safe sleep chart to use when documenting visual safe sleep checks. NUTRITION: We discussed refencing the applicable NC Child Care rule, .0902(c) regarding juice not being offered to infants in a bottle, to parents so they understand infants in child care cannot be served juice in a bottle. Juice can be served in a sippy cup or cup, but not in a bottle. No infant was observed drinking juice from a bottle today. We reviewed that milk is required to be served as a beverage during lunch and breakfast, per the USDA Meal Patterns for Children. If a child cannot be served cow’s milk, then a milk alternate should be offered and served that meets the nutritional value. STAFF RECORDS: -We reviewed that a person is required to have a current criminal background check qualification letter on file and issued prior to a person’s hire date. One staff member was hired March 23, 2026, and did not have a qualification letter issued until April 2, 2026, after her first day of work. We discussed ensuring staff bring you a copy of their qualification letter prior to their hire date so you can ensure they have a current letter. -A medical exam and proof of a negative TB skin test or a TB screening form can be accepted if completed with the last 12 months of a person’s hire date. If either were completed more than 12 months after a person’s hire date, a new TB skin test or screening form and medical exam must be completed. -Ensure staff continue to complete on-going training and they maintain copies of their training certificates on file for review. They can complete training offered by any Child Care Resource and Referral Agency. -Ensure you use the developed orientation training form to document the hours, and the topics covered during the orientation training. You were using a developed orientation form you created, but we discussed using the orientation training form already developed. CHILDREN’S RECORDS: -A medical exam can be accepted if completed within the last 12 months of enrollment for a child. Medical exams are due within the first 30 days of a child’s first day of enrollment. -Ensure parents complete and sign all policies, etc. at enrollment. A parent did not provide a signature acknowledging the receipt of the facility’s Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy. Review paperwork prior to a child’s first day to ensure all required information is specified, completed, and on file within the required time frame. You are using the Children’s Records Checklist and documenting when information is received. ATTENDANCE SHEETS: We discussed using three (3) attendance sheets for each group of children at the facility since you have three (3) different groups of children enrolled. Staff should use their attendance sheet and sign in/out sheets when going outdoors and during drills. GROUPING OF CHILDREN: Based on the ages of the children enrolled at this facility, two (2) groups are required. We reviewed the applicable NC Child Care rules pertaining to grouping of children. FIRE DRILLS AND OUTDOOR INSPECTIONS: Continue conducting fire drills are each month and when children are enrolled and present. When you conduct fire drills, conduct the drills at different times each month. Contact the fire alarm company to ask that the fire alarm system be put into “test” mode so the fire drill can be conducted. Once the drill is completed, call the fire alarm company to have the alarm taken out of “test” mode. Ensure outdoor inspections are completed using the inspection form that can be printed from the Provider Documents and Forms tab from DCDEE’s website. You can use a calendar or your phone to set reminders each month to complete both a fire drill and an outdoor inspection. You have been conducting monthly fire drills and outdoor playground inspections. HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAININGS: Health and Safety training topics must be completed within the first year and every five (5) years thereafter. The health and safety trainings are offered for free via DCDEE Moodle. Staff must use their individual NCID and password to log into Moodle. 1. Go to the DCDEE website: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov and click on Provider, Training and Professional Development, DCDEE Moodle. OR go directly to the Moodle site - https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov 2. In the upper right corner click login and type in your individual NCID and password 3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see a search bar 4. Type in ”2026 CCDF health and safety in child care” 5. The training module will come up, click “self-enroll.” 6. Eight different trainings will show that you can take 7. A 9th training has been added regarding medication. Go back to the search bar and type 2026 Part 1: Medications in child care to access. 8. Reminder: print your training certificate upon completion and record onto your ongoing training log Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The “Recognizing and Responding to Child Abuse and Maltreatment” training must be completed within 90 days of hire and every five years. This training must be completed the first time via the Prevent Child Abuse NC website: www.preventchildabusenc.org. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. RATED LICENSE ASSESSMENT: We discussed and referenced the various Pathways related to the QRIS. We discussed formative assessments and curriculums today. We discussed the self-study, continuous quality improvement plans, family and community engagement options, and other information related to QRIS. You can reference specific NC Child Care rules pertaining to QRIS in section .3200 of the NC Child Care rules. I will continue to work with you regarding QRIS. You will be transitioned from a temporary license to one of the pathways, if you choose to apply for a Rated License. You can also reference information and forms pertaining to QRIS from the “What’s New” tab and “QRIS Modernization” tab. Education Standards: WORKS is a self-service applicant portal that will be used by an individual applicant to register and maintain their workforce information to support education requirements. The WORKS portal is available online and requires the user to maintain an individual North Carolina Identity Management (NCID) username and password. Electronic official transcripts can be submitted to the Workforce Education Unit from a person’s college or university provided the school participates with the National Clearing House. If not, then official transcripts must be mailed to the Workforce Education Unit at DCDEE for evaluation. All staff education should be current before the fifth month (August 2026), of the temporary time period as a rated license will need to be processed before the end date of the temporary license. We reviewed any staff that are not listed and evaluated via WORKS to create a WORKS account and apply for the appropriate position before submitting an official transcript so that the Workforce Education Unit is aware of what needs to be evaluated for a person. We reviewed how to access DCEEE’s WORKS logon link today via DCDEE’s website. For more information about NCID and WORKS, visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov to view more information under the DCDEE WORKS tab http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/general/mb_dcdeeworks.asp. You can also contact the Workforce Education Unit at 1-800-859-0829 for more information concerning WORKS. The total points for the Child Care Star Rated License will be determined around the 5th month (August) before the end of the temporary time period. To continue being eligible to receive subsidy via DSS, a facility must earn at least a Three-star license. We reviewed the importance of hiring staff that have already completed and earned the North Carolina Early Childhood Credential or the equivalent, or they have at least five (5) years of verifiable child care work experience. DCDEE’s WEBSITE: Continue reviewing the Division of Child Development and Early Education’s website for the most up to date information regarding child care requirements. DCDEE’s website is: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. You can access the most current NC Child Care rules, (July 1, 2025), resources, forms, sanitation rules, laws, etc. from DCDEE’s website. If you have questions, please contact me at: (252)373-3074 or ramie.doll@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller, with any questions at (252)373-9809 or via email at susan.fuller@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.