Community Ridge DAY Care Center, Inc.

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: COMMUNITY RIDGE DAY CARE CENTER, INC. Facility ID: 1855045 Consultant: KIMBERLY CRANE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/11/2025 Number Present: 7 Completed Date: 9/11/2025 Age: From 1 To 4 Total Minutes: 217 Time In: 10:38 AM Time Out: 02:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for a routine unannounced visit. You, Janie Connor, Administrator, assisted me with today’s visit. I conducted your last annual compliance visit on May 16, 2025. I reviewed with you today the facility information found in our system. You stated there have been no changes to the facility phone number, email address, mailing address, or corporate contact for the facility. You stated there has been no change with the corporation that owns the facility. I reviewed the facility’s permit with you today including the restrictions, capacity, and age range and observed these being maintained today. Community Ridge Day Care Center, Inc. that owns the facility was reviewed and listed as current- active on the NC Secretary of State website on September 11, 2025. The center's compliance history was 100% as of September 11, 2025 and was reviewed with you today. The facility currently operates with a five-star license, issued on June 17, 2019, earning six points in staff education, six points in program standards, and one quality point for having a combined turnover rate of 20% or less for the administrator, program coordinator, lead teacher, teacher, and group leader over the last twelve months. The most recent fire inspection was dated November 14, 2024 and received in my office by email on November 14, 2024. The most recent sanitation inspection was dated March 24, 2025 with a Superior classification and zero demerits. I verified that you completed the lead water testing required to be completed every three years. The most recent lead water test results were dated February 6, 2024. Today, I verified that those test results indicated that your facilities drinking water source was within the required limits. I verified that the lead-based paint test results dated March 31, 2025 indicated that the facility has no lead-based paint hazards. I verified that the asbestos test results dated April 14, 2025 indicated that the two asbestos hazards had been successfully mitigated. I completed a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor licensed spaces today. You stated spaces 2, 3, 4, and 6 are currently unused due to low enrollment and staffing. In Space 1 and 5, children were playing outside, transitioning from outdoor play to the classroom, washing hands, eating lunch, and napping. A current menu was posted, documented appropriate nutritious snacks and meals, showed a variety of foods, and complied with Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. Meals were prepared in the kitchen and served in the classrooms. Cold food and milk were stored in a residential refrigerator in the kitchen at a temperature of forty-two degrees Fahrenheit. Toddler bottles and food were stored at a temperature of thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit in a compact refrigerator located in Space 1. I monitored hazardous product storage, medication storage, medication administration, general safety, and discipline. I monitored program records including emergency medical care plan, safe arrival and departure procedures, incident log, outdoor safety inspections, fire drills, emergency drills, and your Emergency Preparedness Response (EPR) Plan. I reviewed staff files for three returning staff members to verify current and valid Criminal Background Check (CBC) qualification letters, valid CPR and First Aid training, valid ITS-SIDS training, completion of the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training, completion of Playground Safety training by at least one staff member, and completion of Emergency Preparedness and Response training by at least one staff member. I reviewed the staff file for one volunteer to verify a current and valid CBC qualification letter and verification of age. I monitored current and valid CBC qualification letters for current uncompensated providers. A staff and training worksheet was provided prior to today’s visit and is included with this visit summary. I monitored health and safety requirements. I reviewed your written operational, administrative, and personnel policies and your parent participation plan at routine unannounced visits on January 5, 2023 and January 5, 2024. You stated your written policies and procedures had not changed since January 2023. I monitored supervision, staff-child ratios, group sizes, approved space use, space capacities, and permit restrictions. The following violations were cited during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 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 employee with a date of employment of 05/27/2014 had a CBC qualification letter that expired on 06/15/2025 and an updated CBC qualification letter was dated 06/23/2025 resulting in an eight day lapse between CBC qualification letter dates. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) 1805 A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers, as defined in G.S. 110-90.2(a)(2), who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The facility had not established a staff roster in the ABCMS portal to notify the Division of the hire dates for three established employees with dates of employment of 09/13/1977, 10/06/2008, and 05/27/2014. G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: 1. Per G.S. 110-90.2(b) &.2703(n)&(o), prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider should complete and submit the required forms to complete a criminal background check every five years. Today, one staff member, Jamala Ferguson, with a date of employment of 05/14/2014 had a CBC qualification letter on file dated 06/15/2020 that had expired on 06/15/2025. An updated CBC qualification letter dated 06/23/2025 was on file. An eight day lapse between the two qualification letters resulted in a violation. You stated you had paid the application fees on 06/13/2025. Ms. Ferguson stated that she went to the local police department on 06/13/2025 to obtain her fingerprints but was unaware of the local police department’s new policy that required an appointment for fingerprinting. Ms. Ferguson stated that she went back to the local police department on 06/17/2025 and had her fingerprinting completed. Because Ms. Ferguson’s CBC qualification letter was updated and on file before today’s visit, the violation was recorded as corrected during today’s visit. To maintain compliance with this child care requirement, I suggested you set a reminder for due dates on your electronic or print office calendar and/or establish a visual or electronic tracking tool to assist you with maintaining the due dates for CBC qualification letters and trainings that may be overlooked from time to time. 2. As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r), child care operators have five business days to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired in the child care facility. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Today, I observed no ABCMS roster established for your facility since your last monitoring visit on May 16, 2025. To correct this violation, please follow the instructions below: 1. You will need both an Individual NCID and a Business NCID. 2. You will need an email address for your Individual NCID and a different email address for your Business NCID account. 3. Once you have created your Business NCID, complete the ABCMS Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119. 4. Once the training has been completed and access has been given to you, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. Today, I left you a copy of the “DCDEE Criminal Background Check Unit ABCMS Provider Portal Access Guide” to assist you with establishing and maintaining a facility staff roster in the ABCMS portal. To maintain compliance with this child care requirement, be sure to update this information in ABCMS in an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. These actions satisfy the requirement to notify the Division within five business days of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance with any of this process, please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you. CONSULTATION: 1. When and if you update your fire evacuation route, shelter-in-place, and/or lock-down drill plan, you need to have the fire department approve the your plan first BEFORE you put it in your EPR plan as an update. 2. On July 1, 2025, the North Carolina Rules Review Commission (RRC) approved the new child care rule language for the QRIS Modernization Plan, known as “Pathways to the Stars”. The Division of Child Development and Early Education is currently preparing a summary of the rules, an online training module for Moodle, and an implementation plan. On September 25, 2025 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the new RISE center next door to the Children’s Resource Center, child care consultants will be conducting center administrator training/meetings as the next step in implementing the plan to transition to the “Pathways to the Stars” rated license assessment process. The implementation plan will allow time for administrators and operators to learn and understand the different pathways and the changes within our system. An invitation and announcement of the date, time, and location was shared with you by email. Please make plans to attend. Please be reminded that any ERS assessment completed on or after February 1, 2025 will be assessed using the ERS-3 versions. We encourage you to visit the QRIS Modernization page on the DCDEE website at this link: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization to learn more now. 3. Stay updated with changes and new rule updates by visiting the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. 4. Here are some important links on the DCEEE website that may be helpful: Child Care Rules and Laws: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Services/Child-Care-Rules-Law-and-Public-Information Training and Professional Development: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Training-and-Professional-Development QRIS Modernization Plan resources: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization Required Health and Safety Training: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Training-and-Professional-Development/Health-and-Safety-Trainings Healthy Social Behaviors: https://www.childcarerrnc.org/special-projects/healthy-social-behaviors/. Healthy Social Behaviors Helpline: Call at 1-704-376-6697 or toll free at 1-888-600-1685 Option 1 or email at sbrawley@childcareresourcesinc.org or jbyrd@childcareresources.org. Care for Children Receiving Subsidy: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Providing-Child-Care/Subsidized-Child-Care/Care-for-Children-Receiving-Subsidy DCDEE Updates, Current Projects, and information applicable to Child Care in NC: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Whats-New 5. Here is the link to the training calendar from the Children’s Resource Center: https://childrensresourcecenter.org/training-calendar/. 6. If you would like an electronic link to any of the links shared above, please send me an email requesting the links that you wish to receive, and I will be glad to send the hyperlinks to you by email. COMPLIANCE PLAN: No compliance documentation is needed for violation item number 1044 which was corrected during today’s visit. I documented the actions taken to correct this violation in today’s visit summary. All other violations cited and not corrected today must be corrected immediately. Please submit a written, signed, and dated statement to me at the email/address below detailing the steps taken to correct each violation. 1) Your compliance letter must include the following: 1. The name of your center 2. The center’s ID number 3. The date you write the letter 4. Address each violation stating how you corrected the violation and are now in compliance. 5. Your signature I must receive your compliance letter no later than September 25, 2025. Please be aware any information submitted by you is legal documentation. Failure to correct the violations and send the written statement by the due date listed above may result in an unannounced follow-up visit being conducted or an administrative action may be recommended. Based on Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 Section .2200, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may take administrative action against the license and/or impose civil penalties based on the failure of the operator to correct any documented violations within the established time period. Child care programs are required to maintain compliance with all applicable child care rules and regulations at all times. North Carolina General Statute 110-90(4)(d) requires all child care facilities to maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past eighteen (18) months or during the length of time the facility has operated, whichever is less. Failure to do so may result in the issuance of a provisional license or other administrative action against the facility's license. Any violations cited during a visit may affect your score. Your letter may be mailed to me at: Kimberly Crane Post Office Box 6217 Hickory, NC 28603 For your convenience, your compliance letter may be sent by email to: kimberly.crane@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included in the body of the email: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you today. We appreciate all you and your staff do to serve the children and families in your community. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by phone at (828) 493-6390 or by email at kimberly.crane@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Erin Pickard, by email at erin.pickard@dhhs.nc.gov. Thank you for your time today. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 . 0801 · Violation

Name of Operation: COMMUNITY RIDGE DAY CARE CENTER, INC. Facility ID: 1855045 Consultant: KIMBERLY CRANE Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 5/29/2024 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 5/29/2024 Age: From 2 To 5 Total Minutes: 208 Time In: 09:02 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit. You, Janie Connor, Administrator, assisted me with today’s visit. I conducted your last annual compliance visit on June 29, 2023. I reviewed with you today the facility information found in our system. You stated there have been no changes to your phone number, email address, mailing address, or corporate contact for the facility. Today, you asked that I add a fax number for your facility. I will make that addition for you. I reviewed the facility’s permit with you today. You stated there has been no change with the corporation, Community Ridge Day Care Center, Inc., that owns your facility. I reviewed the restrictions on your license, capacity, and age range on your permit and observed these being maintained. Your facility voluntarily maintains highest enhanced staff to child ratios. Your facility, owned by Community Ridge Day Care Center, Inc., was reviewed and listed as current-active on the NC Secretary of State website on May 23, 2024. Your program’s compliance history was 97% as of May 23, 2024 and was reviewed with you today. Your program currently operates with a five-star license, issued on June 17, 2019, earning six points in staff education, six points in program standards and one quality point when the program has earned at least four points in education and the program has a combined turnover rate of twenty percent or less for the administrator, program coordinator, lead teacher, teacher, and group leader positions over the last twelve months. Your last sanitation inspection was dated January 12, 2024 with a Superior classification and zero demerits. Your last fire inspection was dated November 30, 2023 and was received in my office on December 1, 2023. I visited each licensed indoor with you today. I observed Spaces 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 currently unused due to staffing and enrollment. I visited Outdoor Playground 1 with you today. No equipment was currently installed on Outdoor Space 1. You stated and I observed that a variety of outdoor play equipment was stored in the back area of the commons lobby area and the children grab a variety of materials to take with them as they go the playground each day. I observed children choose a variety of outdoor equipment and materials that they took with them to the playground during the visit. You stated and I observed that no infants or children one year of age were currently enrolled. I observed students playing in activity areas, playing outdoors, and eating lunch. You stated and I verified that your facility uses Explorations with Young Children: A Curriculum Guide from the Bank Street College of Education published by Gryphon House in 1992 as the approved curriculum for a 5-Star facility serving children who are four and five years of age. You stated you also use Creative Curriculum, Third Edition. A current menu was posted, documented appropriate nutritious snacks and meals, showed a variety of foods, and complied with Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs. Meals were prepared in the kitchen and served in the classrooms. Today’s breakfast included corn flakes, orange juice, and unflavored milk. Today’s lunch included Manwich ground beef on a hamburger bun, tater tots, coleslaw, pineapple tidbits, and unflavored milk. Cold food and milk were stored in a residential refrigerator in the kitchen at a temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit. I monitored hazardous product storage, medication storage, medication administration, general safety, and discipline practices. I monitored program records, child record files, staff record files. I reviewed your written operational, administrative, and personnel policies and your parent participation plan at a routine unannounced visit on January 5, 2024. You stated your written policies and procedures had not changed. I monitored health and safety requirements. I monitored supervision of children, staff-child ratios and group sizes, approved space use, space capacities, and permit restrictions. I completed the “Annual Compliance Monitoring Checklist for Child Care Centers” during today’s visit. The following violation was observed and cited during today's visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 1835 The medical action plan was not updated on an annual basis or when changes to the plan were made by the child's parent or health care professional. The medical action plan for two children dated 02/03/2023 was not updated annually by either the parent or the health care professional. .0801(b) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: 1. Per child care rule 10A NCAC 09 . 0801(b), medical action plans should be updated at least annually by either the health care professional or the parent of the child. To maintain compliance with this child care requirement, I suggest you set a reminder on your calendar eleven months from the date of each medical action plan to allow yourself one full month to request and receive an updated medical action plan from the parent. CONSULTATION: 1. As discussed today, Outdoor Space 2 which was removed from licensed space due to the fence being removed in 2023 may be added back to licensed space if you have a new fence of at least four feet in height installed. If you think you may add mulch or other approved surfacing to the playground around the fence, I suggest you consider a five-foot fence to allow for the cumulative height increase of the surfacing material over time. If you have a new fence of regulation height installed around Outdoor Space 2 and you decide you want to license that outdoor space, you may contact me to schedule a visit to measure and approve the renovated outdoor space and add it back as licensed outdoor space for your facility. 2. You shared that you are attending a meeting today to discuss the possibility of allowing Head Start to use at least one of your facility classrooms in the future. If you decide to move forward with this endeavor, I encourage you to reach out to me after your meeting to explore licensing requirements as they would apply to your facility. 3. Please continue to visit DCDEE’s website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ to get the latest information for child care settings and child care updates including the most up to date documents and forms. 4. Visit NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center at http://healthychildcare.unc.edu to find the following resources: approved in-service trainings including, but not limited to, ITS-SIDS training and Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. 5. The Change of Information form for CBC is listed in law. When a new staff member starts working at a facility and gives the administrator a CBC qualification letter that was previously completed while working at another facility, but is still current, the administrator must send a Change of Information form for that new staff member to the CBC unit. The Change of Information form can be found on DCDEE’s website under Provider Documents and Forms. 6. The Staff Health Assessment/Medical Report form should include the date of the assessment as the date the health exam was completed as well as the health care professional’s signature and date of signature. To maintain compliance with this child care requirement, I suggest you highlight the “date of the assessment” on the document so remind health care professionals that information is required in addition to their signature and date of signature. 7. The hold harmless legislation was extended and signed into law on June 12th, 2023. This legislation allows facilities to remain at their current star level without a reassessment until June 30, 2024 and when reassessed it reduces the education evaluation requirements for lead teachers from 75% to 50% until June of 2026. To prepare for the reassessment process, DCDEE has developed a cohort system. There are three cohorts, and each include a preparation year and a reassessment year. Your facility is in Cohort 2. The preparation year for Cohort 2 begins July 1, 2024. The reassessment year for Cohort 2 will begin July 1, 2025. Throughout the next few months, I recommend you consider completing the following tasks and activities that will help prepare you for your reassessment year, which will be sometime between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. • Have all staff update WORKS accounts to reflect all currently completed coursework (DCDEE-WORKS) • Determine whether you wish to have Environment Rating Scale (ERS) Assessments [ITERS-R, ECERS-R, and/or SACERS-U] conducted • Request technical assistance with your child care consultant and local partners • Participate in local CCR&R and NCPC quality related training/workshops (CCRR Information) • Reach out to your local Community College to discuss educational opportunities • Review NCRLAP website ERS resources (www.NCRLAP.org). To help review ERS requirements and think carefully about the current characteristics and practices in your program and classrooms, check out the Thinking More worksheets. A worksheet is available for each subscale of each rating scale. • Consider requesting an ERS assessment (free of charge) during the preparation year. Remember the scores can be used in a variety of ways: ERS assessments can be requested during the preparation year and scores can be used as guidance to enhance program quality. If desired, assessment scores can be used during the preparation year if the operator wants to move forward with a rated license reassessment. Assessment scores can be saved to use during the reassessment year. Facilities can request another ERS assessment (free of charge) in your reassessment year for any ERS assessment scoring less than a 5.0. If you have questions, please contact me. I look forward to helping you through this rated license reassessment process COMPLIANCE PLAN: No compliance documentation is needed for those violations corrected during today’s visit. In the visit summary, I documented the corrective actions taken today to correct those violations. All violations cited and not corrected today must be corrected immediately. Please submit a written, signed, and dated statement to me at the email/address below detailing the steps taken to correct each violation. 1) Your compliance letter must include the following: 1. The name of your center 2. The center’s ID number 3. The date you write the letter 4. Address each violation stating how you corrected the violation and are now in compliance. 5. Address your plan to ensure that you will not have that violation again. 6. Your signature 2) Supporting documentation including the following: Please send supporting documentation such as training certificates, CBC letters, acknowledgement statements, and photographs for me to use to verify compliance. Please DO NOT send staff or child medical documents or documentation for verification as this is a violation of HIPPA protocol. If needed I will verify these documents at the next monitoring visit. I must receive your compliance letter no later than June 12, 2024. Please be aware any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If you state in your compliance letter that corrections have been made when they have not, it will be considered falsification of information. If you cannot meet the requirements by this date you shall contact me with a timeline of the corrections. In some cases, this timeline may be extended. Failure to correct the violations and send the written statement by the due date listed above may result in an unannounced follow-up visit being conducted or an administrative action may be recommended. Based on Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 Section .2200, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may take administrative action against the license and/or impose civil penalties based on the failure of the operator to correct any documented violations within the established time period. Child care programs are required to maintain compliance with all applicable child care rules and regulations at all times. North Carolina General Statute 110-90(4)(d) requires all child care facilities to maintain a compliance history of at least seventy-five percent (75%) for the past eighteen (18) months or during the length of time the facility has operated, whichever is less. Failure to do so may result in the issuance of a provisional license or other administrative action against the facility's license. Any violations cited during a visit may affect your score. Your letter may be mailed to me at: Kimberly Crane Post Office Box 6217 Hickory, NC 28603 For your convenience, your compliance letter may be sent by email to: kimberly.crane@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included in the body of the email: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you today. We appreciate all you and your staff do to serve the children and families in your community. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by phone at (828) 493-6390 or by email at kimberly.crane@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Erin Pickard, by email at erin.pickard@dhhs.nc.gov. Thank you for your time today. 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