10A NCAC 09 .0601 · Violation

Name of Operation: LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL Facility ID: 54000292 Consultant: ANGELA NIEVES Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/26/2024 Number Present: 13 Completed Date: 9/26/2024 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 125 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 11:20 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor this facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit, including compliance with requirements located in Child Care Rule Section .3000 in space #013, where children participating in the NC Pre-K program are cared for. S. Pittman, Lead Teacher, was present and available to assist with today’s visit. You made E. Dawson, Pre-K Coordinator, aware of my visit today and she arrived and was able to assist with the visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license issued on April 9, 2020, earning seven (7) points in the education component, seven (7) points in the program standards component and one (1) quality point for having at least 75% of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in ECE/CD. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum, the curriculum you are implementing is Creative Curriculum 6th edition as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on October 4, 2023. The last sanitation inspection was completed on March 1, 2024, with a “Superior” classification “2” demerits. The last fire inspection was conducted on September 1, 2024, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. Thirteen (13) children from ages four (4) to five (5) were present during the visit. A walk-through of the classroom was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When I arrived, the children were participating in free play in centers, group time, and personal care routines. Children also were engaging in gross motor activities on the playground. The caregivers were interacting and meeting the developmental needs for each of the children. The children were observed eating the following for lunch: cheese pizza, baked beans, peaches, and milk. The NC Pre-K requirements in section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance. The NC Pre-K Program Site Monitoring Tool was not reviewed today. The NC Pre-K plan has not yet been completed. The NC Pre-k plan will be reviewed at the next visit. The Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. The current NC Pre-K staff are S. Pittman, lead teacher, and S. McKnight, teacher. A selection of files was monitored for completed health assessments and developmental screenings. You stated you use the Dial 4 for your developmental screenings. The facility uses the Teaching Strategies Gold instrument to document evidence of children's ongoing progress. The checkpoint assessments are conducted three (3) times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The first day of school was August 28, 2024, which began your staggered enrollment process. The classroom operates from 7:45 am-2:30 pm. Parent conferences are held once a year in February and when needed throughout the year. You stated that you use the Class DoJo app to communicate with parents. In addition, a daily report is sent home to the parents which includes any information about the child’s day and any reminders. Any violations of the child care requirements observed today were discussed with you and documented in the visit summary report and reviewed with you at the conclusion of the visit. The following violations of the child care requirements were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 807 A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. There was one active anthill near the plastic boarder timbers by the first piece of climbing equipment in the outdoor learning environment where children play. 10A NCAC 09 .0601(a) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before October 9, 2024. I must receive a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail how and when the violations were corrected. Please be aware any information submitted by you is considered legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Angela Nieves, Child Care Consultant PO Box 8741 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address on file with DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 The two-week time frame is established to allow you time for submitting your compliance letter. This time frame is not intended to be used as a guide for correcting violations, as they should be corrected immediately. Please be aware that any written information submitted by you regarding correction of violations documented during today's visit is legal documentation. Therefore, it is important that all information submitted be accurate and truthful. Please be aware that if it is determined that information submitted was inaccurate or willfully falsified, an Administrative Action, including Revocation of the facility's license could be issued. Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: Prior to conducting today’s visit, your program’s Compliance History score, over an 18-month period time frame, is 99%. OWNER/FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: Lenoir County Public Schools is listed as the current owner of this center. You verified the mailing address, email address, and phone number listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occurs, please contact me at 252-557-5597 or email me at angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is current in our system. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/CONSULTATION: STAFF RECORD/CHILDREN RECORDS: Ten (10%) percent of all staff records were reviewed today and were found to be incompliance. Ten (10%) percent of all children’s files were monitored today and found to be incompliance. SAFETY AND HEALTH (OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT): There was one active anthill near the plastic boarder timbers by the first piece of climbing equipment in the outdoor learning environment where children play. Please treat the anthill as soon as possible and any others that may appear. You may want to consider some type of process to keep children away from the active anthill, such as using a caution cone, or plastic crate to serve as a visual reminder of the anthill. This will help keep children safe. RMINDERS: DCDEE WORKS: Please continue to keep your Staff and Training worksheets up to date. Update the worksheets when changes are made, such as hiring new staff, additional coursework, and completed training. If the education information is not in the “WORKS” system when the star-rated license is reassessed it could affect the points in Education Standards. Please contact the WORKS department if you have questions on what is needed. The information is below 919-814-6350 or dcdee.works@dhhs.nc.gov. START RATED LICENSE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT RATING SYSTEM (QRIS) UPDATE: The Governor signed 12 bills on July 8, 2024. Including the Adjustments to the Appropriations Act (SB 357) which includes the $67.5 million for reduced compensation payments for first two quarters of FY 24-25 and the DHHS Agency Bill (Senate Bill 425) which includes the QRIS provisions: • QRIS modernization (3 new pathways to stars) is now approved (SB 425). • Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). Providers in Cohort 1 are not required to go any further with a rated license assessment unless they want to, and providers in Cohort 2 do not need to start their preparation year unless they want to. • SB 425 does mean that programs currently accredited through the approved accrediting bodies can move to a 3- or 5-star license if they are not already at this star level. Providers will need to submit a request to their consultant and provide a copy of their accreditation certificate for processing. • SB 425 also requires that we move to the ERS-3 versions for ECCERS. ITERS and FCCERS, effective February 1, 2025. Self-paced online training modules regarding the new assessments will be available in September 2024. • SB 357 provides $67.5 million dollars to continue a reduced level of funding for the compensation portion only of the Child Care Stabilization Grant. Funding is designated for the first two quarters of FY 2024-25 and provides only about 75% of funding needed to maintain compensation payment amounts provided through ARPA funding which ended June 30, 2024. DCDEE will continue to utilize the NC FAST Stabilization Grant portal to distribute funds. CLEAN WATER FOR CAROLINA KIDS: According to the Clean Water for US Kids website, you last tested your water on July 23, 2024. A child care center needs to complete lead testing in the facilities drinking water every three (3) years. You have begun the enrollment process for lead paint and asbestos testing. Please log into https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ to ensure you are meeting the requirements for Lead in Water / Paint/Asbestos testing. CRMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK: North Carolina child care administrators can now view and edit their facility’s staff roster in ABCMS, the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. Provider Access to ABCMS allows administrators 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. To get started, complete the ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training in Moodle—a video tutorial followed by a few questions. https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/enrol/index.php?id=119 CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, you may contact me at 252-557-5597 or angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or 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.

10A NCAC 09 .3009 · Violation

Name of Operation: LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL Facility ID: 54000292 Consultant: ANGELA NIEVES Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/26/2024 Number Present: 13 Completed Date: 9/26/2024 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 125 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 11:20 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor this facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit, including compliance with requirements located in Child Care Rule Section .3000 in space #013, where children participating in the NC Pre-K program are cared for. S. Pittman, Lead Teacher, was present and available to assist with today’s visit. You made E. Dawson, Pre-K Coordinator, aware of my visit today and she arrived and was able to assist with the visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license issued on April 9, 2020, earning seven (7) points in the education component, seven (7) points in the program standards component and one (1) quality point for having at least 75% of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in ECE/CD. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum, the curriculum you are implementing is Creative Curriculum 6th edition as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on October 4, 2023. The last sanitation inspection was completed on March 1, 2024, with a “Superior” classification “2” demerits. The last fire inspection was conducted on September 1, 2024, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. Thirteen (13) children from ages four (4) to five (5) were present during the visit. A walk-through of the classroom was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When I arrived, the children were participating in free play in centers, group time, and personal care routines. Children also were engaging in gross motor activities on the playground. The caregivers were interacting and meeting the developmental needs for each of the children. The children were observed eating the following for lunch: cheese pizza, baked beans, peaches, and milk. The NC Pre-K requirements in section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance. The NC Pre-K Program Site Monitoring Tool was not reviewed today. The NC Pre-K plan has not yet been completed. The NC Pre-k plan will be reviewed at the next visit. The Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. The current NC Pre-K staff are S. Pittman, lead teacher, and S. McKnight, teacher. A selection of files was monitored for completed health assessments and developmental screenings. You stated you use the Dial 4 for your developmental screenings. The facility uses the Teaching Strategies Gold instrument to document evidence of children's ongoing progress. The checkpoint assessments are conducted three (3) times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The first day of school was August 28, 2024, which began your staggered enrollment process. The classroom operates from 7:45 am-2:30 pm. Parent conferences are held once a year in February and when needed throughout the year. You stated that you use the Class DoJo app to communicate with parents. In addition, a daily report is sent home to the parents which includes any information about the child’s day and any reminders. Any violations of the child care requirements observed today were discussed with you and documented in the visit summary report and reviewed with you at the conclusion of the visit. The following violations of the child care requirements were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 807 A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. There was one active anthill near the plastic boarder timbers by the first piece of climbing equipment in the outdoor learning environment where children play. 10A NCAC 09 .0601(a) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before October 9, 2024. I must receive a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail how and when the violations were corrected. Please be aware any information submitted by you is considered legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Angela Nieves, Child Care Consultant PO Box 8741 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address on file with DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 The two-week time frame is established to allow you time for submitting your compliance letter. This time frame is not intended to be used as a guide for correcting violations, as they should be corrected immediately. Please be aware that any written information submitted by you regarding correction of violations documented during today's visit is legal documentation. Therefore, it is important that all information submitted be accurate and truthful. Please be aware that if it is determined that information submitted was inaccurate or willfully falsified, an Administrative Action, including Revocation of the facility's license could be issued. Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: Prior to conducting today’s visit, your program’s Compliance History score, over an 18-month period time frame, is 99%. OWNER/FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: Lenoir County Public Schools is listed as the current owner of this center. You verified the mailing address, email address, and phone number listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occurs, please contact me at 252-557-5597 or email me at angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is current in our system. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/CONSULTATION: STAFF RECORD/CHILDREN RECORDS: Ten (10%) percent of all staff records were reviewed today and were found to be incompliance. Ten (10%) percent of all children’s files were monitored today and found to be incompliance. SAFETY AND HEALTH (OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT): There was one active anthill near the plastic boarder timbers by the first piece of climbing equipment in the outdoor learning environment where children play. Please treat the anthill as soon as possible and any others that may appear. You may want to consider some type of process to keep children away from the active anthill, such as using a caution cone, or plastic crate to serve as a visual reminder of the anthill. This will help keep children safe. RMINDERS: DCDEE WORKS: Please continue to keep your Staff and Training worksheets up to date. Update the worksheets when changes are made, such as hiring new staff, additional coursework, and completed training. If the education information is not in the “WORKS” system when the star-rated license is reassessed it could affect the points in Education Standards. Please contact the WORKS department if you have questions on what is needed. The information is below 919-814-6350 or dcdee.works@dhhs.nc.gov. START RATED LICENSE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT RATING SYSTEM (QRIS) UPDATE: The Governor signed 12 bills on July 8, 2024. Including the Adjustments to the Appropriations Act (SB 357) which includes the $67.5 million for reduced compensation payments for first two quarters of FY 24-25 and the DHHS Agency Bill (Senate Bill 425) which includes the QRIS provisions: • QRIS modernization (3 new pathways to stars) is now approved (SB 425). • Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). Providers in Cohort 1 are not required to go any further with a rated license assessment unless they want to, and providers in Cohort 2 do not need to start their preparation year unless they want to. • SB 425 does mean that programs currently accredited through the approved accrediting bodies can move to a 3- or 5-star license if they are not already at this star level. Providers will need to submit a request to their consultant and provide a copy of their accreditation certificate for processing. • SB 425 also requires that we move to the ERS-3 versions for ECCERS. ITERS and FCCERS, effective February 1, 2025. Self-paced online training modules regarding the new assessments will be available in September 2024. • SB 357 provides $67.5 million dollars to continue a reduced level of funding for the compensation portion only of the Child Care Stabilization Grant. Funding is designated for the first two quarters of FY 2024-25 and provides only about 75% of funding needed to maintain compensation payment amounts provided through ARPA funding which ended June 30, 2024. DCDEE will continue to utilize the NC FAST Stabilization Grant portal to distribute funds. CLEAN WATER FOR CAROLINA KIDS: According to the Clean Water for US Kids website, you last tested your water on July 23, 2024. A child care center needs to complete lead testing in the facilities drinking water every three (3) years. You have begun the enrollment process for lead paint and asbestos testing. Please log into https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ to ensure you are meeting the requirements for Lead in Water / Paint/Asbestos testing. CRMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK: North Carolina child care administrators can now view and edit their facility’s staff roster in ABCMS, the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. Provider Access to ABCMS allows administrators 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. To get started, complete the ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training in Moodle—a video tutorial followed by a few questions. https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/enrol/index.php?id=119 CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, you may contact me at 252-557-5597 or angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or 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

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL Facility ID: 54000292 Consultant: ANGELA NIEVES Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/26/2024 Number Present: 13 Completed Date: 9/26/2024 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 125 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 11:20 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor this facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit, including compliance with requirements located in Child Care Rule Section .3000 in space #013, where children participating in the NC Pre-K program are cared for. S. Pittman, Lead Teacher, was present and available to assist with today’s visit. You made E. Dawson, Pre-K Coordinator, aware of my visit today and she arrived and was able to assist with the visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license issued on April 9, 2020, earning seven (7) points in the education component, seven (7) points in the program standards component and one (1) quality point for having at least 75% of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in ECE/CD. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum, the curriculum you are implementing is Creative Curriculum 6th edition as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on October 4, 2023. The last sanitation inspection was completed on March 1, 2024, with a “Superior” classification “2” demerits. The last fire inspection was conducted on September 1, 2024, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. Thirteen (13) children from ages four (4) to five (5) were present during the visit. A walk-through of the classroom was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When I arrived, the children were participating in free play in centers, group time, and personal care routines. Children also were engaging in gross motor activities on the playground. The caregivers were interacting and meeting the developmental needs for each of the children. The children were observed eating the following for lunch: cheese pizza, baked beans, peaches, and milk. The NC Pre-K requirements in section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance. The NC Pre-K Program Site Monitoring Tool was not reviewed today. The NC Pre-K plan has not yet been completed. The NC Pre-k plan will be reviewed at the next visit. The Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. The current NC Pre-K staff are S. Pittman, lead teacher, and S. McKnight, teacher. A selection of files was monitored for completed health assessments and developmental screenings. You stated you use the Dial 4 for your developmental screenings. The facility uses the Teaching Strategies Gold instrument to document evidence of children's ongoing progress. The checkpoint assessments are conducted three (3) times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The first day of school was August 28, 2024, which began your staggered enrollment process. The classroom operates from 7:45 am-2:30 pm. Parent conferences are held once a year in February and when needed throughout the year. You stated that you use the Class DoJo app to communicate with parents. In addition, a daily report is sent home to the parents which includes any information about the child’s day and any reminders. Any violations of the child care requirements observed today were discussed with you and documented in the visit summary report and reviewed with you at the conclusion of the visit. The following violations of the child care requirements were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 807 A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. There was one active anthill near the plastic boarder timbers by the first piece of climbing equipment in the outdoor learning environment where children play. 10A NCAC 09 .0601(a) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before October 9, 2024. I must receive a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail how and when the violations were corrected. Please be aware any information submitted by you is considered legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Angela Nieves, Child Care Consultant PO Box 8741 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address on file with DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 The two-week time frame is established to allow you time for submitting your compliance letter. This time frame is not intended to be used as a guide for correcting violations, as they should be corrected immediately. Please be aware that any written information submitted by you regarding correction of violations documented during today's visit is legal documentation. Therefore, it is important that all information submitted be accurate and truthful. Please be aware that if it is determined that information submitted was inaccurate or willfully falsified, an Administrative Action, including Revocation of the facility's license could be issued. Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: Prior to conducting today’s visit, your program’s Compliance History score, over an 18-month period time frame, is 99%. OWNER/FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: Lenoir County Public Schools is listed as the current owner of this center. You verified the mailing address, email address, and phone number listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occurs, please contact me at 252-557-5597 or email me at angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is current in our system. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/CONSULTATION: STAFF RECORD/CHILDREN RECORDS: Ten (10%) percent of all staff records were reviewed today and were found to be incompliance. Ten (10%) percent of all children’s files were monitored today and found to be incompliance. SAFETY AND HEALTH (OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT): There was one active anthill near the plastic boarder timbers by the first piece of climbing equipment in the outdoor learning environment where children play. Please treat the anthill as soon as possible and any others that may appear. You may want to consider some type of process to keep children away from the active anthill, such as using a caution cone, or plastic crate to serve as a visual reminder of the anthill. This will help keep children safe. RMINDERS: DCDEE WORKS: Please continue to keep your Staff and Training worksheets up to date. Update the worksheets when changes are made, such as hiring new staff, additional coursework, and completed training. If the education information is not in the “WORKS” system when the star-rated license is reassessed it could affect the points in Education Standards. Please contact the WORKS department if you have questions on what is needed. The information is below 919-814-6350 or dcdee.works@dhhs.nc.gov. START RATED LICENSE/QUALITY IMPROVEMENT RATING SYSTEM (QRIS) UPDATE: The Governor signed 12 bills on July 8, 2024. Including the Adjustments to the Appropriations Act (SB 357) which includes the $67.5 million for reduced compensation payments for first two quarters of FY 24-25 and the DHHS Agency Bill (Senate Bill 425) which includes the QRIS provisions: • QRIS modernization (3 new pathways to stars) is now approved (SB 425). • Hold harmless has been extended until the new QRIS is implemented (SB 425). Providers in Cohort 1 are not required to go any further with a rated license assessment unless they want to, and providers in Cohort 2 do not need to start their preparation year unless they want to. • SB 425 does mean that programs currently accredited through the approved accrediting bodies can move to a 3- or 5-star license if they are not already at this star level. Providers will need to submit a request to their consultant and provide a copy of their accreditation certificate for processing. • SB 425 also requires that we move to the ERS-3 versions for ECCERS. ITERS and FCCERS, effective February 1, 2025. Self-paced online training modules regarding the new assessments will be available in September 2024. • SB 357 provides $67.5 million dollars to continue a reduced level of funding for the compensation portion only of the Child Care Stabilization Grant. Funding is designated for the first two quarters of FY 2024-25 and provides only about 75% of funding needed to maintain compensation payment amounts provided through ARPA funding which ended June 30, 2024. DCDEE will continue to utilize the NC FAST Stabilization Grant portal to distribute funds. CLEAN WATER FOR CAROLINA KIDS: According to the Clean Water for US Kids website, you last tested your water on July 23, 2024. A child care center needs to complete lead testing in the facilities drinking water every three (3) years. You have begun the enrollment process for lead paint and asbestos testing. Please log into https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/ to ensure you are meeting the requirements for Lead in Water / Paint/Asbestos testing. CRMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK: North Carolina child care administrators can now view and edit their facility’s staff roster in ABCMS, the DCDEE’s criminal background check system. Provider Access to ABCMS allows administrators 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. To get started, complete the ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training in Moodle—a video tutorial followed by a few questions. https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/enrol/index.php?id=119 CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, you may contact me at 252-557-5597 or angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or 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

10A NCAC 09 .0604 · Violation

Name of Operation: LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL Facility ID: 54000292 Consultant: ANGELA NIEVES Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 14 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 125 Time In: 09:10 AM Time Out: 11:15 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor this facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit, including compliance with requirements located in Child Care Rule Section .3000 in space #013, where children participating in the NC Pre-K program are cared for. S. Pittman, Lead Teacher, was present and available to assist with today’s visit. You made E. Dawson, Pre-K Coordinator aware of my visit today and she arrived and was able to assist with the visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license issued on April 9, 2020, earning seven (7) points in the education component, seven (7) points in the program standards component and one (1) quality point for having at least 75% of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in ECE/CD. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum, the curriculum you are implementing is Creative Curriculum 6th edition as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on November 29, 2022. The last sanitation inspection was completed on March 13, 2023, with a “Superior” classification “2” demerits. The last fire inspection was conducted on August 24, 2023, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. Fourteen (14) children from ages four (4) to five (5) were present during the visit. A walk-through of the classroom was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When I arrived, the children were participating in free play in centers. Children also engaged in gross motor activities on the playground. The caregivers were interacting and meeting the developmental needs for each of the children. The NC Pre-K requirements in section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance. The NC Pre-K Program Site Monitoring Tool was not reviewed today. The NC Pre-K plan has not yet been completed. The NC Pre-k plan will be reviewed at the next visit. The Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. The current NC Pre-K staff are S. Pittman, lead teacher, and S. McKnight, teacher. A selection of files was monitored for completed health assessments and developmental screenings. You stated you use the Dial 4 for your developmental screenings. The facility uses the Teaching Strategies Gold instrument to document evidence of children's ongoing progress. The checkpoint assessments are conducted three times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The first day of school was September 1, 2023. The classroom operates from 7:45 am-2:30 pm. Parent conferences are held once a year in February and when needed throughout the year. You stated that you use the Class DoJo app to communicate with parents. In addition, a daily report is sent home to the parents which includes any information about the child’s day and any reminders. Any violations of the child care requirements observed today were discussed with you and documented in the visit summary report and reviewed with you at the conclusion of the visit. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 812 Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. In space #013, there was an electrical outlet next to the cozy area that did not have a safety plug in it. The teacher immediately covered the outlet with a safety plug. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(c) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: Prior to conducting today’s visit your program’s Compliance History score, over an 18-month period time frame, is 100%. OWNER/FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: Lenoir County Public Schools is listed as the current owner of this center. You verified the mailing address, email address, and phone number listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occurs, please contact me at 252-557-5597 or email me at angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is current in our system. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/CONSULTATION: STAFF RECORD/CHILDREN RECORDS: Ten (10%) percent of all staff records were reviewed today and were found to be incompliance. Ten (10%) percent of all children’s files were monitored today and found to be incompliance. SAFETY AND HEALTH: There was an electrical outlet next to the cozy center that did not have a safety plug in it. You stated that sometimes, the janitor forgets to put the safety plug back into the outlet after vacuuming. As best practice, check the electrical outlets first thing in the morning before children arrive. This item was corrected during the visit. RMINDERS: COHORT (2): Please be aware that your facility is in Cohort Tw2 (1) for resuming the NC Start Rated License. Your preparation year will be July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Your reassessment year will be July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. To help your facility prepare for the environment rating scale, please review the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project’s (NCRLAP) website: https://ncrlap.org/ for videos and written resources to help prepare you for the environment rating scale (ERS). 2023-2024 ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR NC PRE-K PROGRAMS: 4. Child Care Rule .3013 - NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant Education and Credentials DCDEE recognizes that the requirements outlined in Child Care Rule .3013 may have caused programs additional burden during a time when obtaining qualified staff has been challenging for everyone. In an effort to support NC Pre-K programs across the state, DCDEE will allow additional flexibilities to help educators and programs transition into rule .3013. These flexibilities apply to both new hires and existing staff. DCDEE strongly encourages NC Pre-K Teacher Assistants to make every effort to meet the requirements of rule .3013. as these specific flexibilities will expire June 2024. • Individuals who have received a qualifying letter from our Workforce Education Unit certifying them as a Lead Teacher, may qualify to serve as an NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant o If a Teacher Assistant has at least 9 EC credit hours on their qualifying letter, they will qualify as an NC Pre-K teacher Assistant for the 2023-2024 program year o If a Teacher Assistant has less than 9 EC credit hours on their qualifying letter, they must enroll in approved EC courses and complete 9 EC credit hours by the end of the 2023-2024 program year. These courses must be completed by the spring of 2024 in order to count for the 2023-2024 program year. • If a Teacher Assistant does not meet the aforementioned flexibilities, nor do they currently hold a CDA nor hold or are working towards an associate degree, they must enroll in CDA courses immediately in order to qualify as an NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant for the 2023-2024 school year. CDA must be completed by the end of the 2023-2024 program year. Teacher Assistants that do not meet the requirements of rule .3013 will not be approved to serve in the 2024-2025 school year. CHILD CARE IMMUNIZATION REPORT 2023-2024: This year's Child Care Immunization Reports are due by midnight on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will not be accepted after that date. Failure to submit an annual child care immunization report per G.S. 130A-155 will be reported to the Local Health Director for your county. Submit a report even if no children are attending your child care center or your child care center has closed. This will ensure your center meets the reporting requirement and is not considered delinquent. If you have questions about the Child Care Immunization Report, please email Immunization.Reports@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-707-5595. STABILIZATION GRANT: To get stabilization grant funding for Quarter 9: October-December 2023, you must complete both the Quarterly Update AND the Recertification Application. All recipients of Quarter 8: July-September 2023 funds must submit a Quarterly Update by October 13 at 4:59 PM. After completing the Update, you can access the Recertification Application. The Recertification Application for Quarter 9 will open October 2 and will close October 13 at 4:59 PM. All current grant recipients must submit an approved Recertification Application by the October 13th deadline to continue receiving stabilization grant funds. You must complete the quarterly update before you can access the recertification application. To get stabilization grant funding for Quarter 9: October-December 2023, you must complete both the Quarterly Update AND the Recertification Application. Get help with Stabilization Grants DCDEE_Support@dhhs.nc.gov (919) 814-6300 or (800) 859-0829, Option 2 DCDEE WORKS: Please continue to keep your Staff and Training worksheets up to date. Update the worksheets when changes are made, such as hiring new staff, additional coursework, or training. If the education information is not in the “WORKS” system when the star-rated license is reassessed it could affect the points in Education Standards. Please contact the WORKS department if you have questions on what is needed. The information is below 919-814-6350 or dcdee.works@dhhs.nc.gov. RESOURCES: EARLY CHILDHOOD EQUIVALENCY EXAM NOW ON DCDEE MOODLE: The North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Exam is a new pathway option comparable to a NC Early Childhood Credential. Applicants who achieve a score of 80% or higher on the NC Early Childhood Equivalency Exam earn the new North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Certificate. This certificate is equivalent to a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential and will qualify the individual to be a lead teacher in an early childhood classroom. To take the exam, go to DCDEE Moodle and select Early Childhood Professional Development/Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)/North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Exam: https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/login/index.php MyNCID The N.C. Department of Information Technology will soon begin migrating individual and business NCID accounts to a new system called MyNCID. This modern cloud-based service will enhance security and improve options for self-service. There is no action for you to take currently. Continue to use the NCID portal at https://ncid.nc.gov to register for an NCID account, make a profile change or request assistance such as account unlock. In the coming weeks, you may receive an email prompting you to log in to your migrated account and review your profile information. For more information about this effort, please visit https://it.nc.gov/support/ncid/ncid-citizen-identity-project. IMPROVEMENTS TO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK PORTAL ON THE WAY: Improvements are coming soon to the ABCMS Portal that DCDEE recently launched to manage child care criminal background checks. ABCMS will soon allow individuals to be associated with the child care program that employ s them. Directors/Administrators will be able to use their NCID business account to see the criminal background check result for each employee. TRAINING MODULES AVAIALABLE IN DCDEE MOODLE: The Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) is excited to share information about the July 2023 child care rule changes. The Child Care Commission revised rules related to staff/child ratios for multi-age groups; cooperative arrangements; and enhanced space requirements. These rule changes may or may not impact your facility. The multi-age group staff/child ratio changes support a previous rule change submitted by Early Head Start and the new rule for defining cooperative arrangements provides clarification to a previous change in statute. Consultants will assist facilities impacted by the changes to the enhanced space requirements. A summary of the changes can be accessed here, but for specific details regarding these changes, please ensure you are using the updated July 1, 2023, rules, and enroll, if necessary, and view information in the DCDEE Moodle. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. If you are unfamiliar with the Child Care Rule Rollout within Moodle, learn how to navigate Moodle. To access Moodle, you will need to have an NCID - the same NCID that you use for the health & safety training, WORKS login, and/or the CBC Portal - to participate in Moodle training. If you do not have an NCID, register for an individual NCID at https://ncid.nc.gov/ncidsspr/. To get help with Moodle, email DCDEE_Moodle_Support@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6326. DIVISION OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY EDUCATION: The most current provider documents, forms, checklist, and the new child care rules effective July 1, 2023, can be found on the Division of Child Development and Early’s website at https://ncchildcarencdhhs.gov . CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, you may contact me at 252-557-5597 or angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or 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.

10A NCAC 09 .3009 · Violation

Name of Operation: LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL Facility ID: 54000292 Consultant: ANGELA NIEVES Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 14 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 125 Time In: 09:10 AM Time Out: 11:15 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor this facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit, including compliance with requirements located in Child Care Rule Section .3000 in space #013, where children participating in the NC Pre-K program are cared for. S. Pittman, Lead Teacher, was present and available to assist with today’s visit. You made E. Dawson, Pre-K Coordinator aware of my visit today and she arrived and was able to assist with the visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license issued on April 9, 2020, earning seven (7) points in the education component, seven (7) points in the program standards component and one (1) quality point for having at least 75% of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in ECE/CD. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum, the curriculum you are implementing is Creative Curriculum 6th edition as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on November 29, 2022. The last sanitation inspection was completed on March 13, 2023, with a “Superior” classification “2” demerits. The last fire inspection was conducted on August 24, 2023, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. Fourteen (14) children from ages four (4) to five (5) were present during the visit. A walk-through of the classroom was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When I arrived, the children were participating in free play in centers. Children also engaged in gross motor activities on the playground. The caregivers were interacting and meeting the developmental needs for each of the children. The NC Pre-K requirements in section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance. The NC Pre-K Program Site Monitoring Tool was not reviewed today. The NC Pre-K plan has not yet been completed. The NC Pre-k plan will be reviewed at the next visit. The Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. The current NC Pre-K staff are S. Pittman, lead teacher, and S. McKnight, teacher. A selection of files was monitored for completed health assessments and developmental screenings. You stated you use the Dial 4 for your developmental screenings. The facility uses the Teaching Strategies Gold instrument to document evidence of children's ongoing progress. The checkpoint assessments are conducted three times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The first day of school was September 1, 2023. The classroom operates from 7:45 am-2:30 pm. Parent conferences are held once a year in February and when needed throughout the year. You stated that you use the Class DoJo app to communicate with parents. In addition, a daily report is sent home to the parents which includes any information about the child’s day and any reminders. Any violations of the child care requirements observed today were discussed with you and documented in the visit summary report and reviewed with you at the conclusion of the visit. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 812 Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. In space #013, there was an electrical outlet next to the cozy area that did not have a safety plug in it. The teacher immediately covered the outlet with a safety plug. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(c) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: Prior to conducting today’s visit your program’s Compliance History score, over an 18-month period time frame, is 100%. OWNER/FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: Lenoir County Public Schools is listed as the current owner of this center. You verified the mailing address, email address, and phone number listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occurs, please contact me at 252-557-5597 or email me at angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is current in our system. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/CONSULTATION: STAFF RECORD/CHILDREN RECORDS: Ten (10%) percent of all staff records were reviewed today and were found to be incompliance. Ten (10%) percent of all children’s files were monitored today and found to be incompliance. SAFETY AND HEALTH: There was an electrical outlet next to the cozy center that did not have a safety plug in it. You stated that sometimes, the janitor forgets to put the safety plug back into the outlet after vacuuming. As best practice, check the electrical outlets first thing in the morning before children arrive. This item was corrected during the visit. RMINDERS: COHORT (2): Please be aware that your facility is in Cohort Tw2 (1) for resuming the NC Start Rated License. Your preparation year will be July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Your reassessment year will be July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. To help your facility prepare for the environment rating scale, please review the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project’s (NCRLAP) website: https://ncrlap.org/ for videos and written resources to help prepare you for the environment rating scale (ERS). 2023-2024 ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR NC PRE-K PROGRAMS: 4. Child Care Rule .3013 - NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant Education and Credentials DCDEE recognizes that the requirements outlined in Child Care Rule .3013 may have caused programs additional burden during a time when obtaining qualified staff has been challenging for everyone. In an effort to support NC Pre-K programs across the state, DCDEE will allow additional flexibilities to help educators and programs transition into rule .3013. These flexibilities apply to both new hires and existing staff. DCDEE strongly encourages NC Pre-K Teacher Assistants to make every effort to meet the requirements of rule .3013. as these specific flexibilities will expire June 2024. • Individuals who have received a qualifying letter from our Workforce Education Unit certifying them as a Lead Teacher, may qualify to serve as an NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant o If a Teacher Assistant has at least 9 EC credit hours on their qualifying letter, they will qualify as an NC Pre-K teacher Assistant for the 2023-2024 program year o If a Teacher Assistant has less than 9 EC credit hours on their qualifying letter, they must enroll in approved EC courses and complete 9 EC credit hours by the end of the 2023-2024 program year. These courses must be completed by the spring of 2024 in order to count for the 2023-2024 program year. • If a Teacher Assistant does not meet the aforementioned flexibilities, nor do they currently hold a CDA nor hold or are working towards an associate degree, they must enroll in CDA courses immediately in order to qualify as an NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant for the 2023-2024 school year. CDA must be completed by the end of the 2023-2024 program year. Teacher Assistants that do not meet the requirements of rule .3013 will not be approved to serve in the 2024-2025 school year. CHILD CARE IMMUNIZATION REPORT 2023-2024: This year's Child Care Immunization Reports are due by midnight on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will not be accepted after that date. Failure to submit an annual child care immunization report per G.S. 130A-155 will be reported to the Local Health Director for your county. Submit a report even if no children are attending your child care center or your child care center has closed. This will ensure your center meets the reporting requirement and is not considered delinquent. If you have questions about the Child Care Immunization Report, please email Immunization.Reports@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-707-5595. STABILIZATION GRANT: To get stabilization grant funding for Quarter 9: October-December 2023, you must complete both the Quarterly Update AND the Recertification Application. All recipients of Quarter 8: July-September 2023 funds must submit a Quarterly Update by October 13 at 4:59 PM. After completing the Update, you can access the Recertification Application. The Recertification Application for Quarter 9 will open October 2 and will close October 13 at 4:59 PM. All current grant recipients must submit an approved Recertification Application by the October 13th deadline to continue receiving stabilization grant funds. You must complete the quarterly update before you can access the recertification application. To get stabilization grant funding for Quarter 9: October-December 2023, you must complete both the Quarterly Update AND the Recertification Application. Get help with Stabilization Grants DCDEE_Support@dhhs.nc.gov (919) 814-6300 or (800) 859-0829, Option 2 DCDEE WORKS: Please continue to keep your Staff and Training worksheets up to date. Update the worksheets when changes are made, such as hiring new staff, additional coursework, or training. If the education information is not in the “WORKS” system when the star-rated license is reassessed it could affect the points in Education Standards. Please contact the WORKS department if you have questions on what is needed. The information is below 919-814-6350 or dcdee.works@dhhs.nc.gov. RESOURCES: EARLY CHILDHOOD EQUIVALENCY EXAM NOW ON DCDEE MOODLE: The North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Exam is a new pathway option comparable to a NC Early Childhood Credential. Applicants who achieve a score of 80% or higher on the NC Early Childhood Equivalency Exam earn the new North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Certificate. This certificate is equivalent to a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential and will qualify the individual to be a lead teacher in an early childhood classroom. To take the exam, go to DCDEE Moodle and select Early Childhood Professional Development/Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)/North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Exam: https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/login/index.php MyNCID The N.C. Department of Information Technology will soon begin migrating individual and business NCID accounts to a new system called MyNCID. This modern cloud-based service will enhance security and improve options for self-service. There is no action for you to take currently. Continue to use the NCID portal at https://ncid.nc.gov to register for an NCID account, make a profile change or request assistance such as account unlock. In the coming weeks, you may receive an email prompting you to log in to your migrated account and review your profile information. For more information about this effort, please visit https://it.nc.gov/support/ncid/ncid-citizen-identity-project. IMPROVEMENTS TO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK PORTAL ON THE WAY: Improvements are coming soon to the ABCMS Portal that DCDEE recently launched to manage child care criminal background checks. ABCMS will soon allow individuals to be associated with the child care program that employ s them. Directors/Administrators will be able to use their NCID business account to see the criminal background check result for each employee. TRAINING MODULES AVAIALABLE IN DCDEE MOODLE: The Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) is excited to share information about the July 2023 child care rule changes. The Child Care Commission revised rules related to staff/child ratios for multi-age groups; cooperative arrangements; and enhanced space requirements. These rule changes may or may not impact your facility. The multi-age group staff/child ratio changes support a previous rule change submitted by Early Head Start and the new rule for defining cooperative arrangements provides clarification to a previous change in statute. Consultants will assist facilities impacted by the changes to the enhanced space requirements. A summary of the changes can be accessed here, but for specific details regarding these changes, please ensure you are using the updated July 1, 2023, rules, and enroll, if necessary, and view information in the DCDEE Moodle. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. If you are unfamiliar with the Child Care Rule Rollout within Moodle, learn how to navigate Moodle. To access Moodle, you will need to have an NCID - the same NCID that you use for the health & safety training, WORKS login, and/or the CBC Portal - to participate in Moodle training. If you do not have an NCID, register for an individual NCID at https://ncid.nc.gov/ncidsspr/. To get help with Moodle, email DCDEE_Moodle_Support@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6326. DIVISION OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY EDUCATION: The most current provider documents, forms, checklist, and the new child care rules effective July 1, 2023, can be found on the Division of Child Development and Early’s website at https://ncchildcarencdhhs.gov . CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, you may contact me at 252-557-5597 or angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or 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

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY PRESCHOOL Facility ID: 54000292 Consultant: ANGELA NIEVES Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/4/2023 Number Present: 14 Completed Date: 10/4/2023 Age: From 4 To 5 Total Minutes: 125 Time In: 09:10 AM Time Out: 11:15 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor this facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit, including compliance with requirements located in Child Care Rule Section .3000 in space #013, where children participating in the NC Pre-K program are cared for. S. Pittman, Lead Teacher, was present and available to assist with today’s visit. You made E. Dawson, Pre-K Coordinator aware of my visit today and she arrived and was able to assist with the visit. Your program currently operates with a five-star license issued on April 9, 2020, earning seven (7) points in the education component, seven (7) points in the program standards component and one (1) quality point for having at least 75% of lead teachers have a BA/BS or higher in ECE/CD. Your program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum, the curriculum you are implementing is Creative Curriculum 6th edition as required for all four- and five-star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on November 29, 2022. The last sanitation inspection was completed on March 13, 2023, with a “Superior” classification “2” demerits. The last fire inspection was conducted on August 24, 2023, and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. Fourteen (14) children from ages four (4) to five (5) were present during the visit. A walk-through of the classroom was completed today, all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. I observed children in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments and found supervision and staff/child ratios to be in compliance. When I arrived, the children were participating in free play in centers. Children also engaged in gross motor activities on the playground. The caregivers were interacting and meeting the developmental needs for each of the children. The NC Pre-K requirements in section .3000 of the child care rules were monitored for compliance. The NC Pre-K Program Site Monitoring Tool was not reviewed today. The NC Pre-K plan has not yet been completed. The NC Pre-k plan will be reviewed at the next visit. The Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. The current NC Pre-K staff are S. Pittman, lead teacher, and S. McKnight, teacher. A selection of files was monitored for completed health assessments and developmental screenings. You stated you use the Dial 4 for your developmental screenings. The facility uses the Teaching Strategies Gold instrument to document evidence of children's ongoing progress. The checkpoint assessments are conducted three times per year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The first day of school was September 1, 2023. The classroom operates from 7:45 am-2:30 pm. Parent conferences are held once a year in February and when needed throughout the year. You stated that you use the Class DoJo app to communicate with parents. In addition, a daily report is sent home to the parents which includes any information about the child’s day and any reminders. Any violations of the child care requirements observed today were discussed with you and documented in the visit summary report and reviewed with you at the conclusion of the visit. The following violation(s) were documented: Violation Number Comment Rule 812 Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. In space #013, there was an electrical outlet next to the cozy area that did not have a safety plug in it. The teacher immediately covered the outlet with a safety plug. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(c) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) (d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: Prior to conducting today’s visit your program’s Compliance History score, over an 18-month period time frame, is 100%. OWNER/FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: Lenoir County Public Schools is listed as the current owner of this center. You verified the mailing address, email address, and phone number listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occurs, please contact me at 252-557-5597 or email me at angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is current in our system. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/CONSULTATION: STAFF RECORD/CHILDREN RECORDS: Ten (10%) percent of all staff records were reviewed today and were found to be incompliance. Ten (10%) percent of all children’s files were monitored today and found to be incompliance. SAFETY AND HEALTH: There was an electrical outlet next to the cozy center that did not have a safety plug in it. You stated that sometimes, the janitor forgets to put the safety plug back into the outlet after vacuuming. As best practice, check the electrical outlets first thing in the morning before children arrive. This item was corrected during the visit. RMINDERS: COHORT (2): Please be aware that your facility is in Cohort Tw2 (1) for resuming the NC Start Rated License. Your preparation year will be July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Your reassessment year will be July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. To help your facility prepare for the environment rating scale, please review the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project’s (NCRLAP) website: https://ncrlap.org/ for videos and written resources to help prepare you for the environment rating scale (ERS). 2023-2024 ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE FOR NC PRE-K PROGRAMS: 4. Child Care Rule .3013 - NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant Education and Credentials DCDEE recognizes that the requirements outlined in Child Care Rule .3013 may have caused programs additional burden during a time when obtaining qualified staff has been challenging for everyone. In an effort to support NC Pre-K programs across the state, DCDEE will allow additional flexibilities to help educators and programs transition into rule .3013. These flexibilities apply to both new hires and existing staff. DCDEE strongly encourages NC Pre-K Teacher Assistants to make every effort to meet the requirements of rule .3013. as these specific flexibilities will expire June 2024. • Individuals who have received a qualifying letter from our Workforce Education Unit certifying them as a Lead Teacher, may qualify to serve as an NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant o If a Teacher Assistant has at least 9 EC credit hours on their qualifying letter, they will qualify as an NC Pre-K teacher Assistant for the 2023-2024 program year o If a Teacher Assistant has less than 9 EC credit hours on their qualifying letter, they must enroll in approved EC courses and complete 9 EC credit hours by the end of the 2023-2024 program year. These courses must be completed by the spring of 2024 in order to count for the 2023-2024 program year. • If a Teacher Assistant does not meet the aforementioned flexibilities, nor do they currently hold a CDA nor hold or are working towards an associate degree, they must enroll in CDA courses immediately in order to qualify as an NC Pre-K Teacher Assistant for the 2023-2024 school year. CDA must be completed by the end of the 2023-2024 program year. Teacher Assistants that do not meet the requirements of rule .3013 will not be approved to serve in the 2024-2025 school year. CHILD CARE IMMUNIZATION REPORT 2023-2024: This year's Child Care Immunization Reports are due by midnight on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and will not be accepted after that date. Failure to submit an annual child care immunization report per G.S. 130A-155 will be reported to the Local Health Director for your county. Submit a report even if no children are attending your child care center or your child care center has closed. This will ensure your center meets the reporting requirement and is not considered delinquent. If you have questions about the Child Care Immunization Report, please email Immunization.Reports@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-707-5595. STABILIZATION GRANT: To get stabilization grant funding for Quarter 9: October-December 2023, you must complete both the Quarterly Update AND the Recertification Application. All recipients of Quarter 8: July-September 2023 funds must submit a Quarterly Update by October 13 at 4:59 PM. After completing the Update, you can access the Recertification Application. The Recertification Application for Quarter 9 will open October 2 and will close October 13 at 4:59 PM. All current grant recipients must submit an approved Recertification Application by the October 13th deadline to continue receiving stabilization grant funds. You must complete the quarterly update before you can access the recertification application. To get stabilization grant funding for Quarter 9: October-December 2023, you must complete both the Quarterly Update AND the Recertification Application. Get help with Stabilization Grants DCDEE_Support@dhhs.nc.gov (919) 814-6300 or (800) 859-0829, Option 2 DCDEE WORKS: Please continue to keep your Staff and Training worksheets up to date. Update the worksheets when changes are made, such as hiring new staff, additional coursework, or training. If the education information is not in the “WORKS” system when the star-rated license is reassessed it could affect the points in Education Standards. Please contact the WORKS department if you have questions on what is needed. The information is below 919-814-6350 or dcdee.works@dhhs.nc.gov. RESOURCES: EARLY CHILDHOOD EQUIVALENCY EXAM NOW ON DCDEE MOODLE: The North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Exam is a new pathway option comparable to a NC Early Childhood Credential. Applicants who achieve a score of 80% or higher on the NC Early Childhood Equivalency Exam earn the new North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Certificate. This certificate is equivalent to a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential and will qualify the individual to be a lead teacher in an early childhood classroom. To take the exam, go to DCDEE Moodle and select Early Childhood Professional Development/Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)/North Carolina Early Childhood Equivalency Exam: https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/login/index.php MyNCID The N.C. Department of Information Technology will soon begin migrating individual and business NCID accounts to a new system called MyNCID. This modern cloud-based service will enhance security and improve options for self-service. There is no action for you to take currently. Continue to use the NCID portal at https://ncid.nc.gov to register for an NCID account, make a profile change or request assistance such as account unlock. In the coming weeks, you may receive an email prompting you to log in to your migrated account and review your profile information. For more information about this effort, please visit https://it.nc.gov/support/ncid/ncid-citizen-identity-project. IMPROVEMENTS TO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK PORTAL ON THE WAY: Improvements are coming soon to the ABCMS Portal that DCDEE recently launched to manage child care criminal background checks. ABCMS will soon allow individuals to be associated with the child care program that employ s them. Directors/Administrators will be able to use their NCID business account to see the criminal background check result for each employee. TRAINING MODULES AVAIALABLE IN DCDEE MOODLE: The Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) is excited to share information about the July 2023 child care rule changes. The Child Care Commission revised rules related to staff/child ratios for multi-age groups; cooperative arrangements; and enhanced space requirements. These rule changes may or may not impact your facility. The multi-age group staff/child ratio changes support a previous rule change submitted by Early Head Start and the new rule for defining cooperative arrangements provides clarification to a previous change in statute. Consultants will assist facilities impacted by the changes to the enhanced space requirements. A summary of the changes can be accessed here, but for specific details regarding these changes, please ensure you are using the updated July 1, 2023, rules, and enroll, if necessary, and view information in the DCDEE Moodle. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. If you are unfamiliar with the Child Care Rule Rollout within Moodle, learn how to navigate Moodle. To access Moodle, you will need to have an NCID - the same NCID that you use for the health & safety training, WORKS login, and/or the CBC Portal - to participate in Moodle training. If you do not have an NCID, register for an individual NCID at https://ncid.nc.gov/ncidsspr/. To get help with Moodle, email DCDEE_Moodle_Support@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6326. DIVISION OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY EDUCATION: The most current provider documents, forms, checklist, and the new child care rules effective July 1, 2023, can be found on the Division of Child Development and Early’s website at https://ncchildcarencdhhs.gov . CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, you may contact me at 252-557-5597 or angela.nieves@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or 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