10A NCAC 09 .1719 · Violation

Name of Operation: CURIOUS KIDS CHILD CARE Facility ID: 27000128 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Family CC Home Case Number: Visit Date: 8/9/2023 Number Present: 7 Completed Date: 8/9/2023 Age: From 1 To 8 Total Minutes: 195 Time In: 10:00 AM Time Out: 01:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Family CC Home Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Routine Unannounced visit was to monitor your family child care home with applicable child care requirements. I completed your last Annual Compliance visit on 5/15/2023. The FCCH Early Learning Professional, L. Morris, was present and assisted me with the visit. The family child care home currently operates with a One- Star License, issued 10/21/2021. Please let me know if you are ever interested in applying for a star rated license. I would be happy to work with you. The family child care home’s 18-month compliance history from 2/5/2022 – 8/4/2023 = 100%. The family child care home is owned as a Sole Proprietorship. L. Morris reported no changes to facility contact information (phone, address, email) or license information. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility or contact information. I monitored the indoor and outdoor spaces used for child care for applicable family child care home requirements using the NC Child Care Requirements, effective 7/1/2023 and Item Number Listing, effective 6/2022. I also reviewed program records. The family child care home does not provide transportation. The operator stated that she never uses a substitute and closes the family child care home when she is not available to provide care. The Written Plan of Care currently reflects that the operator does not perform routine tasks during operating hours. If there are any changes to the Written Plan of Care, it must be revised and provided to parents. Parents must sign that they have received the updated Written Plan of Care. Observations The operator was present with seven (7) children, 23 months through 8 years of age. Two of the children were her own school-age children, but they participated with the group. When I arrived, they were dressed in their swim suits and getting ready to head outdoors for outdoor play and water play. The operator’s husband had created a sprinkler system that ran along the top of the swing set and down the slide. The operator’s daughter proudly told me that her daddy made them a water park! They used the riding toys to pretend to drive to the water park, complete with a typical traffic jam. One boy, two years of age, spent his time figuring out how to put the riding car on the mini roller coaster. Once in the slot, he pushed it down the ramp and watched it roll. Later the operator helped him ride the little car down the ramp. The sprinkler created fun mud puddles for splashing and digging. Later they returned inside and washed up and had indoor play until lunch was ready. Lunch was cheese and pepperoni quesadillas, corn, choice of mandarin oranges or peaches, and milk. The children sat at a child-sized table and had a pleasant, social dining experience. I observed and documented the following violations during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 714 Monthly check for hazards on the outdoor play area was not completed using a form supplied by the Division. Documentation of outdoor checks was not available for June and July 2023. 10A NCAC .1721(e)(5)(A-F) 2048 Products that are labeled “keep out of reach of children” with an additional warning(s) on the label, were not kept in locked storage while children were in care. The magnetic lock on the bottom cabinet drawer in the bathroom used by children was broken. The unlocked, accessible drawer contained Up & Up Baby Powder, Lacurn Shampoo, Blooms Shave Cream, Vetericyn Plus Pet Antimicrobial Skin Care spray, Chi Aerosol Hair Spray, and Anbesol Oral Anesthetic. All products stated "Keep out of Reach of Children" with additional warnings. 10A NCAC 09 .1719(a)(7) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) d(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to you, L. Morris. We reviewed the visit summary and violation(s) documented during today’s visit. Correct these immediately. Send evidence of correction to me so that I receive it no later than 8/23/2023. Your compliance verification letter needs to state your facility name and license number and list each violation by Item # and describe in detail when and how each violation has been corrected. Also include the following documents/pictures to verify compliance. Send compliance verification letter in an email from your facility’s official email address, LLMchildcare@aol.com to my email address, Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may include the compliance verification as an attachment or in the body of the email. I will email a sample compliance verification letter to you. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be conducted. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the compliance letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS: Outdoor Inspections – Regular outdoor inspections are critical to prevent deterioration of equipment and accumulation of hazardous materials within the play site, and to ensure that appropriate repairs are made as soon as possible. Documentation of outdoor checks was not available for June and July 2023. You stated that it had just slipped by you for the summer even though you had the forms ready to complete. Your fire drills were current so consider doing your outdoor inspections the same day as fire drills. Complete an outdoor inspection for August 2023 and scan a copy of it with your compliance email. Remove the cracked plastic piece on one of your pink cozy coupes. It looks like you can just unscrew it from the front of the car. Storage of Hazardous Items - There are over two million human poison exposures reported to poison centers every year. Children under six years of age account for over half of those potential poisonings. The substances most commonly involved in poison exposures of children are cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, and medications. The magnetic lock on the bottom cabinet drawer in the bathroom used by children was broken. The unlocked, accessible drawer contained Up & Up Baby Powder, Lacurn Shampoo, Blooms Shave Cream, Vetericyn Plus Pet Antimicrobial Skin Care spray, Chi Aerosol Hair Spray, and Ambesol Oral Anesthetic. You stated that you were not aware that the magnetic lock was broken. You removed all products from the drawer to locked storage. Items marked “Keep out of reach of children” with no other warning label may be stored out of reach of children (stored on a shelf or hook five feet or higher from the floor). This includes many personal care items such as shampoo, toothpaste, and saline solution. Items with additional warning labels, including some personal care items, cleaning supplies, and anything in an aerosol can are required to be locked. Acceptable locks include magnetic safety locks, combination locks, and padlocks. Child-safety latches are not acceptable to prevent access. Being in a multi-age setting, you need to be aware of the items that you make available for the various ages of children in your care. Small pieces of crayons and chalk or games and puzzles with small pieces may be fine for older preschool-age or school-age children but are possible choking hazards for children younger than three years of age. These items may need to be stored out of reach of the younger children and only made available when adult supervision is available. Styrofoam cups and plastic grocery bags may also be choking hazards for young children and must be stored out of reach. GENERAL VISIT INFORMATION: As a licensed family child care home operator, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules. The most recent versions of laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. You can also review the “What’s New” section and download a copy of the Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are available to assist you with technical assistance and training on a multitude of topics not limited to: Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale – Revised (FCCERS-R), infant/toddler practices, healthy behaviors. Child Care Health Consultants can provide training and technical assistance on topics related to health and safety such as sanitation, handwashing, diapering, illness policies, etc. *Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families (AACF) and Region 1 Child Care Resource and Referral: Phone – (252) 333-1233; website - www.aacfnc.org . *Child Care Health Consultant – C. Smith - (252) 340-0212 or cindy@aacfnc.org CONSULTATION: Learning Simple Arithmetic – From ExchangeEveryDay, 4/22/2013 While preschool children can be taught to recite answers to simple arithmetic problems, it is more important at that stage to help children grasp the rules that underlie the solutions. In The Intentional Teacher, Ann Epstein provides examples of how teachers can implement strategies to enhance children's early understanding and use of arithmetic: • Use real objects when helping children work through arithmetic problems. For example, if a child is building a tower of three blocks, count them with the child, and ask how many blocks there would be if the child added two more to make it taller. Wonder aloud how many blocks would be left if the child made it three blocks shorter. The child can add or subtract the actual blocks and count the result to determine the answer. • Pose challenges that build on children's interests. For example, if a child has drawn a picture of a dog, wonder aloud whether the child can draw a dog "twice as big" or "half as big." • Encourage children to reflect on their arithmetic solutions rather than telling them if they're right or wrong. When children are stumped (though not yet frustrated) or arrive at erroneous answers, resist the temptation to give the answer or correct them. Instead, offer comments or pose questions that encourage them to rethink their solutions. REMINDERS: FCCH Verification Form – Your FCCH Verification Form is updated and provided to you as a part of your visit summary and is an excellent tool to help you stay current with items that expire, i.e., Criminal Record Checks, well water tests, pet vaccinations, CPR, First Aid and ITS-SIDS trainings, on-going and H&S training requirements, annual health questionnaire, household members, pet vaccinations, and vehicle information. We reviewed your FCCH Verification Form today, and I highlighted items that will expire in the next year. Activity Plans – Pump up your activity plans to include at least four activities. I will email a sample activity plan to you. Complete weekly activity plans (dated) that include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Activity plans for all children must meet the following minimum licensing requirements: *Include activities daily to stimulate the following 5 developmental domains, as listed in your NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book: (social &emotional development, health & physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/communication, and cognitive development). *Include a daily gross motor activity which may occur indoors or outdoors. *Reflect at least 4 activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining 3 activities should occur in the following areas (art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives and family living/dramatic play). *Include both free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. *In addition, activity plans must include each of these 3 enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand or water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. A sample lesson plan form containing all required components was provided. *Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. *When school-agers are enrolled, your activity plan must also list a balance of activities that are developmentally appropriate for the age, needs and interests of the school-age children. Child Care Space – You use your living area as your primary child care space. It is obvious that children play with the developmentally appropriate materials available to them. This offers them choice of materials, building thinking skills and independence. I encourage you to work with them to learn to clean up their materials and toys before pulling out new toys. Organize your toys and materials so they are available on low, accessible shelves or in bins. Build their language and word recognition skills by labeling the shelves with the name of the toy and a picture of it. Don’t overload shelves or bins. Sometimes less is more and children can easily recognize where to find and retrieve materials. You can always rotate materials in and out every few weeks or monthly. This makes old toys seem new again. Encourage children to freely choose and play with materials of their choice but work with them to return the toys before pulling out other materials which again helps to build independence. Water – Your water went out today. You had hand sanitizer available and by chance, some large containers of water that you could put in the toilet tank so children could still use the toilet. If your water is not back on by tomorrow morning, you will need to close your child care until running water is available. Vehicle – Your husband is repairing a car in the driveway where children play. Either finish the repairs or move the car to another part of the property where children do not play. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I reviewed information about the following with you: • New Challenging Behaviors Helpline • NC Rated License Assessment Project (NC-RLAP) Resources • NCID – Keeping it Current • Optional Water Testing for Lead – will not be optional soon Annual Licensing Fee – Licensed facilities that have a current license (whether active or inactive) on October 1st of each year will receive an invoice for a licensing fee based on their licensed capacity. Invoices will be mailed out in November 2023 and must be paid on-line by December 2023. Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. 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.

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: CURIOUS KIDS CHILD CARE Facility ID: 27000128 Consultant: MARJORIE WHITE Operation Type: Family CC Home Case Number: Visit Date: 8/9/2023 Number Present: 7 Completed Date: 8/9/2023 Age: From 1 To 8 Total Minutes: 195 Time In: 10:00 AM Time Out: 01:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Family CC Home Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced * The purpose of today’s Routine Unannounced visit was to monitor your family child care home with applicable child care requirements. I completed your last Annual Compliance visit on 5/15/2023. The FCCH Early Learning Professional, L. Morris, was present and assisted me with the visit. The family child care home currently operates with a One- Star License, issued 10/21/2021. Please let me know if you are ever interested in applying for a star rated license. I would be happy to work with you. The family child care home’s 18-month compliance history from 2/5/2022 – 8/4/2023 = 100%. The family child care home is owned as a Sole Proprietorship. L. Morris reported no changes to facility contact information (phone, address, email) or license information. Please contact me prior to any information changing regarding the ownership of this facility or contact information. I monitored the indoor and outdoor spaces used for child care for applicable family child care home requirements using the NC Child Care Requirements, effective 7/1/2023 and Item Number Listing, effective 6/2022. I also reviewed program records. The family child care home does not provide transportation. The operator stated that she never uses a substitute and closes the family child care home when she is not available to provide care. The Written Plan of Care currently reflects that the operator does not perform routine tasks during operating hours. If there are any changes to the Written Plan of Care, it must be revised and provided to parents. Parents must sign that they have received the updated Written Plan of Care. Observations The operator was present with seven (7) children, 23 months through 8 years of age. Two of the children were her own school-age children, but they participated with the group. When I arrived, they were dressed in their swim suits and getting ready to head outdoors for outdoor play and water play. The operator’s husband had created a sprinkler system that ran along the top of the swing set and down the slide. The operator’s daughter proudly told me that her daddy made them a water park! They used the riding toys to pretend to drive to the water park, complete with a typical traffic jam. One boy, two years of age, spent his time figuring out how to put the riding car on the mini roller coaster. Once in the slot, he pushed it down the ramp and watched it roll. Later the operator helped him ride the little car down the ramp. The sprinkler created fun mud puddles for splashing and digging. Later they returned inside and washed up and had indoor play until lunch was ready. Lunch was cheese and pepperoni quesadillas, corn, choice of mandarin oranges or peaches, and milk. The children sat at a child-sized table and had a pleasant, social dining experience. I observed and documented the following violations during today’s visit. Violation Number Comment Rule 714 Monthly check for hazards on the outdoor play area was not completed using a form supplied by the Division. Documentation of outdoor checks was not available for June and July 2023. 10A NCAC .1721(e)(5)(A-F) 2048 Products that are labeled “keep out of reach of children” with an additional warning(s) on the label, were not kept in locked storage while children were in care. The magnetic lock on the bottom cabinet drawer in the bathroom used by children was broken. The unlocked, accessible drawer contained Up & Up Baby Powder, Lacurn Shampoo, Blooms Shave Cream, Vetericyn Plus Pet Antimicrobial Skin Care spray, Chi Aerosol Hair Spray, and Anbesol Oral Anesthetic. All products stated "Keep out of Reach of Children" with additional warnings. 10A NCAC 09 .1719(a)(7) * Child care programs are expected to achieve and always maintain compliance and are required by NC GS 110-90(4) d(d) to achieve and maintain an 18-month compliance history score of at least 75%. Any violations documented may impact the compliance history score. I completed an electronic copy of the visit summary and provided a printed copy of it to you, L. Morris. We reviewed the visit summary and violation(s) documented during today’s visit. Correct these immediately. Send evidence of correction to me so that I receive it no later than 8/23/2023. Your compliance verification letter needs to state your facility name and license number and list each violation by Item # and describe in detail when and how each violation has been corrected. Also include the following documents/pictures to verify compliance. Send compliance verification letter in an email from your facility’s official email address, LLMchildcare@aol.com to my email address, Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may include the compliance verification as an attachment or in the body of the email. I will email a sample compliance verification letter to you. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be conducted. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the compliance letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If I may be of further assistance, please contact me by phone at (252) 373-9385, by e-mail at Marjorie.White@dhhs.nc.gov. You may also call Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, at (252) 373-4199. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS: Outdoor Inspections – Regular outdoor inspections are critical to prevent deterioration of equipment and accumulation of hazardous materials within the play site, and to ensure that appropriate repairs are made as soon as possible. Documentation of outdoor checks was not available for June and July 2023. You stated that it had just slipped by you for the summer even though you had the forms ready to complete. Your fire drills were current so consider doing your outdoor inspections the same day as fire drills. Complete an outdoor inspection for August 2023 and scan a copy of it with your compliance email. Remove the cracked plastic piece on one of your pink cozy coupes. It looks like you can just unscrew it from the front of the car. Storage of Hazardous Items - There are over two million human poison exposures reported to poison centers every year. Children under six years of age account for over half of those potential poisonings. The substances most commonly involved in poison exposures of children are cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, and medications. The magnetic lock on the bottom cabinet drawer in the bathroom used by children was broken. The unlocked, accessible drawer contained Up & Up Baby Powder, Lacurn Shampoo, Blooms Shave Cream, Vetericyn Plus Pet Antimicrobial Skin Care spray, Chi Aerosol Hair Spray, and Ambesol Oral Anesthetic. You stated that you were not aware that the magnetic lock was broken. You removed all products from the drawer to locked storage. Items marked “Keep out of reach of children” with no other warning label may be stored out of reach of children (stored on a shelf or hook five feet or higher from the floor). This includes many personal care items such as shampoo, toothpaste, and saline solution. Items with additional warning labels, including some personal care items, cleaning supplies, and anything in an aerosol can are required to be locked. Acceptable locks include magnetic safety locks, combination locks, and padlocks. Child-safety latches are not acceptable to prevent access. Being in a multi-age setting, you need to be aware of the items that you make available for the various ages of children in your care. Small pieces of crayons and chalk or games and puzzles with small pieces may be fine for older preschool-age or school-age children but are possible choking hazards for children younger than three years of age. These items may need to be stored out of reach of the younger children and only made available when adult supervision is available. Styrofoam cups and plastic grocery bags may also be choking hazards for young children and must be stored out of reach. GENERAL VISIT INFORMATION: As a licensed family child care home operator, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules. The most recent versions of laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina are available on the DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. You can also review the “What’s New” section and download a copy of the Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program Your local and regional Smart Start Partnerships and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies are available to assist you with technical assistance and training on a multitude of topics not limited to: Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale – Revised (FCCERS-R), infant/toddler practices, healthy behaviors. Child Care Health Consultants can provide training and technical assistance on topics related to health and safety such as sanitation, handwashing, diapering, illness policies, etc. *Albemarle Alliance for Children and Families (AACF) and Region 1 Child Care Resource and Referral: Phone – (252) 333-1233; website - www.aacfnc.org . *Child Care Health Consultant – C. Smith - (252) 340-0212 or cindy@aacfnc.org CONSULTATION: Learning Simple Arithmetic – From ExchangeEveryDay, 4/22/2013 While preschool children can be taught to recite answers to simple arithmetic problems, it is more important at that stage to help children grasp the rules that underlie the solutions. In The Intentional Teacher, Ann Epstein provides examples of how teachers can implement strategies to enhance children's early understanding and use of arithmetic: • Use real objects when helping children work through arithmetic problems. For example, if a child is building a tower of three blocks, count them with the child, and ask how many blocks there would be if the child added two more to make it taller. Wonder aloud how many blocks would be left if the child made it three blocks shorter. The child can add or subtract the actual blocks and count the result to determine the answer. • Pose challenges that build on children's interests. For example, if a child has drawn a picture of a dog, wonder aloud whether the child can draw a dog "twice as big" or "half as big." • Encourage children to reflect on their arithmetic solutions rather than telling them if they're right or wrong. When children are stumped (though not yet frustrated) or arrive at erroneous answers, resist the temptation to give the answer or correct them. Instead, offer comments or pose questions that encourage them to rethink their solutions. REMINDERS: FCCH Verification Form – Your FCCH Verification Form is updated and provided to you as a part of your visit summary and is an excellent tool to help you stay current with items that expire, i.e., Criminal Record Checks, well water tests, pet vaccinations, CPR, First Aid and ITS-SIDS trainings, on-going and H&S training requirements, annual health questionnaire, household members, pet vaccinations, and vehicle information. We reviewed your FCCH Verification Form today, and I highlighted items that will expire in the next year. Activity Plans – Pump up your activity plans to include at least four activities. I will email a sample activity plan to you. Complete weekly activity plans (dated) that include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Activity plans for all children must meet the following minimum licensing requirements: *Include activities daily to stimulate the following 5 developmental domains, as listed in your NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book: (social &emotional development, health & physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/communication, and cognitive development). *Include a daily gross motor activity which may occur indoors or outdoors. *Reflect at least 4 activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining 3 activities should occur in the following areas (art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives and family living/dramatic play). *Include both free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose to participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. *In addition, activity plans must include each of these 3 enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand or water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. A sample lesson plan form containing all required components was provided. *Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. *When school-agers are enrolled, your activity plan must also list a balance of activities that are developmentally appropriate for the age, needs and interests of the school-age children. Child Care Space – You use your living area as your primary child care space. It is obvious that children play with the developmentally appropriate materials available to them. This offers them choice of materials, building thinking skills and independence. I encourage you to work with them to learn to clean up their materials and toys before pulling out new toys. Organize your toys and materials so they are available on low, accessible shelves or in bins. Build their language and word recognition skills by labeling the shelves with the name of the toy and a picture of it. Don’t overload shelves or bins. Sometimes less is more and children can easily recognize where to find and retrieve materials. You can always rotate materials in and out every few weeks or monthly. This makes old toys seem new again. Encourage children to freely choose and play with materials of their choice but work with them to return the toys before pulling out other materials which again helps to build independence. Water – Your water went out today. You had hand sanitizer available and by chance, some large containers of water that you could put in the toilet tank so children could still use the toilet. If your water is not back on by tomorrow morning, you will need to close your child care until running water is available. Vehicle – Your husband is repairing a car in the driveway where children play. Either finish the repairs or move the car to another part of the property where children do not play. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I reviewed information about the following with you: • New Challenging Behaviors Helpline • NC Rated License Assessment Project (NC-RLAP) Resources • NCID – Keeping it Current • Optional Water Testing for Lead – will not be optional soon Annual Licensing Fee – Licensed facilities that have a current license (whether active or inactive) on October 1st of each year will receive an invoice for a licensing fee based on their licensed capacity. Invoices will be mailed out in November 2023 and must be paid on-line by December 2023. Thank you for your time and assistance today. Refer to this visit summary for a refresher of our discussions today. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call or email me at the contact information listed above. 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