10A NCAC 09 .0514 · Violation

Name of Operation: Little Dolphins Child Care Center 2 Facility ID: 82000330 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/23/2026 Number Present: 22 Completed Date: 6/23/2026 Age: From 0 To 11 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 09:45 AM Time Out: 12:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable childcare requirements during the temporary time period visit. This is the second temporary time period visit. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from February 5, 2026 to August 5, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first shift capacity of 42 children from 0 to12 years of age. Restrictions show are that only daytime care be provided, children under three years of age in rooms with direct exits, and that the facility is meeting enhanced ratio and space requirements. Upon arrival, I was greeted by P. McCallop, Administrator. She was observed as the sole caregiver in Space #2. She stated another staff member was expected to arrive to relieve her to cook lunch. She assisted with today’s visit. Four classrooms are operating with 27 children enrolled and 22 children present. All approved indoor spaces were monitored today. The outdoor play area was not monitored Children throughout the facility were participating in group time, free play in activity areas, playing outdoors, transitions and personal care routines. Infants were playing on the floor and sitting in an exersaucer. The lunch served consisted of corn dogs, baked beans, peaches, and milk. Staff files were reviewed today. The most recent fire drill was completed June 16, 2026 at 2:30pm. The log reflected it took 1 minute for 15 children and 3 adults to exit the building safely. The most recent shelter-in-place drill was conducted on February 6, 2026. The most recent outdoor inspection was completed May 4, 2026. The sanitation inspection was conducted on May 4, 2026 with a Superior classification and 11 demerits. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 125 Daily records of arrival and departure times for children at the center were not maintained as children arrive and depart and/or were not made available for review. Arrival and departure times were not being recorded. 10A NCAC 09 .0302(d)(4) 840 All corrosive agents, pesticides, bleaches, detergents, cleansers, polishes, any product which is under pressure in an aerosol dispenser, and any substance which may be hazardous to a child if ingested, inhaled, or handled were not stored in a locked room or cabinet. A spray bottle of Spic-N Span cleanser was observed in the unlocked cabinet under the sink in Space #1. .2820(b) 862 The EMC plan was not reviewed with all staff annually and whenever the plan was revised. This plan had not been reviewed with three staff members. 10A NCAC 09 .0802(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire for one staff member had not been completed annually. The form on file for a second staff member did not include a date completed. .0701(a) 1035 Child care providers, including the director, uncompensated providers, substitute providers, and volunteers did not have the required Emergency Information Form on file on or before the first day of work, which included all the required information and/or the information on the form was not updated as changes occur and at least annually. One staff member had not updated the emergency information annually. A form for a second staff member was not dated. Information was not available for a third staff member. .0701(a) 1045 New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. Orientation documentation was not on file for one staff member who had been employed more than six weeks. .1101(a) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member did not complete a First Aid training prior to the current certification expiring in May 2026. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member did not complete a CPR training prior to the current certification expiring in May 2026. .1102(d) 1233 Each employee's personnel file did not contain a signed and dated statement that they received a job description and that they have received personnel and operational policies. This signed statement was not on file for three staff members. 10A NCAC 09 .0514(g) 1874 The Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy was not reviewed with new staff prior to providing care with children and/or a signed acknowledgement with all the required information was not maintained in the staff person's file. This signed acknowledgement was not on file for one staff member. .0608(d)(1-4) 1890 Each staff member did not have the required medical report, proof of tuberculosis test or screening and/or completed health questionnaire in a medical file, maintained separately from the staff member's individual personnel file. These items had not been separated into a separate file for three staff members. .0701(d) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than July 8, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Law and Requirements. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that the Administrator is serving as the Lead Teacher in Space #2. She was also observed preparing the meals and snacks during today’s visit. I reminded you that the Administrator must meet the on-site hourly requirement when they are not being counted in staff/child ratio. Based on the licensed capacity of the center, the on-site administrator is required to complete a minimum of 25 hours per week conducting these routine tasks. If multiple people share the role of Administrator, they must both be listed as Administrators with a Preservice for Administrators form and be counted in the Rated License Assessment. I asked that you submit a schedule of when these hours are being met. I also reminded you that a copy of the Preservice for Administrators form is needed. Please also ensure that the Administrator has requested an evaluation for all positions served in the WORKS portal. We also discussed that the resignation of your administrator left a void in the staff member who has taken the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care Training, and in the staff member who manages your Emergency Preparedness and Response plan in the Emergency Management Portal. I reminded you that at least one staff member must have this training within four months of the vacancy. You stated today that the former administrator left in April of 2026. I asked if you had access to the plan previously created for this facility. You stated you were not sure. I asked that someone from the facility contact the Emergency Management Portal technical assistance team to determine if access to the old plan can be obtained, or if a new plan will need to be created. I also reminded you that the Ready to Go File must be available for review on monitoring visits. Change of ownership: As this is a change of ownership a new building, fire and sanitation inspections must be completed by August 5, 2026. You will need to contact each inspector to request the inspection. Failure to obtain the required approved inspections prior to August 5, 2026 may result in administrative action against your license. An approved sanitation inspection with 11 demerits was received May 4, 2026. The building and fire inspections remain outstanding. You must also provide documentation from the local zoning official that the area remains zoned for child care, and listing any restrictions or local ordinances. Technical assistance The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. I highly encourage you to use the file checklists available from the Division’s website. I observed the checklist posted in the office, and in some of the files, however they had not been completed. Many of today’s violations were in record keeping. I also encouraged you to ensure child care center forms and not family child care home forms are being used. All forms should be completely filled in, including dates, or noting n/a where applicable. Federal law requires that staff medical information be kept separate from their personnel file. Therefore, you should have a medical file containing the staff member’s physical, TB test, and health questionnaire that is kept separate from the regular personnel files. We discussed that using a binder or separate files that are stored separately from the personnel files will meet the requirement. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required, and that all topic areas must be covered. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. Child Care Rule .1102(a) states “Health and safety training shall be in addition to the new staff orientation requirements set forth in Rule .1101 of this Section.” Time of Arrival and Departure must be recorded each day in real time. I encouraged you to designate a specific staff member to periodically check the documentation during peak arrival and departure times to ensure the information is properly documented. All outlets must be in use or covered. You should ensure that all experience and education is clearly documented in the staff files. Experience should be documented on the application or attached resume. Education should be documented with WORKS status letters or copies of certificates. Staff members should request evaluations for all positions for which they are applicable. I reminded you that this documentation will be essential for star rated license assessments. We discussed that each space where children three to five years of age receive care must contain activity areas. Each activity area must contain at least three different activities. 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. Required Training: One person from your facility must take the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. We discussed that the former administrator was the only staff member who had obtained this training. Therefore, a new staff member must obtain this training within four months of the vacancy. Following the training, this facility’s EPR Plan in the Emergency Management Portal must be updated or completed within four (4) months. Detailed instructions for getting an NCID and for accessing the template are on the Division’s website on the Emergency Preparedness tab. This plan must be reviewed annually in the portal and reviewed with all staff. The review must be documented. The Ready-To-Go File must available during monitoring visits. You will also continue to conduct either a shelter-in-place or a lockdown drill every three months. The Administrator, Program Coordinator, and all Group Leaders must obtain Basic School Age Care (BSAC) within three months of employment or in assuming duties with school age children. RATED LICENSE: Today, we reviewed the QRIS and the child care requirements outlined in section .3200 of the rules, which pertain to the 2-5 Star Rated License. We also reviewed pathway options to determine which best fits the needs of your program, staff, and families. Additionally, we discussed your facility’s needs and answered your questions. We reviewed the three pathways: Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: This pathway allows your program to demonstrate quality through best practices using the Environment Rating scale. This includes completing a three-month self-study, completing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plans, meeting Family and Community Engagement Standards, implementing a Curriculum for 4 years olds in 4- and 5-Star programs, and Enhanced Space and/or Staff/Child Ratios. I encourage you to review the information on the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project’s website for information about the assessment process, the ERS tools to be used, any notes for clarification, training, and self-study guidelines and documentation forms. Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality: This pathway allows your program to demonstrate quality through smaller groups of children, child-focused planning, curriculum implementation, training and coaching for staff, CQI plans, family engagement, and child observations. This pathway requires curriculum to be implemented for all ages served, ensuring quality practices that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. Child-focused planning through observation of individual growth and development is included in this pathway. Training for early educators will emphasize the skills needed to implement curriculum and child-focused planning in daily classroom practices. This pathway intentionally combines the most stringent staff/child ratios for centers to ensure successful implementation of classroom and instructional practices. Pathway 3 – Accreditation and Head Start: There are seven accreditation options in the accreditation and head start pathway. Facilities with an accreditation that leads directly to a Three Star Rated License are able to increase their star rating based on the Division’s evaluation of education standards for staff members. This evaluation will be based on the same education standards we previously discussed. In addition, Head Start and Early Head Start facilities have a direct pathway to a Five Star Rated License. This will recognize the federal quality performance standards already in place for these facilities that are comparable to QRIS standards. We discussed that it is difficult to achieve accreditation within the temporary time period. Education Standards: I encouraged you to ensure all staff have submitted their education information to workforce unit via the WORKS portal and have requested the appropriate evaluation for their position. When information has been successfully submitted and evaluated a status letter will be issued. These letters should be kept in the staff member’s file. Only information evaluated through the WORKS system can be used to determine star levels for education. There are tutorials available to assist applicants with creating their WORKS account in the WORKS section of our website. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Applies to Pathways 1 and 2 The CQI Plan includes the following: Identification of goal(s), Necessary resources, supports and actions needed to accomplish the goal(s). Document the reason for the goal(s), Annual review of efforts toward completion of the goal(s) Individual CQI planning for each staff member that accompanies the Professional Development Plan, Facility CQI Plan that will be completed by the center administrator. Family and Community Engagement: Applies to Pathway 1 and 2- We reviewed all options included in the following Family and Community Engagement Categories: Educational Opportunity, Engagement & Leadership, and Communication. I demonstrated how to access the Rated License application forms and supporting forms. I encouraged you to submit the form no later than July 13, 2026 in order for the license to be processed in a timely manner. I reminded you that the temporary license cannot expire, and assessments cannot be held awaiting additional information. An additional resource available to providers when evaluating the quality of care, are practice Environment Rating Scale Assessments. You may voluntarily request an outreach assessment from the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project. You may also wish to contact technical assistance specialists with the local PFC or CCR&R to help you with mock assessments. A third and final temporary time period visit will be conducted in the near future. The visit will be unannounced. The final rated license assessment will also be conducted during this visit. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Teraesa Leak at teraesa.leak@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919-971-7765. 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 .0802 · Violation

Name of Operation: Little Dolphins Child Care Center 2 Facility ID: 82000330 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/23/2026 Number Present: 22 Completed Date: 6/23/2026 Age: From 0 To 11 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 09:45 AM Time Out: 12:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable childcare requirements during the temporary time period visit. This is the second temporary time period visit. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from February 5, 2026 to August 5, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first shift capacity of 42 children from 0 to12 years of age. Restrictions show are that only daytime care be provided, children under three years of age in rooms with direct exits, and that the facility is meeting enhanced ratio and space requirements. Upon arrival, I was greeted by P. McCallop, Administrator. She was observed as the sole caregiver in Space #2. She stated another staff member was expected to arrive to relieve her to cook lunch. She assisted with today’s visit. Four classrooms are operating with 27 children enrolled and 22 children present. All approved indoor spaces were monitored today. The outdoor play area was not monitored Children throughout the facility were participating in group time, free play in activity areas, playing outdoors, transitions and personal care routines. Infants were playing on the floor and sitting in an exersaucer. The lunch served consisted of corn dogs, baked beans, peaches, and milk. Staff files were reviewed today. The most recent fire drill was completed June 16, 2026 at 2:30pm. The log reflected it took 1 minute for 15 children and 3 adults to exit the building safely. The most recent shelter-in-place drill was conducted on February 6, 2026. The most recent outdoor inspection was completed May 4, 2026. The sanitation inspection was conducted on May 4, 2026 with a Superior classification and 11 demerits. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 125 Daily records of arrival and departure times for children at the center were not maintained as children arrive and depart and/or were not made available for review. Arrival and departure times were not being recorded. 10A NCAC 09 .0302(d)(4) 840 All corrosive agents, pesticides, bleaches, detergents, cleansers, polishes, any product which is under pressure in an aerosol dispenser, and any substance which may be hazardous to a child if ingested, inhaled, or handled were not stored in a locked room or cabinet. A spray bottle of Spic-N Span cleanser was observed in the unlocked cabinet under the sink in Space #1. .2820(b) 862 The EMC plan was not reviewed with all staff annually and whenever the plan was revised. This plan had not been reviewed with three staff members. 10A NCAC 09 .0802(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire for one staff member had not been completed annually. The form on file for a second staff member did not include a date completed. .0701(a) 1035 Child care providers, including the director, uncompensated providers, substitute providers, and volunteers did not have the required Emergency Information Form on file on or before the first day of work, which included all the required information and/or the information on the form was not updated as changes occur and at least annually. One staff member had not updated the emergency information annually. A form for a second staff member was not dated. Information was not available for a third staff member. .0701(a) 1045 New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. Orientation documentation was not on file for one staff member who had been employed more than six weeks. .1101(a) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member did not complete a First Aid training prior to the current certification expiring in May 2026. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member did not complete a CPR training prior to the current certification expiring in May 2026. .1102(d) 1233 Each employee's personnel file did not contain a signed and dated statement that they received a job description and that they have received personnel and operational policies. This signed statement was not on file for three staff members. 10A NCAC 09 .0514(g) 1874 The Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy was not reviewed with new staff prior to providing care with children and/or a signed acknowledgement with all the required information was not maintained in the staff person's file. This signed acknowledgement was not on file for one staff member. .0608(d)(1-4) 1890 Each staff member did not have the required medical report, proof of tuberculosis test or screening and/or completed health questionnaire in a medical file, maintained separately from the staff member's individual personnel file. These items had not been separated into a separate file for three staff members. .0701(d) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than July 8, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Law and Requirements. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that the Administrator is serving as the Lead Teacher in Space #2. She was also observed preparing the meals and snacks during today’s visit. I reminded you that the Administrator must meet the on-site hourly requirement when they are not being counted in staff/child ratio. Based on the licensed capacity of the center, the on-site administrator is required to complete a minimum of 25 hours per week conducting these routine tasks. If multiple people share the role of Administrator, they must both be listed as Administrators with a Preservice for Administrators form and be counted in the Rated License Assessment. I asked that you submit a schedule of when these hours are being met. I also reminded you that a copy of the Preservice for Administrators form is needed. Please also ensure that the Administrator has requested an evaluation for all positions served in the WORKS portal. We also discussed that the resignation of your administrator left a void in the staff member who has taken the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care Training, and in the staff member who manages your Emergency Preparedness and Response plan in the Emergency Management Portal. I reminded you that at least one staff member must have this training within four months of the vacancy. You stated today that the former administrator left in April of 2026. I asked if you had access to the plan previously created for this facility. You stated you were not sure. I asked that someone from the facility contact the Emergency Management Portal technical assistance team to determine if access to the old plan can be obtained, or if a new plan will need to be created. I also reminded you that the Ready to Go File must be available for review on monitoring visits. Change of ownership: As this is a change of ownership a new building, fire and sanitation inspections must be completed by August 5, 2026. You will need to contact each inspector to request the inspection. Failure to obtain the required approved inspections prior to August 5, 2026 may result in administrative action against your license. An approved sanitation inspection with 11 demerits was received May 4, 2026. The building and fire inspections remain outstanding. You must also provide documentation from the local zoning official that the area remains zoned for child care, and listing any restrictions or local ordinances. Technical assistance The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. I highly encourage you to use the file checklists available from the Division’s website. I observed the checklist posted in the office, and in some of the files, however they had not been completed. Many of today’s violations were in record keeping. I also encouraged you to ensure child care center forms and not family child care home forms are being used. All forms should be completely filled in, including dates, or noting n/a where applicable. Federal law requires that staff medical information be kept separate from their personnel file. Therefore, you should have a medical file containing the staff member’s physical, TB test, and health questionnaire that is kept separate from the regular personnel files. We discussed that using a binder or separate files that are stored separately from the personnel files will meet the requirement. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required, and that all topic areas must be covered. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. Child Care Rule .1102(a) states “Health and safety training shall be in addition to the new staff orientation requirements set forth in Rule .1101 of this Section.” Time of Arrival and Departure must be recorded each day in real time. I encouraged you to designate a specific staff member to periodically check the documentation during peak arrival and departure times to ensure the information is properly documented. All outlets must be in use or covered. You should ensure that all experience and education is clearly documented in the staff files. Experience should be documented on the application or attached resume. Education should be documented with WORKS status letters or copies of certificates. Staff members should request evaluations for all positions for which they are applicable. I reminded you that this documentation will be essential for star rated license assessments. We discussed that each space where children three to five years of age receive care must contain activity areas. Each activity area must contain at least three different activities. 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. Required Training: One person from your facility must take the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. We discussed that the former administrator was the only staff member who had obtained this training. Therefore, a new staff member must obtain this training within four months of the vacancy. Following the training, this facility’s EPR Plan in the Emergency Management Portal must be updated or completed within four (4) months. Detailed instructions for getting an NCID and for accessing the template are on the Division’s website on the Emergency Preparedness tab. This plan must be reviewed annually in the portal and reviewed with all staff. The review must be documented. The Ready-To-Go File must available during monitoring visits. You will also continue to conduct either a shelter-in-place or a lockdown drill every three months. The Administrator, Program Coordinator, and all Group Leaders must obtain Basic School Age Care (BSAC) within three months of employment or in assuming duties with school age children. RATED LICENSE: Today, we reviewed the QRIS and the child care requirements outlined in section .3200 of the rules, which pertain to the 2-5 Star Rated License. We also reviewed pathway options to determine which best fits the needs of your program, staff, and families. Additionally, we discussed your facility’s needs and answered your questions. We reviewed the three pathways: Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: This pathway allows your program to demonstrate quality through best practices using the Environment Rating scale. This includes completing a three-month self-study, completing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plans, meeting Family and Community Engagement Standards, implementing a Curriculum for 4 years olds in 4- and 5-Star programs, and Enhanced Space and/or Staff/Child Ratios. I encourage you to review the information on the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project’s website for information about the assessment process, the ERS tools to be used, any notes for clarification, training, and self-study guidelines and documentation forms. Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality: This pathway allows your program to demonstrate quality through smaller groups of children, child-focused planning, curriculum implementation, training and coaching for staff, CQI plans, family engagement, and child observations. This pathway requires curriculum to be implemented for all ages served, ensuring quality practices that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. Child-focused planning through observation of individual growth and development is included in this pathway. Training for early educators will emphasize the skills needed to implement curriculum and child-focused planning in daily classroom practices. This pathway intentionally combines the most stringent staff/child ratios for centers to ensure successful implementation of classroom and instructional practices. Pathway 3 – Accreditation and Head Start: There are seven accreditation options in the accreditation and head start pathway. Facilities with an accreditation that leads directly to a Three Star Rated License are able to increase their star rating based on the Division’s evaluation of education standards for staff members. This evaluation will be based on the same education standards we previously discussed. In addition, Head Start and Early Head Start facilities have a direct pathway to a Five Star Rated License. This will recognize the federal quality performance standards already in place for these facilities that are comparable to QRIS standards. We discussed that it is difficult to achieve accreditation within the temporary time period. Education Standards: I encouraged you to ensure all staff have submitted their education information to workforce unit via the WORKS portal and have requested the appropriate evaluation for their position. When information has been successfully submitted and evaluated a status letter will be issued. These letters should be kept in the staff member’s file. Only information evaluated through the WORKS system can be used to determine star levels for education. There are tutorials available to assist applicants with creating their WORKS account in the WORKS section of our website. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Applies to Pathways 1 and 2 The CQI Plan includes the following: Identification of goal(s), Necessary resources, supports and actions needed to accomplish the goal(s). Document the reason for the goal(s), Annual review of efforts toward completion of the goal(s) Individual CQI planning for each staff member that accompanies the Professional Development Plan, Facility CQI Plan that will be completed by the center administrator. Family and Community Engagement: Applies to Pathway 1 and 2- We reviewed all options included in the following Family and Community Engagement Categories: Educational Opportunity, Engagement & Leadership, and Communication. I demonstrated how to access the Rated License application forms and supporting forms. I encouraged you to submit the form no later than July 13, 2026 in order for the license to be processed in a timely manner. I reminded you that the temporary license cannot expire, and assessments cannot be held awaiting additional information. An additional resource available to providers when evaluating the quality of care, are practice Environment Rating Scale Assessments. You may voluntarily request an outreach assessment from the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project. You may also wish to contact technical assistance specialists with the local PFC or CCR&R to help you with mock assessments. A third and final temporary time period visit will be conducted in the near future. The visit will be unannounced. The final rated license assessment will also be conducted during this visit. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Teraesa Leak at teraesa.leak@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919-971-7765. 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: Little Dolphins Child Care Center 2 Facility ID: 82000330 Consultant: BECKY JACKSON Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/23/2026 Number Present: 22 Completed Date: 6/23/2026 Age: From 0 To 11 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 09:45 AM Time Out: 12:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable childcare requirements during the temporary time period visit. This is the second temporary time period visit. This facility was issued a temporary license effective from February 5, 2026 to August 5, 2026. Information shown on the Temporary License includes a first shift capacity of 42 children from 0 to12 years of age. Restrictions show are that only daytime care be provided, children under three years of age in rooms with direct exits, and that the facility is meeting enhanced ratio and space requirements. Upon arrival, I was greeted by P. McCallop, Administrator. She was observed as the sole caregiver in Space #2. She stated another staff member was expected to arrive to relieve her to cook lunch. She assisted with today’s visit. Four classrooms are operating with 27 children enrolled and 22 children present. All approved indoor spaces were monitored today. The outdoor play area was not monitored Children throughout the facility were participating in group time, free play in activity areas, playing outdoors, transitions and personal care routines. Infants were playing on the floor and sitting in an exersaucer. The lunch served consisted of corn dogs, baked beans, peaches, and milk. Staff files were reviewed today. The most recent fire drill was completed June 16, 2026 at 2:30pm. The log reflected it took 1 minute for 15 children and 3 adults to exit the building safely. The most recent shelter-in-place drill was conducted on February 6, 2026. The most recent outdoor inspection was completed May 4, 2026. The sanitation inspection was conducted on May 4, 2026 with a Superior classification and 11 demerits. The following violations were documented today: Violation Number Comment Rule 125 Daily records of arrival and departure times for children at the center were not maintained as children arrive and depart and/or were not made available for review. Arrival and departure times were not being recorded. 10A NCAC 09 .0302(d)(4) 840 All corrosive agents, pesticides, bleaches, detergents, cleansers, polishes, any product which is under pressure in an aerosol dispenser, and any substance which may be hazardous to a child if ingested, inhaled, or handled were not stored in a locked room or cabinet. A spray bottle of Spic-N Span cleanser was observed in the unlocked cabinet under the sink in Space #1. .2820(b) 862 The EMC plan was not reviewed with all staff annually and whenever the plan was revised. This plan had not been reviewed with three staff members. 10A NCAC 09 .0802(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire for one staff member had not been completed annually. The form on file for a second staff member did not include a date completed. .0701(a) 1035 Child care providers, including the director, uncompensated providers, substitute providers, and volunteers did not have the required Emergency Information Form on file on or before the first day of work, which included all the required information and/or the information on the form was not updated as changes occur and at least annually. One staff member had not updated the emergency information annually. A form for a second staff member was not dated. Information was not available for a third staff member. .0701(a) 1045 New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. Orientation documentation was not on file for one staff member who had been employed more than six weeks. .1101(a) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member did not complete a First Aid training prior to the current certification expiring in May 2026. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. One staff member did not complete a CPR training prior to the current certification expiring in May 2026. .1102(d) 1233 Each employee's personnel file did not contain a signed and dated statement that they received a job description and that they have received personnel and operational policies. This signed statement was not on file for three staff members. 10A NCAC 09 .0514(g) 1874 The Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy was not reviewed with new staff prior to providing care with children and/or a signed acknowledgement with all the required information was not maintained in the staff person's file. This signed acknowledgement was not on file for one staff member. .0608(d)(1-4) 1890 Each staff member did not have the required medical report, proof of tuberculosis test or screening and/or completed health questionnaire in a medical file, maintained separately from the staff member's individual personnel file. These items had not been separated into a separate file for three staff members. .0701(d) All violations must be corrected immediately. Please send me a compliance letter (written statement) describing how and when the above violations were corrected. The compliance letter must be received no later than July 8, 2026. The compliance letter should be sent to me via email, from the email address on file with the Division as the center’s official email address. Contact me if you have questions regarding correction of the violations documented during today’s visit. If you are unable to correct all violations within the specified timeframe, send a compliance letter regarding violations that were corrected and a specific plan to correct the remaining violations. An extension will need to be requested from management. Child care licensing requirements were established to ensure a safe and healthy child care environment. Therefore, it is important for you to be knowledgeable of all the licensing requirements that apply to your type of program. It is your responsibility to maintain compliance with all the applicable laws and rules at all times. The best way for you to make sure that you are meeting all requirements is to periodically review the child care law and rules. I explained that you have access to the on-line version of the Child Care Law and Requirements. I recommended that you visit the Division of Child Development's website on a regular basis to find out what's new in childcare. You could also find any needed Child Care forms by going on the web site and clicking on the "Provider" tab and then clicking on the "Provider Documents" tab. We discussed that the Administrator is serving as the Lead Teacher in Space #2. She was also observed preparing the meals and snacks during today’s visit. I reminded you that the Administrator must meet the on-site hourly requirement when they are not being counted in staff/child ratio. Based on the licensed capacity of the center, the on-site administrator is required to complete a minimum of 25 hours per week conducting these routine tasks. If multiple people share the role of Administrator, they must both be listed as Administrators with a Preservice for Administrators form and be counted in the Rated License Assessment. I asked that you submit a schedule of when these hours are being met. I also reminded you that a copy of the Preservice for Administrators form is needed. Please also ensure that the Administrator has requested an evaluation for all positions served in the WORKS portal. We also discussed that the resignation of your administrator left a void in the staff member who has taken the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care Training, and in the staff member who manages your Emergency Preparedness and Response plan in the Emergency Management Portal. I reminded you that at least one staff member must have this training within four months of the vacancy. You stated today that the former administrator left in April of 2026. I asked if you had access to the plan previously created for this facility. You stated you were not sure. I asked that someone from the facility contact the Emergency Management Portal technical assistance team to determine if access to the old plan can be obtained, or if a new plan will need to be created. I also reminded you that the Ready to Go File must be available for review on monitoring visits. Change of ownership: As this is a change of ownership a new building, fire and sanitation inspections must be completed by August 5, 2026. You will need to contact each inspector to request the inspection. Failure to obtain the required approved inspections prior to August 5, 2026 may result in administrative action against your license. An approved sanitation inspection with 11 demerits was received May 4, 2026. The building and fire inspections remain outstanding. You must also provide documentation from the local zoning official that the area remains zoned for child care, and listing any restrictions or local ordinances. Technical assistance The following items were discussed during today' visit. You may want to consider them in order to avoid potential violations or improve the quality of your program. I highly encourage you to use the file checklists available from the Division’s website. I observed the checklist posted in the office, and in some of the files, however they had not been completed. Many of today’s violations were in record keeping. I also encouraged you to ensure child care center forms and not family child care home forms are being used. All forms should be completely filled in, including dates, or noting n/a where applicable. Federal law requires that staff medical information be kept separate from their personnel file. Therefore, you should have a medical file containing the staff member’s physical, TB test, and health questionnaire that is kept separate from the regular personnel files. We discussed that using a binder or separate files that are stored separately from the personnel files will meet the requirement. The requirements for orientation were discussed today. I reminded you that a minimum of sixteen hours is required, and that all topic areas must be covered. The top section of the form must be completed within the first two weeks of employment and must be no less than six hours. The remainder must be completed within the first six weeks of employment. I explained that orientation is specific to your center and your policies and procedures. Health and Safety trainings may not be counted toward orientation as they are for general knowledge. Child Care Rule .1102(a) states “Health and safety training shall be in addition to the new staff orientation requirements set forth in Rule .1101 of this Section.” Time of Arrival and Departure must be recorded each day in real time. I encouraged you to designate a specific staff member to periodically check the documentation during peak arrival and departure times to ensure the information is properly documented. All outlets must be in use or covered. You should ensure that all experience and education is clearly documented in the staff files. Experience should be documented on the application or attached resume. Education should be documented with WORKS status letters or copies of certificates. Staff members should request evaluations for all positions for which they are applicable. I reminded you that this documentation will be essential for star rated license assessments. We discussed that each space where children three to five years of age receive care must contain activity areas. Each activity area must contain at least three different activities. 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. Required Training: One person from your facility must take the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. We discussed that the former administrator was the only staff member who had obtained this training. Therefore, a new staff member must obtain this training within four months of the vacancy. Following the training, this facility’s EPR Plan in the Emergency Management Portal must be updated or completed within four (4) months. Detailed instructions for getting an NCID and for accessing the template are on the Division’s website on the Emergency Preparedness tab. This plan must be reviewed annually in the portal and reviewed with all staff. The review must be documented. The Ready-To-Go File must available during monitoring visits. You will also continue to conduct either a shelter-in-place or a lockdown drill every three months. The Administrator, Program Coordinator, and all Group Leaders must obtain Basic School Age Care (BSAC) within three months of employment or in assuming duties with school age children. RATED LICENSE: Today, we reviewed the QRIS and the child care requirements outlined in section .3200 of the rules, which pertain to the 2-5 Star Rated License. We also reviewed pathway options to determine which best fits the needs of your program, staff, and families. Additionally, we discussed your facility’s needs and answered your questions. We reviewed the three pathways: Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: This pathway allows your program to demonstrate quality through best practices using the Environment Rating scale. This includes completing a three-month self-study, completing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plans, meeting Family and Community Engagement Standards, implementing a Curriculum for 4 years olds in 4- and 5-Star programs, and Enhanced Space and/or Staff/Child Ratios. I encourage you to review the information on the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project’s website for information about the assessment process, the ERS tools to be used, any notes for clarification, training, and self-study guidelines and documentation forms. Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality: This pathway allows your program to demonstrate quality through smaller groups of children, child-focused planning, curriculum implementation, training and coaching for staff, CQI plans, family engagement, and child observations. This pathway requires curriculum to be implemented for all ages served, ensuring quality practices that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. Child-focused planning through observation of individual growth and development is included in this pathway. Training for early educators will emphasize the skills needed to implement curriculum and child-focused planning in daily classroom practices. This pathway intentionally combines the most stringent staff/child ratios for centers to ensure successful implementation of classroom and instructional practices. Pathway 3 – Accreditation and Head Start: There are seven accreditation options in the accreditation and head start pathway. Facilities with an accreditation that leads directly to a Three Star Rated License are able to increase their star rating based on the Division’s evaluation of education standards for staff members. This evaluation will be based on the same education standards we previously discussed. In addition, Head Start and Early Head Start facilities have a direct pathway to a Five Star Rated License. This will recognize the federal quality performance standards already in place for these facilities that are comparable to QRIS standards. We discussed that it is difficult to achieve accreditation within the temporary time period. Education Standards: I encouraged you to ensure all staff have submitted their education information to workforce unit via the WORKS portal and have requested the appropriate evaluation for their position. When information has been successfully submitted and evaluated a status letter will be issued. These letters should be kept in the staff member’s file. Only information evaluated through the WORKS system can be used to determine star levels for education. There are tutorials available to assist applicants with creating their WORKS account in the WORKS section of our website. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Applies to Pathways 1 and 2 The CQI Plan includes the following: Identification of goal(s), Necessary resources, supports and actions needed to accomplish the goal(s). Document the reason for the goal(s), Annual review of efforts toward completion of the goal(s) Individual CQI planning for each staff member that accompanies the Professional Development Plan, Facility CQI Plan that will be completed by the center administrator. Family and Community Engagement: Applies to Pathway 1 and 2- We reviewed all options included in the following Family and Community Engagement Categories: Educational Opportunity, Engagement & Leadership, and Communication. I demonstrated how to access the Rated License application forms and supporting forms. I encouraged you to submit the form no later than July 13, 2026 in order for the license to be processed in a timely manner. I reminded you that the temporary license cannot expire, and assessments cannot be held awaiting additional information. An additional resource available to providers when evaluating the quality of care, are practice Environment Rating Scale Assessments. You may voluntarily request an outreach assessment from the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project. You may also wish to contact technical assistance specialists with the local PFC or CCR&R to help you with mock assessments. A third and final temporary time period visit will be conducted in the near future. The visit will be unannounced. The final rated license assessment will also be conducted during this visit. A follow up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance with violations documented during the visit. Please contact me at (910) 824-0123 or at becky.jackson@dhhs.nc.gov if I can be of assistance. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Teraesa Leak at teraesa.leak@dhhs.nc.gov or by phone at 919-971-7765. 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.