10A NCAC 09 .1102 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/17/2025 Number Present: 35 Completed Date: 9/17/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 192 Time In: 09:03 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM 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 compliance during your annual compliance visit. A checklist was used to note the requirements I monitored today, including staff and children’s files. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted April 29, 2025; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator K. Leinthall and lead teachers, M. Oram and K. Pridgen, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. Thirty-eight children aged three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-five children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed in their classrooms. Upon arrival children were engaged in free play. In art, children were cutting and molding Play-Doh. In blocks, children were building and driving cars on the road. In dramatic play children were cooking and feeding babies. Other children were working on puzzles, writing their names, weighing shapes and letter block, other children were matching dominos, looking at things under a magnifying glass and reading. Children next transitioned to group time where they practiced letter sounds and recognizing their names. After group time children went outside to the fenced playground. Children were climbing, sliding, running and riding trikes. Upon return to their classroom they completed personal care routines and had lunch. Lunch served today was beef walking tacos, with pinto beans, corn and milk. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on completing developmental screenings and stated they understood they must be completed within 90 days of the beginning of the school year, which was August 25, 2025. Health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings are also being collected, and staff members stated they understood they must all be on file by September 25, 2025. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score received on November 13, 2019 was 5.03. The NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. All staff members employed at least one year have completed the required Health and Safety trainings as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, and staff members employed five years or more have repeated all topics within five years as required. Violation Number Comment Rule 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) The following violation was observed today. Violations documented must be corrected immediately. On or before September 26, 2025, 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 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Lead Child Care Consultant Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. This violation must be corrected within fifteen (15) days, by October 2, 2025 and a copy of the qualification letter must be sent with the required compliance letter. If the qualification letter is not on file within the 15 days, the employee cannot be at the facility any longer until they receive their qualification letter. Technical Assistance: Weeds: As discussed, fall zones should be weeded regularly to ensure fall zones are kept free of hazards. For the safety of the children, you must ensure weeds and debris are removed to avoid potential injuries to children. I recommend that you create a weeding schedule for the mulched areas and/or a regular walk through of the area to remove debris. Exits: There must be a clear path to the designated window exit. The steps/platforms for the window exits may not be used as storage. This space must be easily accessible in the event of an emergency. You may want to consider rearranging your space to ensure ease of access to the window exits. Rated License Information Choosing a Pathway to the Stars The new rules related to the star rated license system (QRIS) have been approved. The DCDEE team looks forward to working with child care facilities across the state to transition to the new QRIS system, also known as Pathways to the Stars, located in Section .3200 of the Child Care Rules. The transition will begin soon with the following informational opportunities: • You can review the rule roll out module in the DCDEE e-learning Moodle platform and • If you were unable to attend the recent webinars regarding Choosing a Pathway to the Stars, the sessions were recorded and will be posted, on the QRIS Modernization page. • In September, child care consultants will host in-person facility operator/administrator meetings within the counties they serve to provide additional guidance on the changes, the transition plan and timeline. • Beginning In October, child care consultants will begin discussing the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses during licensing visits. Consultants will review the pathway options, identify facility needs, answer questions, and work with the facility operator to establish an individualized timeline for transition to a new rated license within 12 months based on the pathway chosen. We understand this is a big change and are committed to ensuring all providers have a good understanding of the new opportunities in order to make informed decisions on which pathway best suits the needs of the facility. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming informational settings and working with you on your pathway to the stars! Stay up to date with the Division of Child Development and Early Education by visiting www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. This website enables you to view the entire Law and Child Care Requirements for North Carolina as well as download required forms. Click on the “What’s New” tab for important updates impacting child care in North Carolina. Documentation was completed and reviewed on site, printed and signed. Remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. Contact me at Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov at (910)824-1447 with any questions or concerns. 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: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/17/2025 Number Present: 35 Completed Date: 9/17/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 192 Time In: 09:03 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM 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 compliance during your annual compliance visit. A checklist was used to note the requirements I monitored today, including staff and children’s files. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted April 29, 2025; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator K. Leinthall and lead teachers, M. Oram and K. Pridgen, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. Thirty-eight children aged three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-five children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed in their classrooms. Upon arrival children were engaged in free play. In art, children were cutting and molding Play-Doh. In blocks, children were building and driving cars on the road. In dramatic play children were cooking and feeding babies. Other children were working on puzzles, writing their names, weighing shapes and letter block, other children were matching dominos, looking at things under a magnifying glass and reading. Children next transitioned to group time where they practiced letter sounds and recognizing their names. After group time children went outside to the fenced playground. Children were climbing, sliding, running and riding trikes. Upon return to their classroom they completed personal care routines and had lunch. Lunch served today was beef walking tacos, with pinto beans, corn and milk. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on completing developmental screenings and stated they understood they must be completed within 90 days of the beginning of the school year, which was August 25, 2025. Health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings are also being collected, and staff members stated they understood they must all be on file by September 25, 2025. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score received on November 13, 2019 was 5.03. The NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. All staff members employed at least one year have completed the required Health and Safety trainings as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, and staff members employed five years or more have repeated all topics within five years as required. Violation Number Comment Rule 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) The following violation was observed today. Violations documented must be corrected immediately. On or before September 26, 2025, 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 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Lead Child Care Consultant Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. This violation must be corrected within fifteen (15) days, by October 2, 2025 and a copy of the qualification letter must be sent with the required compliance letter. If the qualification letter is not on file within the 15 days, the employee cannot be at the facility any longer until they receive their qualification letter. Technical Assistance: Weeds: As discussed, fall zones should be weeded regularly to ensure fall zones are kept free of hazards. For the safety of the children, you must ensure weeds and debris are removed to avoid potential injuries to children. I recommend that you create a weeding schedule for the mulched areas and/or a regular walk through of the area to remove debris. Exits: There must be a clear path to the designated window exit. The steps/platforms for the window exits may not be used as storage. This space must be easily accessible in the event of an emergency. You may want to consider rearranging your space to ensure ease of access to the window exits. Rated License Information Choosing a Pathway to the Stars The new rules related to the star rated license system (QRIS) have been approved. The DCDEE team looks forward to working with child care facilities across the state to transition to the new QRIS system, also known as Pathways to the Stars, located in Section .3200 of the Child Care Rules. The transition will begin soon with the following informational opportunities: • You can review the rule roll out module in the DCDEE e-learning Moodle platform and • If you were unable to attend the recent webinars regarding Choosing a Pathway to the Stars, the sessions were recorded and will be posted, on the QRIS Modernization page. • In September, child care consultants will host in-person facility operator/administrator meetings within the counties they serve to provide additional guidance on the changes, the transition plan and timeline. • Beginning In October, child care consultants will begin discussing the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses during licensing visits. Consultants will review the pathway options, identify facility needs, answer questions, and work with the facility operator to establish an individualized timeline for transition to a new rated license within 12 months based on the pathway chosen. We understand this is a big change and are committed to ensuring all providers have a good understanding of the new opportunities in order to make informed decisions on which pathway best suits the needs of the facility. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming informational settings and working with you on your pathway to the stars! Stay up to date with the Division of Child Development and Early Education by visiting www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. This website enables you to view the entire Law and Child Care Requirements for North Carolina as well as download required forms. Click on the “What’s New” tab for important updates impacting child care in North Carolina. Documentation was completed and reviewed on site, printed and signed. Remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. Contact me at Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov at (910)824-1447 with any questions or concerns. 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

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/17/2025 Number Present: 35 Completed Date: 9/17/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 192 Time In: 09:03 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM 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 compliance during your annual compliance visit. A checklist was used to note the requirements I monitored today, including staff and children’s files. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted April 29, 2025; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator K. Leinthall and lead teachers, M. Oram and K. Pridgen, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. Thirty-eight children aged three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-five children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed in their classrooms. Upon arrival children were engaged in free play. In art, children were cutting and molding Play-Doh. In blocks, children were building and driving cars on the road. In dramatic play children were cooking and feeding babies. Other children were working on puzzles, writing their names, weighing shapes and letter block, other children were matching dominos, looking at things under a magnifying glass and reading. Children next transitioned to group time where they practiced letter sounds and recognizing their names. After group time children went outside to the fenced playground. Children were climbing, sliding, running and riding trikes. Upon return to their classroom they completed personal care routines and had lunch. Lunch served today was beef walking tacos, with pinto beans, corn and milk. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on completing developmental screenings and stated they understood they must be completed within 90 days of the beginning of the school year, which was August 25, 2025. Health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings are also being collected, and staff members stated they understood they must all be on file by September 25, 2025. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score received on November 13, 2019 was 5.03. The NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. All staff members employed at least one year have completed the required Health and Safety trainings as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, and staff members employed five years or more have repeated all topics within five years as required. Violation Number Comment Rule 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) The following violation was observed today. Violations documented must be corrected immediately. On or before September 26, 2025, 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 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Lead Child Care Consultant Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. This violation must be corrected within fifteen (15) days, by October 2, 2025 and a copy of the qualification letter must be sent with the required compliance letter. If the qualification letter is not on file within the 15 days, the employee cannot be at the facility any longer until they receive their qualification letter. Technical Assistance: Weeds: As discussed, fall zones should be weeded regularly to ensure fall zones are kept free of hazards. For the safety of the children, you must ensure weeds and debris are removed to avoid potential injuries to children. I recommend that you create a weeding schedule for the mulched areas and/or a regular walk through of the area to remove debris. Exits: There must be a clear path to the designated window exit. The steps/platforms for the window exits may not be used as storage. This space must be easily accessible in the event of an emergency. You may want to consider rearranging your space to ensure ease of access to the window exits. Rated License Information Choosing a Pathway to the Stars The new rules related to the star rated license system (QRIS) have been approved. The DCDEE team looks forward to working with child care facilities across the state to transition to the new QRIS system, also known as Pathways to the Stars, located in Section .3200 of the Child Care Rules. The transition will begin soon with the following informational opportunities: • You can review the rule roll out module in the DCDEE e-learning Moodle platform and • If you were unable to attend the recent webinars regarding Choosing a Pathway to the Stars, the sessions were recorded and will be posted, on the QRIS Modernization page. • In September, child care consultants will host in-person facility operator/administrator meetings within the counties they serve to provide additional guidance on the changes, the transition plan and timeline. • Beginning In October, child care consultants will begin discussing the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses during licensing visits. Consultants will review the pathway options, identify facility needs, answer questions, and work with the facility operator to establish an individualized timeline for transition to a new rated license within 12 months based on the pathway chosen. We understand this is a big change and are committed to ensuring all providers have a good understanding of the new opportunities in order to make informed decisions on which pathway best suits the needs of the facility. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming informational settings and working with you on your pathway to the stars! Stay up to date with the Division of Child Development and Early Education by visiting www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. This website enables you to view the entire Law and Child Care Requirements for North Carolina as well as download required forms. Click on the “What’s New” tab for important updates impacting child care in North Carolina. Documentation was completed and reviewed on site, printed and signed. Remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. Contact me at Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov at (910)824-1447 with any questions or concerns. 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: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/17/2025 Number Present: 35 Completed Date: 9/17/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 192 Time In: 09:03 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM 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 compliance during your annual compliance visit. A checklist was used to note the requirements I monitored today, including staff and children’s files. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted April 29, 2025; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator K. Leinthall and lead teachers, M. Oram and K. Pridgen, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. Thirty-eight children aged three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-five children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed in their classrooms. Upon arrival children were engaged in free play. In art, children were cutting and molding Play-Doh. In blocks, children were building and driving cars on the road. In dramatic play children were cooking and feeding babies. Other children were working on puzzles, writing their names, weighing shapes and letter block, other children were matching dominos, looking at things under a magnifying glass and reading. Children next transitioned to group time where they practiced letter sounds and recognizing their names. After group time children went outside to the fenced playground. Children were climbing, sliding, running and riding trikes. Upon return to their classroom they completed personal care routines and had lunch. Lunch served today was beef walking tacos, with pinto beans, corn and milk. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on completing developmental screenings and stated they understood they must be completed within 90 days of the beginning of the school year, which was August 25, 2025. Health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings are also being collected, and staff members stated they understood they must all be on file by September 25, 2025. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score received on November 13, 2019 was 5.03. The NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. All staff members employed at least one year have completed the required Health and Safety trainings as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, and staff members employed five years or more have repeated all topics within five years as required. Violation Number Comment Rule 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) The following violation was observed today. Violations documented must be corrected immediately. On or before September 26, 2025, 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 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Lead Child Care Consultant Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. An example is: Jane Doe, Administrator AAA Child Care ID # 12345678 Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited J. Brown has a qualification letter that expired on July 17, 2024, and information for requalification was not submitted prior to the expiration. This violation must be corrected within fifteen (15) days, by October 2, 2025 and a copy of the qualification letter must be sent with the required compliance letter. If the qualification letter is not on file within the 15 days, the employee cannot be at the facility any longer until they receive their qualification letter. Technical Assistance: Weeds: As discussed, fall zones should be weeded regularly to ensure fall zones are kept free of hazards. For the safety of the children, you must ensure weeds and debris are removed to avoid potential injuries to children. I recommend that you create a weeding schedule for the mulched areas and/or a regular walk through of the area to remove debris. Exits: There must be a clear path to the designated window exit. The steps/platforms for the window exits may not be used as storage. This space must be easily accessible in the event of an emergency. You may want to consider rearranging your space to ensure ease of access to the window exits. Rated License Information Choosing a Pathway to the Stars The new rules related to the star rated license system (QRIS) have been approved. The DCDEE team looks forward to working with child care facilities across the state to transition to the new QRIS system, also known as Pathways to the Stars, located in Section .3200 of the Child Care Rules. The transition will begin soon with the following informational opportunities: • You can review the rule roll out module in the DCDEE e-learning Moodle platform and • If you were unable to attend the recent webinars regarding Choosing a Pathway to the Stars, the sessions were recorded and will be posted, on the QRIS Modernization page. • In September, child care consultants will host in-person facility operator/administrator meetings within the counties they serve to provide additional guidance on the changes, the transition plan and timeline. • Beginning In October, child care consultants will begin discussing the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses during licensing visits. Consultants will review the pathway options, identify facility needs, answer questions, and work with the facility operator to establish an individualized timeline for transition to a new rated license within 12 months based on the pathway chosen. We understand this is a big change and are committed to ensuring all providers have a good understanding of the new opportunities in order to make informed decisions on which pathway best suits the needs of the facility. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming informational settings and working with you on your pathway to the stars! Stay up to date with the Division of Child Development and Early Education by visiting www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. This website enables you to view the entire Law and Child Care Requirements for North Carolina as well as download required forms. Click on the “What’s New” tab for important updates impacting child care in North Carolina. Documentation was completed and reviewed on site, printed and signed. Remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. Contact me at Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov at (910)824-1447 with any questions or concerns. 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 .3009 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/19/2025 Number Present: 37 Completed Date: 3/19/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 11:30 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 82%. Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. All applicable items for a routine unannounced visit were monitored. Thirty-eight children ages three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-seven children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed during free play. In art, children were creating crazy socks, they were laying on the floor drawing on paper taped under the table, others were completing drawings of their friends and writing five words about their friends, while others were making and coloring snakes. In blocks, one child made a Mickey Mouse and then a Minnie Mouse out of blocks, another child made a parking lot and parked cars. In dramatic play there was a doctor doing a baby well check; one child was feeding her dog, and another child was cooking dinner. Other children were playing bingo, working on puzzles, creating towers with magnetic panels, drawing letters and numbers on the whiteboard and making music. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. Lunch served today was hamburger steak with gravy, chopped steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes, fresh orange slices, roll, and milk. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 7:30am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Developmental screenings and health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings were observed as well as assessments and on-going screenings. A copy of the NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool for 2024-2025 was signed by Teri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist with Columbus County Schools December 16, 2024. Health and Safety trainings and the Shaken Baby and Abusive Head Trauma Policy were monitored today, and requirements were met. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. In space 112, the posted activity plan was dated January 25. A current activity plan was not available for review. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) The above violation was observed today. On or before Thursday, March 27, 2025, submit a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail, how and when the violation was corrected. Please be aware that 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Andrea Johnson, Child Care Consultant PO Box 904 Beaufort, NC 28516 Andrea.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. Remember it is your responsibility to ensure you comply with all applicable requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your consultant, Andrea Johnson at 252-732-0183 or andrea.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov. Technical assistance regarding violation cited: Activity plans should be current and relevant. Children’s experiences and the skills and characteristics they develop during the preschool years are critically important to their success later in school. The goals from Foundations are to be used with weekly activity planning. Each activity should relate to a goal from one of the five domains. Staff may list the goal on the activity plan or if not listed tell the child care consultant which goal related to the posted activity. The posted activity play was dated January 25. A current activity play was not available for review. If you create your create your activity plans electronically, it may be helpful to print them on Friday’s so you will have them available on Monday mornings. I suggest keeping a folder, electronically or hard copy of past activity plans to build off of so you always have resources readily available. Technical Assistance: Exits: The path to your classroom exits should be clear of furnishings, storage and debris. The path to the exit stair and window are currently used for storage and not easily accessible. In the event of an emergency, children and staff should be able to exit through the window without having to move anything. Relocate items and furnishings to ensure a safe and quick exit. Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ Deadline Extended! Due to the recent impacts of Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters, the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ enrollment deadline has been revised statewide, and schools and child care facilities that have not yet enrolled should complete the online process by May 31, 2025. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts prior to receiving on-site inspections. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. Provider Access to the Background Check Management System: As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119 As we discussed today violations may be cited during future visits, if your facility does not meet this requirement. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS on an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you The DCDEE has a new initiative – Natural Outdoor Learning Initiative. Through this initiative, we hope to increase knowledge and confidence for everyone in developing and implementing best practices to support the creation, programming, and safe use of naturalized outdoor spaces in child care facilities. You can learn more by visiting the NLI website, where you will also find many resources, including an updated Toolkit designed to help you enhance your outdoor learning environment. The downloadable NLI Toolkit is available at: https://naturalearning.org/preschool-outdoor-toolkit. Moodle Helpful Hints: 1. When on the Moodle homepage, scroll down past the three square boxes to find directions to self-register for various training opportunities. 2. If you do not access a training opportunity for 150 days, the training will be suspended. To regain access, email a request to set status to “active” including the name of the training course to dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov. Send any questions about DCDEE Moodle trainings to dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov. Tips for MY NCID Users: Did you know that if you do not login to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you every 6 months to login and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. Coming Soon: Week of the Young Child! The Week of the Young Child is coming up, April 5-11, 2025. Join us as we celebrate our youngest learners! Start planning your week around NAEYC’s daily classroom celebration themes or create your own. Reminders: Rated License Information: You can find the most current information on our website under the QRIS modernization section QRIS Modernization. The ECERS-3, ITERS-3, and FCCERS-3—also known as the "3s"—will now be used for DCDEE environment rating scale assessments. These third editions come with a spiral binding at the top, replacing the current revised editions. Visit the NCRLAP’s website for more information about updated resources, credit hour trainings, and outreach assessment opportunities to help you become familiar with these tools. For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the Division of Child Development and Early Education's website at: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was reviewed with you, printed, and signed. You were given a copy of this visit summary for your files. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/19/2025 Number Present: 37 Completed Date: 3/19/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 11:30 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 82%. Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. All applicable items for a routine unannounced visit were monitored. Thirty-eight children ages three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-seven children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed during free play. In art, children were creating crazy socks, they were laying on the floor drawing on paper taped under the table, others were completing drawings of their friends and writing five words about their friends, while others were making and coloring snakes. In blocks, one child made a Mickey Mouse and then a Minnie Mouse out of blocks, another child made a parking lot and parked cars. In dramatic play there was a doctor doing a baby well check; one child was feeding her dog, and another child was cooking dinner. Other children were playing bingo, working on puzzles, creating towers with magnetic panels, drawing letters and numbers on the whiteboard and making music. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. Lunch served today was hamburger steak with gravy, chopped steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes, fresh orange slices, roll, and milk. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 7:30am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Developmental screenings and health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings were observed as well as assessments and on-going screenings. A copy of the NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool for 2024-2025 was signed by Teri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist with Columbus County Schools December 16, 2024. Health and Safety trainings and the Shaken Baby and Abusive Head Trauma Policy were monitored today, and requirements were met. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. In space 112, the posted activity plan was dated January 25. A current activity plan was not available for review. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) The above violation was observed today. On or before Thursday, March 27, 2025, submit a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail, how and when the violation was corrected. Please be aware that 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Andrea Johnson, Child Care Consultant PO Box 904 Beaufort, NC 28516 Andrea.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. Remember it is your responsibility to ensure you comply with all applicable requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your consultant, Andrea Johnson at 252-732-0183 or andrea.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov. Technical assistance regarding violation cited: Activity plans should be current and relevant. Children’s experiences and the skills and characteristics they develop during the preschool years are critically important to their success later in school. The goals from Foundations are to be used with weekly activity planning. Each activity should relate to a goal from one of the five domains. Staff may list the goal on the activity plan or if not listed tell the child care consultant which goal related to the posted activity. The posted activity play was dated January 25. A current activity play was not available for review. If you create your create your activity plans electronically, it may be helpful to print them on Friday’s so you will have them available on Monday mornings. I suggest keeping a folder, electronically or hard copy of past activity plans to build off of so you always have resources readily available. Technical Assistance: Exits: The path to your classroom exits should be clear of furnishings, storage and debris. The path to the exit stair and window are currently used for storage and not easily accessible. In the event of an emergency, children and staff should be able to exit through the window without having to move anything. Relocate items and furnishings to ensure a safe and quick exit. Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ Deadline Extended! Due to the recent impacts of Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters, the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ enrollment deadline has been revised statewide, and schools and child care facilities that have not yet enrolled should complete the online process by May 31, 2025. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts prior to receiving on-site inspections. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. Provider Access to the Background Check Management System: As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119 As we discussed today violations may be cited during future visits, if your facility does not meet this requirement. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS on an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you The DCDEE has a new initiative – Natural Outdoor Learning Initiative. Through this initiative, we hope to increase knowledge and confidence for everyone in developing and implementing best practices to support the creation, programming, and safe use of naturalized outdoor spaces in child care facilities. You can learn more by visiting the NLI website, where you will also find many resources, including an updated Toolkit designed to help you enhance your outdoor learning environment. The downloadable NLI Toolkit is available at: https://naturalearning.org/preschool-outdoor-toolkit. Moodle Helpful Hints: 1. When on the Moodle homepage, scroll down past the three square boxes to find directions to self-register for various training opportunities. 2. If you do not access a training opportunity for 150 days, the training will be suspended. To regain access, email a request to set status to “active” including the name of the training course to dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov. Send any questions about DCDEE Moodle trainings to dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov. Tips for MY NCID Users: Did you know that if you do not login to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you every 6 months to login and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. Coming Soon: Week of the Young Child! The Week of the Young Child is coming up, April 5-11, 2025. Join us as we celebrate our youngest learners! Start planning your week around NAEYC’s daily classroom celebration themes or create your own. Reminders: Rated License Information: You can find the most current information on our website under the QRIS modernization section QRIS Modernization. The ECERS-3, ITERS-3, and FCCERS-3—also known as the "3s"—will now be used for DCDEE environment rating scale assessments. These third editions come with a spiral binding at the top, replacing the current revised editions. Visit the NCRLAP’s website for more information about updated resources, credit hour trainings, and outreach assessment opportunities to help you become familiar with these tools. For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the Division of Child Development and Early Education's website at: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was reviewed with you, printed, and signed. You were given a copy of this visit summary for your files. 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

GS 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/19/2025 Number Present: 37 Completed Date: 3/19/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 09:15 AM Time Out: 11:30 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 25, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was earned November 4, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 82%. Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation. A walk-through of the two approved indoor spaces, and the one approved outdoor was completed today. All applicable items for a routine unannounced visit were monitored. Thirty-eight children ages three to five-years-old are enrolled; thirty-seven children were present today. Each space is arranged into activity areas that include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, sensory, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. All children were observed during free play. In art, children were creating crazy socks, they were laying on the floor drawing on paper taped under the table, others were completing drawings of their friends and writing five words about their friends, while others were making and coloring snakes. In blocks, one child made a Mickey Mouse and then a Minnie Mouse out of blocks, another child made a parking lot and parked cars. In dramatic play there was a doctor doing a baby well check; one child was feeding her dog, and another child was cooking dinner. Other children were playing bingo, working on puzzles, creating towers with magnetic panels, drawing letters and numbers on the whiteboard and making music. All staff were actively engaged in play with the children and moved about the space ensuring visual supervision of all children. Lunch served today was hamburger steak with gravy, chopped steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes, fresh orange slices, roll, and milk. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring: The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 7:30am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Developmental screenings and health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings were observed as well as assessments and on-going screenings. A copy of the NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Tool for 2024-2025 was signed by Teri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist with Columbus County Schools December 16, 2024. Health and Safety trainings and the Shaken Baby and Abusive Head Trauma Policy were monitored today, and requirements were met. The Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids website reflected the following information about your center’s required three-year water testing, lead paint testing, and asbestos testing: Three-year Water Testing was completed April 1, 2021 and needs to be renewed. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing shows the enrollment has been started but not yet completed. Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. In space 112, the posted activity plan was dated January 25. A current activity plan was not available for review. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) The above violation was observed today. On or before Thursday, March 27, 2025, submit a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail, how and when the violation was corrected. Please be aware that 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: Andrea Johnson, Child Care Consultant PO Box 904 Beaufort, NC 28516 Andrea.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent from the email address registered with the DCDEE (this serves as your signature) and the following information must be included: name, position, facility name, and facility ID number. Remember it is your responsibility to ensure you comply with all applicable requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your consultant, Andrea Johnson at 252-732-0183 or andrea.johnson@dhhs.nc.gov. Technical assistance regarding violation cited: Activity plans should be current and relevant. Children’s experiences and the skills and characteristics they develop during the preschool years are critically important to their success later in school. The goals from Foundations are to be used with weekly activity planning. Each activity should relate to a goal from one of the five domains. Staff may list the goal on the activity plan or if not listed tell the child care consultant which goal related to the posted activity. The posted activity play was dated January 25. A current activity play was not available for review. If you create your create your activity plans electronically, it may be helpful to print them on Friday’s so you will have them available on Monday mornings. I suggest keeping a folder, electronically or hard copy of past activity plans to build off of so you always have resources readily available. Technical Assistance: Exits: The path to your classroom exits should be clear of furnishings, storage and debris. The path to the exit stair and window are currently used for storage and not easily accessible. In the event of an emergency, children and staff should be able to exit through the window without having to move anything. Relocate items and furnishings to ensure a safe and quick exit. Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ Deadline Extended! Due to the recent impacts of Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters, the Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ enrollment deadline has been revised statewide, and schools and child care facilities that have not yet enrolled should complete the online process by May 31, 2025. The lead-based paint and asbestos enrollment surveys must be completed for ALL schools and child care facilities within school districts prior to receiving on-site inspections. As this is a legislatively mandated effort, facilities are required to meet rule requirements (NC 10A NCAC 41C.1001-1007, NC 154A NCAC 18A.2816). Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids™ is designed to ensure facilities meet all requirements, receive direct support throughout the participation process, and have access to communication resources. This program is free, covers testing, inspections, and mitigation, and is intended to improve child-occupied facilities across North Carolina. Provider Access to the Background Check Management System: As stated in G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) child care operators are to notify the Division of any new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The process of notifying the Division has changed and is now captured in ABCMS. This change has been in effect since February 2024. Effective immediately, you will need to obtain a Business NCID and complete Provider Portal training in Moodle at https://www.dcdee.moodle.nc.gov/course/view.php?id=119 As we discussed today violations may be cited during future visits, if your facility does not meet this requirement. Once the training has been completed and access has been given, you must verify your facility roster to ensure current staff are noted on the roster. This information should be updated in ABCMS on an ongoing basis as staff members are hired and when their employment is terminated. This satisfies the requirement to notify the Division of new child care providers working who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. The compliance of this rule will be monitored during your next visit. Please note, the hard copy of the Change of Information form will no longer be needed or accepted. Should you need assistance please contact the Criminal Background Check Unit at (919) 814-8401 and someone will assist you The DCDEE has a new initiative – Natural Outdoor Learning Initiative. Through this initiative, we hope to increase knowledge and confidence for everyone in developing and implementing best practices to support the creation, programming, and safe use of naturalized outdoor spaces in child care facilities. You can learn more by visiting the NLI website, where you will also find many resources, including an updated Toolkit designed to help you enhance your outdoor learning environment. The downloadable NLI Toolkit is available at: https://naturalearning.org/preschool-outdoor-toolkit. Moodle Helpful Hints: 1. When on the Moodle homepage, scroll down past the three square boxes to find directions to self-register for various training opportunities. 2. If you do not access a training opportunity for 150 days, the training will be suspended. To regain access, email a request to set status to “active” including the name of the training course to dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov. Send any questions about DCDEE Moodle trainings to dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov. Tips for MY NCID Users: Did you know that if you do not login to any DCDEE platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) for a period of 12 months, your account will be archived? An archived account cannot be reinstated. You will need to create a new one and then email all platforms (e.g., Moodle, WORKS, CBC) to merge accounts. Pro Tip: Set your calendar to remind you every 6 months to login and out at https://myncid.nc.gov to keep your account activated and it will NOT be archived. Coming Soon: Week of the Young Child! The Week of the Young Child is coming up, April 5-11, 2025. Join us as we celebrate our youngest learners! Start planning your week around NAEYC’s daily classroom celebration themes or create your own. Reminders: Rated License Information: You can find the most current information on our website under the QRIS modernization section QRIS Modernization. The ECERS-3, ITERS-3, and FCCERS-3—also known as the "3s"—will now be used for DCDEE environment rating scale assessments. These third editions come with a spiral binding at the top, replacing the current revised editions. Visit the NCRLAP’s website for more information about updated resources, credit hour trainings, and outreach assessment opportunities to help you become familiar with these tools. For the latest information on child care rules and regulations, please visit the Division of Child Development and Early Education's website at: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was reviewed with you, printed, and signed. You were given a copy of this visit summary for your files. 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: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

10A NCAC 09 .0604 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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 .1102 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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 .1106 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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 .3009 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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 .3012 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/25/2024 Number Present: 32 Completed Date: 9/25/2024 Age: From 3 To 4 Total Minutes: 215 Time In: 08:55 AM Time Out: 12:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted August 20, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 78%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including building magnet tile towers, playing with dinosaurs, working with playdough and using stencils. Children in Space #110 were observed on the fenced in playground. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 went to the fenced in playground, where they used riding toys and the climbing structure. Children in Space #110 were observed engaged in small group activities in the classroom during this time, coloring and decorating the letters of their first names, painting and working on puzzles. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of corn dog nuggets or orange chicken, with brown rice, mixed vegetables, fresh bananas and milk. Today it was observed that the new playground equipment discussed during the TA Visit August 1, 2024 was not actually installed on the playground. Ms. Oram stated this was due to the equipment not being approved for commercial use. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers are working on developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan. The assistant teacher assigned to Space #110 stated she was still working on the CDA, however documentation was not on file. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R or ECERS-3 during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. The drill record for March through June of 2024 was not complete today. REPEATED .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 856 The indoor and/or outdoor premises was not checked once a day, prior to initial use, ensuring debris, and broken equipment was removed and disposed of. Two broken tricycles were observed on the playground. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(p) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. Annual health questionnaires were not on file for two staff members. REPEATED .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. Updated Emergency Information Forms were not on file for three staff members. REPEATED .0701(a) 1054 Documentation of staff's on-going training was not on file and/or was not current. Documentation of on-going training was not on file for the two teacher assistants assigned to Space #110. 10A NCAC 09 .1106(a) 1314 Emergency information did not name child's health care professional. A health care professional was not listed on one of the six children's applications monitored today. .0802(c)(2) 1939 The site level administrator of an NC Pre-K Program did not maintain documentation of teacher progress toward the required standards specified in Rule. Documentation of progress towards the CDA was not on file for the NC Pre-K teacher assistant assigned to Space #110. .3012(j) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 9, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding staff recordkeeping. As discussed, if you wish for each staff member to be responsible for their own files, there must be accountability, and someone must be responsible for ensuring files are complete and/or updated as needed. You may use the Staff File Checklist from the DCDEE website to assist with this process. Today I suggested that all Pre-K staff in the county complete annual paperwork updates together prior to the start of each school year to make this easier. As a reminder, health questionnaires and emergency information forms must be updated annually. Training records must also be completed and hours calculated for the previous training year, with certificates maintained on file. Regarding NC Pre-K education requirements, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3012(j) states the site level administrator must maintain documentation of staff members’ progress towards requirements. Today, L. Simmons emailed me the proof of her degree, however documentation of D. Troy-Nedd’s progress towards the CDA could not be observed. Remember to send copies of all completed documentation to verify compliance, and ensure items are maintained in files moving forward. Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0604 (p) states that once a day, prior to initial use, the indoor and outdoor premises shall be checked for debris, vandalism, and broken equipment. Today I suggested that the third staff member assigned to Space #110 go outside about five minutes early each day to check the playground and remove any broken equipment or debris prior to children going outside. Please let me know your plan in your compliance letter. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding transitions and wait times for children. As discussed, it may be helpful to divide children into small groups as you transition to and from the playground and engage in personal care routines. Today I suggested you sing songs which include finger plays while children wait to wash their hands to keep them from touching each other and classroom materials. This will also ensure they are not waiting with nothing to do, which can lead to behavior issues. Regarding Health and Safety training topics, I reminded you today that the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training must be completed in the first 90 days of employment. We also reviewed Child Caree Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102, which states, “(a) Child care administrators and staff members shall complete health and safety training within one year of employment, unless the staff member has completed the training within the year prior to beginning employment.” This means that M. Santos and L. Simmons will need to complete the 2024 CCDF Health and Safety training topics by their one year anniversary dates, since they previously completed topics more than one year prior to hire. All topics can be completed on Moodle with the exception of the Child Maltreatment training mentioned above, which can be completed at https://preventchildabusenc-lms.org/. Rated License Information Regarding star rated license reassessments, the “hold harmless” clause was extended to allow time for new rules determining how stars are earned to be written and implemented. This means a reassessment will not be conducted according to the timelines previously discussed, however you may request one voluntarily at any time. New rules are expected to include different pathways towards earning stars, so I urge you to review any information shared to prepare for the changes. Please note any Environment Rating Scales (ERS) assessments conducted after February 1, 2025 will be the third editions, so for your program the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale- 3rd edition (ECERS-3) will be used if you select the pathway that includes this assessment. You may find more information regarding the ECERS-3 including training materials and how to purchase at https://ncrlap.org/Resources/pages/get-ready-for-3s/. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. L. Simmons must complete registration for her account using the instructions emailed to her today, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders 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. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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 .0605 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2024 Number Present: 26 Completed Date: 3/7/2024 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 206 Time In: 08:49 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27, 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #110 were observed in a group morning meeting, during which Ms. Oram shared special event updates and assisted children with choosing centers for free choice time. After the meeting, children were observed working on literacy programs on individual tablets, building towers with magnet tiles, working with playdough and pretending to cook and serve food in the dramatic play kitchen. Screen time requirements were in compliance. Children in Space #112 were observed on the fenced in playground prior to transitioning back to their classroom. In the classroom, they were observed in free choice and small group activities including playing alphabet Bingo with one of the staff members, reading books with another staff member, and doing color mixing activities. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 was observed on the playground, using riding toys, climbing and sliding on the stationary equipment, and playing basketball. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of spaghetti or chicken drumstick, with garlic knots, steamed broccoli, salad, chilled pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated her plan for the fence extension on the playground was approved, and the fence should be installed in April. She stated they are also researching options for a new synthetic type of surfacing to put in the fall zones. As discussed during the Annual Compliance visit, if the fence is installed according to the plans, the new outdoor capacity would be 33 children at one time. Two new staff members have been hired since the annual compliance visit. Files were monitored today. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The Site Monitoring Tool for the 2023-2024 school year was signed by Terri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist, after a virtual review on November 8, 2023. Items needing corrective action were not noted. Information for new staff members was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan, and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. It was verified today that teacher assistants are enrolled in either Associate’s Degree programs for Early Childhood Education or coursework towards the Child Development Associate credential. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. A fire drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 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. An aerosol can of disinfectant was observed unlocked in Space #112. .2820(b) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. A bottle of Pepto Bismol reported as for staff use only was observed unlocked in Space #110. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 859 Monthly playground inspections were not completed and/or they were not completed by an individual trained in playground safety requirements. Monthly playground inspections have not been documented since August 2023. .0605(q) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. A medical report was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. Proof of a negative TB test or screening was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. An Emergency Information Form was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A criminal background check has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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. First Aid training has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. CPR certification has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .1102(d) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A valid qualification letter was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1811 Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. A shelter-in-place or lockdown drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(u);.0302(d)(8) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A medical action plan was not on file for a child with a seizure disorder. .0801(b) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by March 21, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K staff requirements, including items which must be completed prior to or on the first day of employment. As discussed, criminal background check applications must be completed prior to hire, and valid qualification letters must be on file for all Pre-K staff members. Today, a qualification letter was not on file for staff member J. Brown, and her qualification could not be verified in the ABCMS system. I shared with you, Ms. Leinthall, that she had to leave the Pre-K classrooms immediately and could not return without a valid qualification letter. I advised you to replace her with the third staff member assigned to Space #112 to maintain compliance with staff/child ratios in both spaces, and you did so. We also discussed that Ms. Brown had not yet completed health requirements including proof of a negative TB test or screening, health questionnaire, emergency information form and medical report. You provided Ms. Brown with blank forms and advised her to call her doctor to schedule a TB test and physical before she left the building. I emailed Ms. Brown the instructions for completing her criminal background check application, and you assisted her with getting a fingerprinting appointment. You must send copies of all required documentation with your compliance letter, and ensure Ms. Brown does not return to work without a valid qualification letter, medical report and proof of negative TB test or screening. You must also send proof of registration in or completion of an approved CPR and First Aid course for Ms. Brown. As discussed, I am happy to review these requirements with anyone in the Central Office who may need to know, to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was also provided today regarding maintaining program records. As discussed, drills must be conducted regularly for the safety of the children, and they must be documented on the drill record to maintain compliance. Monthly playground inspections are also required for the safety of the children. You must send a copy of the completed drill record with your compliance letter once you are able to obtain dates on which drills were conducted. You must also send a copy of a playground inspection completed this month. Moving forwards, I urged you to use calendar reminders to ensure items are completed and documented within required timeframes. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for J. Brady to verify compliance. For the safety of the children, hazardous cleaning supplies, including those kept under pressure in an aerosol can, as well as medications must be kept in locked storage. The definition of locked storage requires that the lock be unlocked with some type of device such as a key or combination. Regular childproofing locks do not meet this requirement. As discussed, emergency medications do not need to be locked but must be stored at least five feet from the floor. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding children who bring food from home. As discussed, as long as you continue to provide the school’s meals and snacks which meet UDSA Meal Patterns, you may serve additional food as needed. Potentially hazardous foods must be stored according to sanitation requirements, and all lunch boxes should be labeled with the child’s name and date. You may use dorm style refrigerators in the classrooms as long as you use thermometers to ensure the correct temperature. You may review Sanitation Rule 15A NCAC 18A .2806 for more information. Today I also advised that you ensure children with IEP’s requiring them to have access to food at different times of the day are still washing their hands and eating food from previously sanitized surfaces as required. Today you asked about new playground equipment and fall zone requirements. As discussed, any new equipment purchased must be approved for commercial use and installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. Instructions must be kept on file. Equipment which is not movable must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. NCRLAP’s gross motor requirements also say that even movable equipment must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. You also asked about synthetic surfacing. As discussed, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0605 states your options for protective surfacing shall be either: (1) loose surfacing material, including wood mulch, double shredded bark mulch, uniform wood chips, fine sand, coarse sand, and pea gravel, except that pea gravel shall not be used if the area will be used by children under three years of age. Loose surfacing material shall not be installed over concrete; or (2) other materials that have been certified by the manufacturer to be shock-absorbing protective material in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard F 1292, may be used if installed, maintained, and replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions. This standard is incorporated by reference and does include subsequent editions. This standard may be found online at https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1292.htm for a cost of sixty-five dollars ($65.00). Please let me know if you have further questions. Rated License Information As discussed during the annual compliance visit, your program was placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments. Your planning/preparation year will begin 7/1/24 and run through 6/30/25, and your reassessment will be due between 7/1/25 and 6/30/26. Since you typically have the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales- Revised (ECERS-R) completed as part of the reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. As a reminder, NC Pre-K programs must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R to remain in compliance with program requirements. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today, including that new Lead Teacher M. Santos has been evaluated with her four year degree. As discussed, D. Troy must submit official transcripts for evaluation, and J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. J. Brown must register for an account, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised January 1, 2024, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. Modules are also now available to review rule changes in the Child Care Rule Rollout section of Moodle. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

10A NCAC 09 .0701 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2024 Number Present: 26 Completed Date: 3/7/2024 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 206 Time In: 08:49 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27, 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #110 were observed in a group morning meeting, during which Ms. Oram shared special event updates and assisted children with choosing centers for free choice time. After the meeting, children were observed working on literacy programs on individual tablets, building towers with magnet tiles, working with playdough and pretending to cook and serve food in the dramatic play kitchen. Screen time requirements were in compliance. Children in Space #112 were observed on the fenced in playground prior to transitioning back to their classroom. In the classroom, they were observed in free choice and small group activities including playing alphabet Bingo with one of the staff members, reading books with another staff member, and doing color mixing activities. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 was observed on the playground, using riding toys, climbing and sliding on the stationary equipment, and playing basketball. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of spaghetti or chicken drumstick, with garlic knots, steamed broccoli, salad, chilled pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated her plan for the fence extension on the playground was approved, and the fence should be installed in April. She stated they are also researching options for a new synthetic type of surfacing to put in the fall zones. As discussed during the Annual Compliance visit, if the fence is installed according to the plans, the new outdoor capacity would be 33 children at one time. Two new staff members have been hired since the annual compliance visit. Files were monitored today. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The Site Monitoring Tool for the 2023-2024 school year was signed by Terri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist, after a virtual review on November 8, 2023. Items needing corrective action were not noted. Information for new staff members was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan, and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. It was verified today that teacher assistants are enrolled in either Associate’s Degree programs for Early Childhood Education or coursework towards the Child Development Associate credential. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. A fire drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 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. An aerosol can of disinfectant was observed unlocked in Space #112. .2820(b) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. A bottle of Pepto Bismol reported as for staff use only was observed unlocked in Space #110. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 859 Monthly playground inspections were not completed and/or they were not completed by an individual trained in playground safety requirements. Monthly playground inspections have not been documented since August 2023. .0605(q) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. A medical report was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. Proof of a negative TB test or screening was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. An Emergency Information Form was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A criminal background check has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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. First Aid training has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. CPR certification has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .1102(d) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A valid qualification letter was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1811 Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. A shelter-in-place or lockdown drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(u);.0302(d)(8) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A medical action plan was not on file for a child with a seizure disorder. .0801(b) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by March 21, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K staff requirements, including items which must be completed prior to or on the first day of employment. As discussed, criminal background check applications must be completed prior to hire, and valid qualification letters must be on file for all Pre-K staff members. Today, a qualification letter was not on file for staff member J. Brown, and her qualification could not be verified in the ABCMS system. I shared with you, Ms. Leinthall, that she had to leave the Pre-K classrooms immediately and could not return without a valid qualification letter. I advised you to replace her with the third staff member assigned to Space #112 to maintain compliance with staff/child ratios in both spaces, and you did so. We also discussed that Ms. Brown had not yet completed health requirements including proof of a negative TB test or screening, health questionnaire, emergency information form and medical report. You provided Ms. Brown with blank forms and advised her to call her doctor to schedule a TB test and physical before she left the building. I emailed Ms. Brown the instructions for completing her criminal background check application, and you assisted her with getting a fingerprinting appointment. You must send copies of all required documentation with your compliance letter, and ensure Ms. Brown does not return to work without a valid qualification letter, medical report and proof of negative TB test or screening. You must also send proof of registration in or completion of an approved CPR and First Aid course for Ms. Brown. As discussed, I am happy to review these requirements with anyone in the Central Office who may need to know, to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was also provided today regarding maintaining program records. As discussed, drills must be conducted regularly for the safety of the children, and they must be documented on the drill record to maintain compliance. Monthly playground inspections are also required for the safety of the children. You must send a copy of the completed drill record with your compliance letter once you are able to obtain dates on which drills were conducted. You must also send a copy of a playground inspection completed this month. Moving forwards, I urged you to use calendar reminders to ensure items are completed and documented within required timeframes. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for J. Brady to verify compliance. For the safety of the children, hazardous cleaning supplies, including those kept under pressure in an aerosol can, as well as medications must be kept in locked storage. The definition of locked storage requires that the lock be unlocked with some type of device such as a key or combination. Regular childproofing locks do not meet this requirement. As discussed, emergency medications do not need to be locked but must be stored at least five feet from the floor. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding children who bring food from home. As discussed, as long as you continue to provide the school’s meals and snacks which meet UDSA Meal Patterns, you may serve additional food as needed. Potentially hazardous foods must be stored according to sanitation requirements, and all lunch boxes should be labeled with the child’s name and date. You may use dorm style refrigerators in the classrooms as long as you use thermometers to ensure the correct temperature. You may review Sanitation Rule 15A NCAC 18A .2806 for more information. Today I also advised that you ensure children with IEP’s requiring them to have access to food at different times of the day are still washing their hands and eating food from previously sanitized surfaces as required. Today you asked about new playground equipment and fall zone requirements. As discussed, any new equipment purchased must be approved for commercial use and installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. Instructions must be kept on file. Equipment which is not movable must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. NCRLAP’s gross motor requirements also say that even movable equipment must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. You also asked about synthetic surfacing. As discussed, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0605 states your options for protective surfacing shall be either: (1) loose surfacing material, including wood mulch, double shredded bark mulch, uniform wood chips, fine sand, coarse sand, and pea gravel, except that pea gravel shall not be used if the area will be used by children under three years of age. Loose surfacing material shall not be installed over concrete; or (2) other materials that have been certified by the manufacturer to be shock-absorbing protective material in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard F 1292, may be used if installed, maintained, and replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions. This standard is incorporated by reference and does include subsequent editions. This standard may be found online at https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1292.htm for a cost of sixty-five dollars ($65.00). Please let me know if you have further questions. Rated License Information As discussed during the annual compliance visit, your program was placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments. Your planning/preparation year will begin 7/1/24 and run through 6/30/25, and your reassessment will be due between 7/1/25 and 6/30/26. Since you typically have the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales- Revised (ECERS-R) completed as part of the reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. As a reminder, NC Pre-K programs must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R to remain in compliance with program requirements. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today, including that new Lead Teacher M. Santos has been evaluated with her four year degree. As discussed, D. Troy must submit official transcripts for evaluation, and J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. J. Brown must register for an account, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised January 1, 2024, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. Modules are also now available to review rule changes in the Child Care Rule Rollout section of Moodle. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2024 Number Present: 26 Completed Date: 3/7/2024 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 206 Time In: 08:49 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27, 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #110 were observed in a group morning meeting, during which Ms. Oram shared special event updates and assisted children with choosing centers for free choice time. After the meeting, children were observed working on literacy programs on individual tablets, building towers with magnet tiles, working with playdough and pretending to cook and serve food in the dramatic play kitchen. Screen time requirements were in compliance. Children in Space #112 were observed on the fenced in playground prior to transitioning back to their classroom. In the classroom, they were observed in free choice and small group activities including playing alphabet Bingo with one of the staff members, reading books with another staff member, and doing color mixing activities. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 was observed on the playground, using riding toys, climbing and sliding on the stationary equipment, and playing basketball. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of spaghetti or chicken drumstick, with garlic knots, steamed broccoli, salad, chilled pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated her plan for the fence extension on the playground was approved, and the fence should be installed in April. She stated they are also researching options for a new synthetic type of surfacing to put in the fall zones. As discussed during the Annual Compliance visit, if the fence is installed according to the plans, the new outdoor capacity would be 33 children at one time. Two new staff members have been hired since the annual compliance visit. Files were monitored today. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The Site Monitoring Tool for the 2023-2024 school year was signed by Terri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist, after a virtual review on November 8, 2023. Items needing corrective action were not noted. Information for new staff members was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan, and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. It was verified today that teacher assistants are enrolled in either Associate’s Degree programs for Early Childhood Education or coursework towards the Child Development Associate credential. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. A fire drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 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. An aerosol can of disinfectant was observed unlocked in Space #112. .2820(b) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. A bottle of Pepto Bismol reported as for staff use only was observed unlocked in Space #110. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 859 Monthly playground inspections were not completed and/or they were not completed by an individual trained in playground safety requirements. Monthly playground inspections have not been documented since August 2023. .0605(q) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. A medical report was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. Proof of a negative TB test or screening was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. An Emergency Information Form was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A criminal background check has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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. First Aid training has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. CPR certification has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .1102(d) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A valid qualification letter was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1811 Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. A shelter-in-place or lockdown drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(u);.0302(d)(8) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A medical action plan was not on file for a child with a seizure disorder. .0801(b) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by March 21, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K staff requirements, including items which must be completed prior to or on the first day of employment. As discussed, criminal background check applications must be completed prior to hire, and valid qualification letters must be on file for all Pre-K staff members. Today, a qualification letter was not on file for staff member J. Brown, and her qualification could not be verified in the ABCMS system. I shared with you, Ms. Leinthall, that she had to leave the Pre-K classrooms immediately and could not return without a valid qualification letter. I advised you to replace her with the third staff member assigned to Space #112 to maintain compliance with staff/child ratios in both spaces, and you did so. We also discussed that Ms. Brown had not yet completed health requirements including proof of a negative TB test or screening, health questionnaire, emergency information form and medical report. You provided Ms. Brown with blank forms and advised her to call her doctor to schedule a TB test and physical before she left the building. I emailed Ms. Brown the instructions for completing her criminal background check application, and you assisted her with getting a fingerprinting appointment. You must send copies of all required documentation with your compliance letter, and ensure Ms. Brown does not return to work without a valid qualification letter, medical report and proof of negative TB test or screening. You must also send proof of registration in or completion of an approved CPR and First Aid course for Ms. Brown. As discussed, I am happy to review these requirements with anyone in the Central Office who may need to know, to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was also provided today regarding maintaining program records. As discussed, drills must be conducted regularly for the safety of the children, and they must be documented on the drill record to maintain compliance. Monthly playground inspections are also required for the safety of the children. You must send a copy of the completed drill record with your compliance letter once you are able to obtain dates on which drills were conducted. You must also send a copy of a playground inspection completed this month. Moving forwards, I urged you to use calendar reminders to ensure items are completed and documented within required timeframes. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for J. Brady to verify compliance. For the safety of the children, hazardous cleaning supplies, including those kept under pressure in an aerosol can, as well as medications must be kept in locked storage. The definition of locked storage requires that the lock be unlocked with some type of device such as a key or combination. Regular childproofing locks do not meet this requirement. As discussed, emergency medications do not need to be locked but must be stored at least five feet from the floor. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding children who bring food from home. As discussed, as long as you continue to provide the school’s meals and snacks which meet UDSA Meal Patterns, you may serve additional food as needed. Potentially hazardous foods must be stored according to sanitation requirements, and all lunch boxes should be labeled with the child’s name and date. You may use dorm style refrigerators in the classrooms as long as you use thermometers to ensure the correct temperature. You may review Sanitation Rule 15A NCAC 18A .2806 for more information. Today I also advised that you ensure children with IEP’s requiring them to have access to food at different times of the day are still washing their hands and eating food from previously sanitized surfaces as required. Today you asked about new playground equipment and fall zone requirements. As discussed, any new equipment purchased must be approved for commercial use and installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. Instructions must be kept on file. Equipment which is not movable must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. NCRLAP’s gross motor requirements also say that even movable equipment must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. You also asked about synthetic surfacing. As discussed, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0605 states your options for protective surfacing shall be either: (1) loose surfacing material, including wood mulch, double shredded bark mulch, uniform wood chips, fine sand, coarse sand, and pea gravel, except that pea gravel shall not be used if the area will be used by children under three years of age. Loose surfacing material shall not be installed over concrete; or (2) other materials that have been certified by the manufacturer to be shock-absorbing protective material in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard F 1292, may be used if installed, maintained, and replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions. This standard is incorporated by reference and does include subsequent editions. This standard may be found online at https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1292.htm for a cost of sixty-five dollars ($65.00). Please let me know if you have further questions. Rated License Information As discussed during the annual compliance visit, your program was placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments. Your planning/preparation year will begin 7/1/24 and run through 6/30/25, and your reassessment will be due between 7/1/25 and 6/30/26. Since you typically have the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales- Revised (ECERS-R) completed as part of the reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. As a reminder, NC Pre-K programs must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R to remain in compliance with program requirements. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today, including that new Lead Teacher M. Santos has been evaluated with her four year degree. As discussed, D. Troy must submit official transcripts for evaluation, and J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. J. Brown must register for an account, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised January 1, 2024, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. Modules are also now available to review rule changes in the Child Care Rule Rollout section of Moodle. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 3/7/2024 Number Present: 26 Completed Date: 3/7/2024 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 206 Time In: 08:49 AM Time Out: 12:15 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 7 points in Education, and one Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted September 28, 2023. A Superior sanitation rating was earned January 30, 2024, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27, 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 91%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teachers, M. Oram and M. Santos, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #110 were observed in a group morning meeting, during which Ms. Oram shared special event updates and assisted children with choosing centers for free choice time. After the meeting, children were observed working on literacy programs on individual tablets, building towers with magnet tiles, working with playdough and pretending to cook and serve food in the dramatic play kitchen. Screen time requirements were in compliance. Children in Space #112 were observed on the fenced in playground prior to transitioning back to their classroom. In the classroom, they were observed in free choice and small group activities including playing alphabet Bingo with one of the staff members, reading books with another staff member, and doing color mixing activities. After free choice activities, the group enrolled in Space #110 was observed on the playground, using riding toys, climbing and sliding on the stationary equipment, and playing basketball. Lunch served in the classrooms consisted of a choice of spaghetti or chicken drumstick, with garlic knots, steamed broccoli, salad, chilled pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated her plan for the fence extension on the playground was approved, and the fence should be installed in April. She stated they are also researching options for a new synthetic type of surfacing to put in the fall zones. As discussed during the Annual Compliance visit, if the fence is installed according to the plans, the new outdoor capacity would be 33 children at one time. Two new staff members have been hired since the annual compliance visit. Files were monitored today. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The Site Monitoring Tool for the 2023-2024 school year was signed by Terri Ard, NC Pre-K Specialist, after a virtual review on November 8, 2023. Items needing corrective action were not noted. Information for new staff members was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan, and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. It was verified today that teacher assistants are enrolled in either Associate’s Degree programs for Early Childhood Education or coursework towards the Child Development Associate credential. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 805 Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. A fire drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(t); .0302(d)(5) 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. An aerosol can of disinfectant was observed unlocked in Space #112. .2820(b) 841 Medications including prescription and non-prescription items were not stored in a locked cabinet or other locked container. A bottle of Pepto Bismol reported as for staff use only was observed unlocked in Space #110. 15A NCAC 18A .2820(d) 859 Monthly playground inspections were not completed and/or they were not completed by an individual trained in playground safety requirements. Monthly playground inspections have not been documented since August 2023. .0605(q) 1032 Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. A medical report was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) 1033 On or before the first day of work, all staff, including the director and individuals who volunteer more than once per week did not provide results indicating that they were free of active TB and/or TB test or screening was older than 12 months. Proof of a negative TB test or screening was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1034 All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. A health questionnaire was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. An Emergency Information Form was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .0701(a) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A criminal background check has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 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. First Aid training has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .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. CPR certification has not been completed for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. .1102(d) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A valid qualification letter was not on file for a staff member who began employment in October 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1811 Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. A shelter-in-place or lockdown drill has not been recorded since August 2023. .0604(u);.0302(d)(8) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A medical action plan was not on file for a child with a seizure disorder. .0801(b) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by March 21, 2024. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K staff requirements, including items which must be completed prior to or on the first day of employment. As discussed, criminal background check applications must be completed prior to hire, and valid qualification letters must be on file for all Pre-K staff members. Today, a qualification letter was not on file for staff member J. Brown, and her qualification could not be verified in the ABCMS system. I shared with you, Ms. Leinthall, that she had to leave the Pre-K classrooms immediately and could not return without a valid qualification letter. I advised you to replace her with the third staff member assigned to Space #112 to maintain compliance with staff/child ratios in both spaces, and you did so. We also discussed that Ms. Brown had not yet completed health requirements including proof of a negative TB test or screening, health questionnaire, emergency information form and medical report. You provided Ms. Brown with blank forms and advised her to call her doctor to schedule a TB test and physical before she left the building. I emailed Ms. Brown the instructions for completing her criminal background check application, and you assisted her with getting a fingerprinting appointment. You must send copies of all required documentation with your compliance letter, and ensure Ms. Brown does not return to work without a valid qualification letter, medical report and proof of negative TB test or screening. You must also send proof of registration in or completion of an approved CPR and First Aid course for Ms. Brown. As discussed, I am happy to review these requirements with anyone in the Central Office who may need to know, to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was also provided today regarding maintaining program records. As discussed, drills must be conducted regularly for the safety of the children, and they must be documented on the drill record to maintain compliance. Monthly playground inspections are also required for the safety of the children. You must send a copy of the completed drill record with your compliance letter once you are able to obtain dates on which drills were conducted. You must also send a copy of a playground inspection completed this month. Moving forwards, I urged you to use calendar reminders to ensure items are completed and documented within required timeframes. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for J. Brady to verify compliance. For the safety of the children, hazardous cleaning supplies, including those kept under pressure in an aerosol can, as well as medications must be kept in locked storage. The definition of locked storage requires that the lock be unlocked with some type of device such as a key or combination. Regular childproofing locks do not meet this requirement. As discussed, emergency medications do not need to be locked but must be stored at least five feet from the floor. Technical Assistance Technical assistance was also provided today regarding children who bring food from home. As discussed, as long as you continue to provide the school’s meals and snacks which meet UDSA Meal Patterns, you may serve additional food as needed. Potentially hazardous foods must be stored according to sanitation requirements, and all lunch boxes should be labeled with the child’s name and date. You may use dorm style refrigerators in the classrooms as long as you use thermometers to ensure the correct temperature. You may review Sanitation Rule 15A NCAC 18A .2806 for more information. Today I also advised that you ensure children with IEP’s requiring them to have access to food at different times of the day are still washing their hands and eating food from previously sanitized surfaces as required. Today you asked about new playground equipment and fall zone requirements. As discussed, any new equipment purchased must be approved for commercial use and installed according to manufacturer’s instructions. Instructions must be kept on file. Equipment which is not movable must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. NCRLAP’s gross motor requirements also say that even movable equipment must be installed over resilient surfacing if the fall height is over 18 inches. You also asked about synthetic surfacing. As discussed, Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0605 states your options for protective surfacing shall be either: (1) loose surfacing material, including wood mulch, double shredded bark mulch, uniform wood chips, fine sand, coarse sand, and pea gravel, except that pea gravel shall not be used if the area will be used by children under three years of age. Loose surfacing material shall not be installed over concrete; or (2) other materials that have been certified by the manufacturer to be shock-absorbing protective material in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard F 1292, may be used if installed, maintained, and replaced according to the manufacturer's instructions. This standard is incorporated by reference and does include subsequent editions. This standard may be found online at https://www.astm.org/Standards/F1292.htm for a cost of sixty-five dollars ($65.00). Please let me know if you have further questions. Rated License Information As discussed during the annual compliance visit, your program was placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments. Your planning/preparation year will begin 7/1/24 and run through 6/30/25, and your reassessment will be due between 7/1/25 and 6/30/26. Since you typically have the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales- Revised (ECERS-R) completed as part of the reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. As a reminder, NC Pre-K programs must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R to remain in compliance with program requirements. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today, including that new Lead Teacher M. Santos has been evaluated with her four year degree. As discussed, D. Troy must submit official transcripts for evaluation, and J. Bress must apply for a DPI Teacher position, uploading the same form she used with her first application. J. Brown must register for an account, apply for both DPI Teacher and Teacher Assistant positions, and submit the required form with official transcripts as well. It is critical that all staff members have updated accounts in WORKS to ensure appropriate Education points are awarded during the reassessment process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised January 1, 2024, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. Modules are also now available to review rule changes in the Child Care Rule Rollout section of Moodle. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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 .1102 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/28/2023 Number Present: 27 Completed Date: 9/28/2023 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 190 Time In: 08:40 AM Time Out: 11:50 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted October 4, 2022. A Superior sanitation rating was earned June 7, 2023, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 92%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teacher, M. Oram, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including working at the writing table, coloring with crayons at the art table, building bridges in the block center, and playing educational games on tablets. Screen time requirements were monitored and in compliance. Next, this group transitioned to outdoor play time, during which they rode tricycles, used the climbing structure and played with sand toys in the sand boxes. Children in Space #112 were also initially observed in free choice activities. They pretended to cook in the dramatic play center, played with doll house furniture, and worked with manipulatives in the fine motor center. After free choice activities, this group was served lunch in their classroom. Lunch consisted of a choice of chicken alfredo or corn dog, with garlic knots, broccoli, sliced carrots, pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated she has requested to use some recently awarded NC Pre-K funding to expand and enhance the playground. Ms. Oram emailed a copy of a plan for the fence extension to add square footage, and a Space Calculation Worksheet was completed to determine what the new playground capacity would be. It was discussed with all staff members that using the recently revised enhanced space requirement of 100 square feet per child, the current playground capacity is 26 children at one time. However, if the fence is extended as proposed, the new capacity would be 33 children at one time. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers have completed developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 714 Openings in equipment, steps, decks, handrails, and fencing were not less than 3 1/2 inches or greater than 9 inches. Several holes at the bottom of the fence surrounding the playground measured between 3 1/2 and 9 inches. .0605(g) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program September 8, 2023 but was not qualified to work in child care until September 14, 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program without a valid qualification letter on file. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A child with a fire ant allergy requiring an Epi-pen did not have an allergy action plan attached to her application. .0801(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. A thin layer of mulch over sand and dirt was observed in several areas of the fall zone surrounding the climbing structure, rather than six inches as required by the height of the equipment. (REPEATED) .0605(k)(1-4) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 12, 2023. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K substitute staff requirements, including valid criminal background qualification letters. Today, it was confirmed that substitute staff member Karen Connor began employment without a qualification letter, however she was qualified to work in child care September 14, 2023. As discussed, substitute staff members should not be placed in Pre-K classrooms unless valid qualification letters are on file. A copy of the substitute staff file checklist was emailed to you today. Moving forward, I urged you to request a list of Pre-K qualified substitutes from the Central Office to help ensure only qualified substitutes are placed in the Pre-K classrooms. I also suggested you review the qualifications of some of the full-time teacher assistants, as they may have been required to get qualification letters and could be used as substitutes in the Pre-K program if they meet the other requirements as well. Please send a compliance letter stating any changes you have made or will make to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was provided regarding maintaining resilient surfacing in fall zones on the playground during the Routine Unannounced visit January 11, 2023. As stated then and again today, I urge you to have the existing mulch tilled for resiliency, then measure to determine if additional mulch should be added. Please pay attention to high use areas such as the ends of the slides and climbing ladder. For the safety of the children, you must also ensure all openings in equipment and fencing measure less than three and a half inches or greater than nine inches to avoid entrapment hazards. Today I suggested you request that maintenance staff tamp down the sections of fence which have lifted from the ground to create these hazards. You must send pictures of tilled and/or added mulch throughout the fall zone as well as fence repairs to verify compliance. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for K. Clary to verify compliance. Rated License Information Your facility’s three-year rated license reassessment was due in January 2023 but was not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed, your program was not penalized for missing the deadline, and your license remains in a “hold harmless” state until June 30, 2024, when mandatory reassessments will resume. Your facility has been placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments, which means 7/1/24-6/30/25 will be your planning/preparation year, and 7/1/25-6/30/26 will be the year your reassessment is due. Since you typically have the ECERS-R completed as part of your reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, Ms. Leinthall’s evaluation is now complete, however J. Bress must still apply for both DPI Teacher and DPI Teacher Assistant positions, upload the required form, and upload official transcripts to complete her evaluation. When the new lead teacher for Space #110 is hired, you must also ensure he or she completes the WORKS evaluation process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised July 1, 2023, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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: ratio. Open / not marked corrected.

10A NCAC 09 .3009 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/28/2023 Number Present: 27 Completed Date: 9/28/2023 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 190 Time In: 08:40 AM Time Out: 11:50 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted October 4, 2022. A Superior sanitation rating was earned June 7, 2023, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 92%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teacher, M. Oram, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including working at the writing table, coloring with crayons at the art table, building bridges in the block center, and playing educational games on tablets. Screen time requirements were monitored and in compliance. Next, this group transitioned to outdoor play time, during which they rode tricycles, used the climbing structure and played with sand toys in the sand boxes. Children in Space #112 were also initially observed in free choice activities. They pretended to cook in the dramatic play center, played with doll house furniture, and worked with manipulatives in the fine motor center. After free choice activities, this group was served lunch in their classroom. Lunch consisted of a choice of chicken alfredo or corn dog, with garlic knots, broccoli, sliced carrots, pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated she has requested to use some recently awarded NC Pre-K funding to expand and enhance the playground. Ms. Oram emailed a copy of a plan for the fence extension to add square footage, and a Space Calculation Worksheet was completed to determine what the new playground capacity would be. It was discussed with all staff members that using the recently revised enhanced space requirement of 100 square feet per child, the current playground capacity is 26 children at one time. However, if the fence is extended as proposed, the new capacity would be 33 children at one time. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers have completed developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 714 Openings in equipment, steps, decks, handrails, and fencing were not less than 3 1/2 inches or greater than 9 inches. Several holes at the bottom of the fence surrounding the playground measured between 3 1/2 and 9 inches. .0605(g) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program September 8, 2023 but was not qualified to work in child care until September 14, 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program without a valid qualification letter on file. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A child with a fire ant allergy requiring an Epi-pen did not have an allergy action plan attached to her application. .0801(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. A thin layer of mulch over sand and dirt was observed in several areas of the fall zone surrounding the climbing structure, rather than six inches as required by the height of the equipment. (REPEATED) .0605(k)(1-4) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 12, 2023. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K substitute staff requirements, including valid criminal background qualification letters. Today, it was confirmed that substitute staff member Karen Connor began employment without a qualification letter, however she was qualified to work in child care September 14, 2023. As discussed, substitute staff members should not be placed in Pre-K classrooms unless valid qualification letters are on file. A copy of the substitute staff file checklist was emailed to you today. Moving forward, I urged you to request a list of Pre-K qualified substitutes from the Central Office to help ensure only qualified substitutes are placed in the Pre-K classrooms. I also suggested you review the qualifications of some of the full-time teacher assistants, as they may have been required to get qualification letters and could be used as substitutes in the Pre-K program if they meet the other requirements as well. Please send a compliance letter stating any changes you have made or will make to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was provided regarding maintaining resilient surfacing in fall zones on the playground during the Routine Unannounced visit January 11, 2023. As stated then and again today, I urge you to have the existing mulch tilled for resiliency, then measure to determine if additional mulch should be added. Please pay attention to high use areas such as the ends of the slides and climbing ladder. For the safety of the children, you must also ensure all openings in equipment and fencing measure less than three and a half inches or greater than nine inches to avoid entrapment hazards. Today I suggested you request that maintenance staff tamp down the sections of fence which have lifted from the ground to create these hazards. You must send pictures of tilled and/or added mulch throughout the fall zone as well as fence repairs to verify compliance. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for K. Clary to verify compliance. Rated License Information Your facility’s three-year rated license reassessment was due in January 2023 but was not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed, your program was not penalized for missing the deadline, and your license remains in a “hold harmless” state until June 30, 2024, when mandatory reassessments will resume. Your facility has been placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments, which means 7/1/24-6/30/25 will be your planning/preparation year, and 7/1/25-6/30/26 will be the year your reassessment is due. Since you typically have the ECERS-R completed as part of your reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, Ms. Leinthall’s evaluation is now complete, however J. Bress must still apply for both DPI Teacher and DPI Teacher Assistant positions, upload the required form, and upload official transcripts to complete her evaluation. When the new lead teacher for Space #110 is hired, you must also ensure he or she completes the WORKS evaluation process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised July 1, 2023, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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

G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/28/2023 Number Present: 27 Completed Date: 9/28/2023 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 190 Time In: 08:40 AM Time Out: 11:50 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted October 4, 2022. A Superior sanitation rating was earned June 7, 2023, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 92%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teacher, M. Oram, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including working at the writing table, coloring with crayons at the art table, building bridges in the block center, and playing educational games on tablets. Screen time requirements were monitored and in compliance. Next, this group transitioned to outdoor play time, during which they rode tricycles, used the climbing structure and played with sand toys in the sand boxes. Children in Space #112 were also initially observed in free choice activities. They pretended to cook in the dramatic play center, played with doll house furniture, and worked with manipulatives in the fine motor center. After free choice activities, this group was served lunch in their classroom. Lunch consisted of a choice of chicken alfredo or corn dog, with garlic knots, broccoli, sliced carrots, pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated she has requested to use some recently awarded NC Pre-K funding to expand and enhance the playground. Ms. Oram emailed a copy of a plan for the fence extension to add square footage, and a Space Calculation Worksheet was completed to determine what the new playground capacity would be. It was discussed with all staff members that using the recently revised enhanced space requirement of 100 square feet per child, the current playground capacity is 26 children at one time. However, if the fence is extended as proposed, the new capacity would be 33 children at one time. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers have completed developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 714 Openings in equipment, steps, decks, handrails, and fencing were not less than 3 1/2 inches or greater than 9 inches. Several holes at the bottom of the fence surrounding the playground measured between 3 1/2 and 9 inches. .0605(g) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program September 8, 2023 but was not qualified to work in child care until September 14, 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program without a valid qualification letter on file. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A child with a fire ant allergy requiring an Epi-pen did not have an allergy action plan attached to her application. .0801(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. A thin layer of mulch over sand and dirt was observed in several areas of the fall zone surrounding the climbing structure, rather than six inches as required by the height of the equipment. (REPEATED) .0605(k)(1-4) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 12, 2023. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K substitute staff requirements, including valid criminal background qualification letters. Today, it was confirmed that substitute staff member Karen Connor began employment without a qualification letter, however she was qualified to work in child care September 14, 2023. As discussed, substitute staff members should not be placed in Pre-K classrooms unless valid qualification letters are on file. A copy of the substitute staff file checklist was emailed to you today. Moving forward, I urged you to request a list of Pre-K qualified substitutes from the Central Office to help ensure only qualified substitutes are placed in the Pre-K classrooms. I also suggested you review the qualifications of some of the full-time teacher assistants, as they may have been required to get qualification letters and could be used as substitutes in the Pre-K program if they meet the other requirements as well. Please send a compliance letter stating any changes you have made or will make to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was provided regarding maintaining resilient surfacing in fall zones on the playground during the Routine Unannounced visit January 11, 2023. As stated then and again today, I urge you to have the existing mulch tilled for resiliency, then measure to determine if additional mulch should be added. Please pay attention to high use areas such as the ends of the slides and climbing ladder. For the safety of the children, you must also ensure all openings in equipment and fencing measure less than three and a half inches or greater than nine inches to avoid entrapment hazards. Today I suggested you request that maintenance staff tamp down the sections of fence which have lifted from the ground to create these hazards. You must send pictures of tilled and/or added mulch throughout the fall zone as well as fence repairs to verify compliance. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for K. Clary to verify compliance. Rated License Information Your facility’s three-year rated license reassessment was due in January 2023 but was not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed, your program was not penalized for missing the deadline, and your license remains in a “hold harmless” state until June 30, 2024, when mandatory reassessments will resume. Your facility has been placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments, which means 7/1/24-6/30/25 will be your planning/preparation year, and 7/1/25-6/30/26 will be the year your reassessment is due. Since you typically have the ECERS-R completed as part of your reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, Ms. Leinthall’s evaluation is now complete, however J. Bress must still apply for both DPI Teacher and DPI Teacher Assistant positions, upload the required form, and upload official transcripts to complete her evaluation. When the new lead teacher for Space #110 is hired, you must also ensure he or she completes the WORKS evaluation process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised July 1, 2023, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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: ACME-DELCO ELEMENTARY PRE-K Facility ID: 24000121 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 9/28/2023 Number Present: 27 Completed Date: 9/28/2023 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 190 Time In: 08:40 AM Time Out: 11:50 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to this visit type. This facility currently operates with a Five Star License issued January 21, 2020. Restrictions on the permit include: a first shift capacity of 41 children 3-6 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one. Restrictions were in compliance today. The facility was also monitored for implementing an approved curriculum with children four years of age as required by the star rating; this program uses Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. The last annual compliance visit was conducted October 4, 2022. A Superior sanitation rating was earned June 7, 2023, and a fire inspection was conducted September 27 2023; the facility was approved for day time care only. Prior to the visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 92%. Administrator, K. Leinthall, and Lead Teacher, M. Oram, were present and available for consultation today. Three indoor spaces and one outdoor space are approved for use by children; only two indoor spaces are currently in use. Upon arrival, children in Space #112 were observed in free choice activities including working at the writing table, coloring with crayons at the art table, building bridges in the block center, and playing educational games on tablets. Screen time requirements were monitored and in compliance. Next, this group transitioned to outdoor play time, during which they rode tricycles, used the climbing structure and played with sand toys in the sand boxes. Children in Space #112 were also initially observed in free choice activities. They pretended to cook in the dramatic play center, played with doll house furniture, and worked with manipulatives in the fine motor center. After free choice activities, this group was served lunch in their classroom. Lunch consisted of a choice of chicken alfredo or corn dog, with garlic knots, broccoli, sliced carrots, pears and milk. Today Ms. Oram stated she has requested to use some recently awarded NC Pre-K funding to expand and enhance the playground. Ms. Oram emailed a copy of a plan for the fence extension to add square footage, and a Space Calculation Worksheet was completed to determine what the new playground capacity would be. It was discussed with all staff members that using the recently revised enhanced space requirement of 100 square feet per child, the current playground capacity is 26 children at one time. However, if the fence is extended as proposed, the new capacity would be 33 children at one time. Health and Safety training requirements as outlined in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .1102 were monitored today. All staff members employed for one year have completed all topics as required. Staff members employed more than five years have repeated all topics as required. NC Pre-K Site Monitoring Both spaces in use are operated as NC Pre-K classrooms. The NC Pre-K requirements in Section .3000 of the Child Care Rules were monitored for compliance today. Staff-child ratios and maximum group sizes required in Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .3009 were verified in compliance. Children in this program attend from 8:00am to 3:00pm, meeting the instructional day requirement of 6.5 hours. This NC Pre-K program uses Creative Curriculum, Brigance Developmental screening, and Teaching Strategies Gold for their ongoing assessments. Lead teachers have completed developmental screenings and are collecting health assessments including vision, hearing, and dental screenings as required. Ms. Oram stated parents are aware of the 30-day deadline for health forms and will not be allowed to attend if documentation is not submitted on time. NC Pre-K staff information was verified in the NC Pre-K Plan and all staff members including substitutes meet requirements for qualifications. The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) score earned on 11-13-19 was 5.03. Another ECERS-R assessment was not conducted within three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however today staff members stated they understood the NC Pre-K program must score at least a 5.0 on the ECERS-R during the facility’s next rated license reassessment to remain in compliance. Child Care programs are expected to always achieve and maintain compliance with child care rules, 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 following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately: Violation Number Comment Rule 714 Openings in equipment, steps, decks, handrails, and fencing were not less than 3 1/2 inches or greater than 9 inches. Several holes at the bottom of the fence surrounding the playground measured between 3 1/2 and 9 inches. .0605(g) 1041 Prior to employment a Criminal Background Check was not completed. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program September 8, 2023 but was not qualified to work in child care until September 14, 2023. G.S. 110-90.2(b) 1757 A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. A substitute staff member began employment in the Pre-K program without a valid qualification letter on file. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & (d) & .2703(e) 1834 Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A child with a fire ant allergy requiring an Epi-pen did not have an allergy action plan attached to her application. .0801(b) 1867 The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. A thin layer of mulch over sand and dirt was observed in several areas of the fall zone surrounding the climbing structure, rather than six inches as required by the height of the equipment. (REPEATED) .0605(k)(1-4) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by October 12, 2023. Include any supporting documentation with your response (if applicable). Your letter will be used as verification that violations have been corrected and compliance is maintained; your written response is considered a legal document so must be accurate and truthful. If you email the compliance letter, it must be sent using the email address registered with DCDEE and include your facility name and ID number. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. Technical Assistance Regarding Violations Cited Technical assistance was provided today regarding Pre-K substitute staff requirements, including valid criminal background qualification letters. Today, it was confirmed that substitute staff member Karen Connor began employment without a qualification letter, however she was qualified to work in child care September 14, 2023. As discussed, substitute staff members should not be placed in Pre-K classrooms unless valid qualification letters are on file. A copy of the substitute staff file checklist was emailed to you today. Moving forward, I urged you to request a list of Pre-K qualified substitutes from the Central Office to help ensure only qualified substitutes are placed in the Pre-K classrooms. I also suggested you review the qualifications of some of the full-time teacher assistants, as they may have been required to get qualification letters and could be used as substitutes in the Pre-K program if they meet the other requirements as well. Please send a compliance letter stating any changes you have made or will make to ensure only qualified staff are placed in Pre-K classrooms moving forward. Technical assistance was provided regarding maintaining resilient surfacing in fall zones on the playground during the Routine Unannounced visit January 11, 2023. As stated then and again today, I urge you to have the existing mulch tilled for resiliency, then measure to determine if additional mulch should be added. Please pay attention to high use areas such as the ends of the slides and climbing ladder. For the safety of the children, you must also ensure all openings in equipment and fencing measure less than three and a half inches or greater than nine inches to avoid entrapment hazards. Today I suggested you request that maintenance staff tamp down the sections of fence which have lifted from the ground to create these hazards. You must send pictures of tilled and/or added mulch throughout the fall zone as well as fence repairs to verify compliance. For any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services, a medical action plan shall be attached to the application. The medical action plan shall be completed by the child's parent or a health care professional and should be filed with the medication authorization form. Please send a copy of the completed action plan for K. Clary to verify compliance. Rated License Information Your facility’s three-year rated license reassessment was due in January 2023 but was not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As discussed, your program was not penalized for missing the deadline, and your license remains in a “hold harmless” state until June 30, 2024, when mandatory reassessments will resume. Your facility has been placed in “Cohort 2” of the cohort model of resuming reassessments, which means 7/1/24-6/30/25 will be your planning/preparation year, and 7/1/25-6/30/26 will be the year your reassessment is due. Since you typically have the ECERS-R completed as part of your reassessment process, today I encouraged you to visit www.ncrlap.org for more information about things you can do to prepare. This includes requesting an outreach assessment this year, and/or requesting a real assessment during your planning year which may or may not be used towards your rated license the next year. You may also wish to contact the Columbus County Partnership for Children and/or Region 4 CCR&R staff to assist with your ECERS-R preparation. Regarding Education standards, information from DCDEE WORKS was shared with you today. As discussed, Ms. Leinthall’s evaluation is now complete, however J. Bress must still apply for both DPI Teacher and DPI Teacher Assistant positions, upload the required form, and upload official transcripts to complete her evaluation. When the new lead teacher for Space #110 is hired, you must also ensure he or she completes the WORKS evaluation process. Please let me know if you need assistance with the WORKS portal. Reminders Child Care Rules were revised July 1, 2023, and a new rule book was posted to the DCDEE website. As discussed, you should discard any old versions of the rules and ensure you are referring to the most current rule book when reviewing or researching requirements. For more information regarding the “cohort model” of resuming rated license reassessments, and opportunities for training and technical assistance as you prepare for a reassessment, you may visit https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/Resuming-Star-Rated-License. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, reviewed with you, and emailed to you. Please remember it is your responsibility to comply with all child care rules and requirements at all times. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact me at 910-338-7038 or amy.wangler@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