NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: A HAPPY HOME CHILD CARE Facility ID: 55000184 Consultant: KRISTEN R. MAUNEY Operation Type: Family CC Home Case Number: Visit Date: 5/14/2026 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 5/14/2026 Age: From 0 To 2 Total Minutes: 144 Time In: 09:36 AM Time Out: 12:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Family CC Home Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements, including health and safety. The visit was conducted with you, Marcia Smith, Operator. You provided me with applicable program, staff, and children’s records for review. Tammy McGalliard, Licensing Supervisor, accompanied me. The most recent annual compliance visit was conducted on June 5, 2025. Your facility currently operates with a three-star rated license effective January 13, 2026, meeting daytime care (1st shift), 2nd shift, overnight care (3rd shift), and the fireplace/woodstove not used during operating hours. This facility has earned two points in program standards, five points in staff education, and one quality point for having completed a business training course of at least thirty clock hours. The license was posted, and the restrictions were in compliance. The program’s compliance history was 100 percent prior to today’s visit. You stated your Family Child Care Home (FCCH) business is not incorporated. Per NC General Statute 110-91(7)(b), you are currently following the FCCH capacity option two. A family child care home is allowed to provide care for one of the following groups of children, including the operator's own preschool age children and excluding the operator's own school age children up to 13 years of age: 1. A maximum of eight children, with no more than five children who are from birth to 5 years of age, plus three school age children. 2. A maximum of three children from birth to 24 months of age, plus three children from 2 to 5 years of age and three school age children up to 13 years of age, for a total of nine children. 3. A maximum of 10 children if all children are older than 24 months of age. You stated you currently do not have any school-age children enrolled nor any children enrolled on second and third shifts. Five children, nine months to two years of age, were present today. Children were observed during gross motor activities outdoors and handwashing routines. The caregiver was actively involved with the children. Five children, nine months to two years of age, were currently enrolled. A checklist was used to note the requirements I monitored today. The FCCH and Centers Located in a Residence Operator’s Statements of Responsibility form and the Verification of Required Information for Operator and Additional Caregivers form were completed and signed during today’s visit. Your staff records were monitored during the visit. A selection of children’s records were reviewed. The most recent outdoor inspection checklist was completed on April 4, 2026. The most recent fire drill was conducted on May 12, 2026, at 8:50am. The most recent quarterly lockdown/shelter-in-place drill was conducted on April 7, 2026, at 4:00pm. Your Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan was updated on January 6, 2026. You stated you do not have any medications for children, including diaper rash creams and sunscreen. You also stated you do not provide transportation. Your Criminal Background Check Qualifying letter was reviewed and was in compliance. Your lead water test was completed on February 19, 2024. You may check your results by visiting https://www.cleanwaterforuskids.org/en/carolina/. This website indicated no asbestos or lead paint hazards were identified at your facility. The violation observed today was discussed with you and documented in the Visit Summary left with you at the conclusion of this visit. The following violation was observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 1922 Plastic bags, toys, and toy parts small enough to be swallowed, including but not limited to materials that can be easily torn apart such as foam rubber and styrofoam, were accessible to children under the age of three. In an unlocked cabinet outdoors on the deck, a tub of sidewalk chalk containing several small pieces of chalk, less than one inch in length, were accessible to children nine months to two years of age. .1719(a)(18) Child care programs are expected to achieve and maintain compliance at all times and are required by NC GS 110-90(4)(d) to achieve and maintain an eighteen-month compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. Technical Assistance for the violations observed was provided on the following: Choking hazards- -The operator moved the tub of chalk to a shelf in the cabinet above five feet from the floor during the visit. The operator of a family child care home shall provide a physically safe and healthy indoor and outdoor environment that meets the developmental needs of children in care, including not having plastic bags, toys, and toy parts small enough to be swallowed accessible to children under three years of age. This includes materials that can be easily torn apart such as foam rubber and Styrofoam, except that Styrofoam plates may be used for food service and larger pieces of foam rubber may be used for supervised art activities. I suggested checking all cabinets, closets, storage areas, and pantries at the beginning of each day to ensure all small toys and materials, such as small crayons and chalk, are stored at a vertical distance of five feet above the finished floor or kept in locked storage. I also suggested creating a daily safety checklist of items to look for in your indoor and outdoor environment. Consultation (the following information was discussed with you): -I reminded you that per your safe sleep policy, toys and stuffed animals will be removed from the crib when the infant is sleeping. No infants were sleeping during the visit; however, toys were observed in a pack and play. I reminded you to remove the toys prior to putting an infant to sleep in the pack and play. -We discussed potential toxic plants. I provided you with a Toxic Plants document. QRIS Pathways to the Stars: -I suggested that you begin reviewing the new QRIS Pathway to Stars by visiting https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization. Your next rated license reassessment is due June 2028. Reminders and Resources: -Providers can speak to a Behavior Support Advisor for advice and resources specific to the challenging behaviors in their classroom by calling 1-888-600-1685 Option 1. Providers may also submit questions to a Behavior Support Advisor online and receive a call or email in response. In addition, providers may post questions in the ‘Talk to the Expert’ Group on an online network, Social Emotional Connections, for early childhood educators. There are also opportunities to join free webinars on challenging topics or classroom activities. For a flyer including active links to access these resources, please reach out to me and I will send this to you via email. I encouraged you to place a copy of the flyer in each classroom so that staff may access the information when needed. -Moodle Support: The Division offers early childhood professionals a wide range of professional development opportunities through our online learning platform Moodle. To get help with Moodle, email at DCDEE_Moodle_Support@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-6326. 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 printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions about today’s visit, please contact me or my supervisor, Tammy McGalliard, at 828-782-0718 or Tammy.McGalliard@dhhs.nc.gov. Thank you for your time and assistance today. If I can be of further assistance, you may contact me at 704-853-9196 or Kristen.Mauney@dhhs.nc.gov. Kristen Mauney, Child Care Consultant PO Box 674, Denver, NC 28037 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