G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: STEP BY STEP Facility ID: 33000191 Consultant: KESHIA HAYWARD Operation Type: Family CC Home Case Number: Visit Date: 5/21/2025 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 5/21/2025 Age: From 2 To 5 Total Minutes: 95 Time In: 09:25 AM Time Out: 11:00 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Family CC Home Type Of Visit: Routine Unannounced Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor your facility for compliance with applicable child care requirements during a routine unannounced visit. Patricia Spruill, Owner/Operator, assisted with the visit. Five (5) children were observed in care today ranging from ages two to five years old. Children were observed completing diapering and hand washing routines, and playing with material/toys in the space designated for child care and interacting with the caregiver. You provided children materials to complete a drawing activity. Children were allowed to assist with distributing the materials. Children were cared for in a safe and nurturing environment. Currently this family child care home operates with a Five-Star License earning seven points in education standards, six points in program standards and one quality point for caring for no more than two infants under age one. The last annual compliance visit was conducted on January 25, 2025. The following violation of the child care requirements was documented today. Violation Number Comment Rule 1847 A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers, as defined in G.S. 110-90.2(a)(2), who were hired or moved into the child care facility within five business days. Documentation was not available to verify the operator completed the ABCMS training as required. G.S. 110-90.2 & .2703(r) The violation documented must be corrected immediately. Send a compliance letter to me either through email or postal mail on or before June 4, 2025. The compliance letter should be sent to Keshia Hayward at PO Box 1504 Greenville NC 27834 or email keshi.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov. COMPLIANCE HISTORY: The program's compliance history was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was 99% as of May 21, 2025. FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: You stated the mailing address, phone number and email address listed for your family child care home is correct. If changes in your facility information occurs, please contact your child care consultant April Fleming at telephone number 252-214-2709 or email keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure the information is updated in the system. LICENSEE: You are listed as the sole proprietor on the child care license. Prior to changing the facility name and/or ownership (i.e., forming a corporation), please contact me to discuss changes in ownership procedures. Failure to comply may affect your child care license. AUTOMATED BACKGROUND CHECK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ABCMS) Training: You stated you have completed the ABCMS training; however, the regulatory system does not reflect information for your program. You were not able to find the certificate or access the system to verify the completion of the training. YI advised you to contact the criminal background check unit to obtain assistance with accessing the system to retrieve your certificate. Once the certificate is retrieved, print a copy for your records. A code will also be received to link household members to your program in the portal. Coming Soon! Elevate Family Child Care Homes Project Are you a 3–5-star Family Child Care Home (FCCH) provider participating in North Carolina’s subsidized child care program? DCDEE is excited to announce a new upcoming opportunity for FCCH providers in partnership with University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. The Elevate Family Child Care Homes Project is a pilot program offering financial support to better align quality with compensation for home-based early care providers. You may be eligible for a limited-time opportunity to receive monthly payments and professional support to grow your business and strengthen your care for young children. What’s in it for you.. -Extra payment for 6 months -Monthly training focused on social-emotional development -Connect with other providers in monthly communities of practice -Ongoing support & evaluation to guide improvements -Gift card incentives for completing evaluation surveys What's expected from you? If selected, you’ll be asked to: •Attend an info session •Submit an online application •Join monthly webinars & community calls •Complete professional development sessions (at your own pace) •Complete short surveys and check-ins Pilot-eligible providers will receive an email in the next couple weeks with instructions on how to learn more. Note: Previous PDG FCCH subsidy pilot participants are not eligible for this opportunity. The Elevate Family Child Care Homes Project is funded by the Preschool Development Grant Birth–Five Renewal Grant and aims to help North Carolina Family Child Care Homes improve quality, boost compensation, and prevent program closures. Your input will help shape the future of child care in North Carolina! NEW ECE Apprenticeship Pathway Opportunities for N.C.! The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) continues its work with early childhood education apprenticeship programs through its Building Bright Futures (BBF) and North Carolina Career Launch (NCCL) initiatives. In partnership with BBF and ApprenticeshipNC, Early Years was honored to register the first statewide Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Apprenticeship Programs in North Carolina on October 31, 2024. Registered apprenticeship programs include paid on-the-job training under the guidance of a mentor, related supplemental instruction, and the opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials. In addition, the components of TEACH Early Childhood® scholarships for associate and bachelor’s degrees have always mirrored the elements of an apprenticeship program, creating the foundation for this well-rounded and supportive program. NCBCE’s newest initiative, North Carolina Career Launch (NCCL), focuses on supporting the high school pre-apprenticeship to apprenticeship pathway. High school students can take the Introduction to Early Childhood Education class and complete work-based learning hours with an employer, while receiving guidance, support, and financial incentives from NCCL. These pre-apprenticeships can lead to apprenticeship opportunities for post-secondary education and employment. For more information, contact Morgan Ford at morgan.ford@nc.gov The information above was retrieved from the Raise NC newsletter. DCDEE RESOURCES: I recommended you periodically visit the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/ under the "What's New" tab to stay abreast of updated information provided. You can also complete training modules located in MOODLE platform, access provider's documents, and the child care rules and laws. At the end of this visit, the visit summary report was printed, reviewed with you, and a copy left for your records. CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions about today’s visit, my contact information is listed above. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or email susan.fuller@dhhs.nc.gov. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

G.S.110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: STEP BY STEP Facility ID: 33000191 Consultant: KESHIA HAYWARD Operation Type: Family CC Home Case Number: Visit Date: 2/15/2024 Number Present: 5 Completed Date: 2/15/2024 Age: From 2 To 4 Total Minutes: 135 Time In: 08:25 AM Time Out: 10:40 AM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Family CC Home Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s visit was to monitor this program for compliance with applicable child care requirements during an annual compliance visit. P. Spruill, Owner/Operator assisted with the visit. This center currently operates with a five-star license, earning seven points in the education component, six points in the program standard component and 1 quality point for serving no more than two infants under age one. The last annual compliance visit was completed on March 7, 2023. Five children were observed in care ranging from ages two to four years old. Children were engaged in free choice play with developmentally age-appropriate materials/toys in the space designated for child care, completing toileting and hand washing routines, eating snack, and interacting with the caregiver. Snack consisted on Cheezit crackers and milk. The following violations were documented today. Violation Number Comment Rule 925 Signed and dated statement which attests that a copy of the discipline policy was given to and discussed with a parent/guardian of each child prior to enrollment was not on file in the home. Documentation was not on file to acknowledging the program’s discipline police was given to and discussed with a parent/guardian of one preschool child enrolled. G.S.110-91(10); .1727(a)&(b) 1876 The operator did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information is current. The last EPR review date documented was August 16, 2022. .1714(e ) The violations documented must be corrected immediately. Please send a compliance verification letter to me describing how the violations were corrected. You can submit the compliance verification letter by postal mail to Keshia Hayward, PO Box 1504 Greenville NC 27834, or email keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov. The compliance verification letter must be received on or before February 29, 2024. The two-week time frame is established to allow you time for submitting your compliance verification letter. This timeframe is not intended to be used as a guide for correcting violations, as they should be corrected immediately. Please be aware that any written information submitted by you regarding correction of violations documented during the visit is legal documentation. Therefore, it is important that all information submitted be accurate and truthful. Please be aware that if it is determined information submitted was inaccurate or willfully falsified, an Administrative Action, including Revocation of the facility's Star Rated License could be issued. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit will be conducted. The center’s compliance history score was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was (96%) as of February 14, 2024. OWNERSHIP STATUS: Patricia Spruill is listed as the current owner of this family child care home. Prior to making any changes to the ownership status (ex. forming a corporation), contact me to discuss change of ownership procedures. FACILITY PROFILE INFORMATION: You verified the phone number, mailing address and email address listed on the facility profile are correct. If changes in your facility’s information occur in the future, contact me at 252-214-2709 or email keshia.hayward@dhhs.nc.gov to discuss the changes and ensure accurate information is updated in our system. MEDICATION: You stated medication is not administered to children. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE (EPR): The last date documented for review of the emergency preparedness and response plan was August 16, 2022. You stated you must have forgot to complete the review this year. I advised you to complete the EPR review today in the Risk Management Portal and print page twenty-eight from the plan to add to the plan for verification of the review. You stated you would complete the review today. It was suggested scheduling an annual date for completing the EPR plan review to ensure it is completed as required. DISCIPLINE POLICY: A copy of the discipline policy was observed in the child’s file; however, it was not signed by a parent/guardian. You stated you were not aware the policy didn’t have a signature. You stated you would have the parent sign the discipline policy during drop off this afternoon. It was recommended reviewing children files upon receipt of documentation to ensure information is accurate and all required documentation has been signed. RATED LICENSE: We discussed steps that will be taken when the rated license assessment process resume. I reminded you that your program is in Cohort 1; therefore, this is your preparation year. You stated there have been no changes in your education status, so points would remain the same. Based on information provided and review of enrollment, you are still eligible to meet the quality point for serving no more than two infants under age one. You stated you wanted to wait until the required time to complete the Environment Rating Scale assessment. I reminded you the three-month self-assessment must be completed, and documentation provided when the rated license assessment is completed. Also, you should contact your local partnership for technical assistance as part of your preparation. Your previous environment rating scale assessment report can be used to guide when you begin preparing for the scales. I will contact you about a technical assistance visit in the future. RULE CHANGES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2024 Training Modules Available in DCDEE Moodle The Child Care Commission adopted child care rule changes in January 2024. Changes relate to definitions; lead and asbestos for centers and family child care homes; building requirements for family child care homes; multi-unit child care centers; and criminal background checks. Consultants will assist as you begin to review and implement the changes, but please note, some of the rule changes may or may not impact your facility. An example is the rules in section .2600 for multi-unit child care center. These rules are specific to child care centers with multiple licensed centers within one building. Please ensure you are using the updated January 2024 rule book, and view information in the DCDEE Moodle (enroll if necessary). You will need to have an NCID - the same NCID that you use for the health & safety training, WORKS login, and/or the CBC Portal - to participate in Moodle training. If you do not have an NCID, use this link to get one: https://ncid.nc.gov. Rule training modules can be found in the same course as the October 2017 Child Care Rule Rollout. If you are unfamiliar with the Child Care Rule Rollout within Moodle and how to navigate, please visit: https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Learning-Resources/How-to-Navigate-Moodle. To get help with Moodle, email DCDEE_Moodle_Support@dhhs.nc.gov or call (919) 814-9326. HSB Webinar: LET’S TALK ABOUT FEELINGS: A free talk-to-the-experts webinar presented by the Healthy Social Behaviors Helpline advisors! Emotional literacy is crucial for children’s learning and school readiness. Join us as we discuss strategies to help young children use emotional literacy to build friendship and problem-solving skills! Tuesday, February 20th 7:00-8:00 PM Click to join the webinar! Meeting ID: 367 799 7738 COMING SOON! Provider Access to the Background Check Management System DCDEE is ready to launch the Provider Portal for ABCMS on February 1, 2024. This access will allow providers to: •See applicants that associate themselves with their facility and allow them to “hire” the applicant to their roster •See the real-time background check status of staff members •Run a printable report of the staff roster to assist with compliance visits To gain access to the Provider Portal complete the ABCMS Child Care Provider Portal Training on DCDEE's Moodle. The training consists of watching a short video then taking a test about the video. A certificate will be issued upon successful completion of the test. Email the certificate along with your full name, position and Facility ID to DCDEE_ABCMS_Provider@dhhs.nc.gov to get access to the portal. We will grant your access within 2 business days. Please do not use this email account to ask background check questions. If you have general questions, please continue to use DHHS.CBC.Unit@dhhs.nc.gov. UNC CHILD CARE WORKFORCE RESEARCH STUDY: UNC is seeking staff or administrators at Child Care Centers or Family Child Care Homes. To participate in the study, they would like you to tell them about your program’s infant and toddler feeding practices. Your responses will guide recommendations for NC ECE policy and workforce development. Receive a $50 e-gift card + have the option to enter a drawing valued at $325. To participate in this research study and learn more visit: bit.ly/3GN7125. At the conclusion of this visit, the visit summary report was completed, reviewed, and left with you. CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have questions regarding today’s visit, my contact information is listed above. You may also contact Licensing Supervisor, Susan Fuller at 252-373-9809 or email susan.fuller@dhhs.nc.gov. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.