10A NCAC 09 .1102 · Violation

Name of Operation: GROW EARLY LEARNING WHITEVILLE CENTER Facility ID: 24000154 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/30/2024 Number Present: 42 Completed Date: 10/30/2024 Age: From 0 To 4 Total Minutes: 240 Time In: 09:00 AM Time Out: 01:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my 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 August 9, 2019, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 5 points in Education and 1 Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 84 children 0-5 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one in each age group. Restrictions were in compliance today. The program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum as required for all four and five star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled; this program uses The Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, the non-profit corporation which owns the facility, was verified as current and active with the NC Secretary of State’s Office on October 28, 2024. The last annual compliance visit was conducted May 30, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was obtained July 17, 2024, and a satisfactory fire inspection was conducted April 9, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care. Prior to today’s visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 98%. Administrator, C. Cobb, was present and available for consultation today. Seven indoor spaces are approved for use by children; only five are currently being used for child care. Infants and children one year of age enrolled in Space #3 were observed transitioning from the outdoor space indoors. Staff members washed their hands and placed them in classroom play areas, giving non-mobile infants materials to use. Safe sleep practices including documentation were monitored and in compliance today. Children one through three years of age in Space #2 were observed in free choice activities including working on puzzles and playing with plastic animals. Children one and two years of age enrolled in Spaces #5 and 7 were observed in diaper changing routines and free choice activities including playing with puppets and looking at books. Next, both of these groups transitioned to a fenced in playground, where they used the climber, played with balls and engaged in sand play in the sand box. In Space #6, preschool children were observed in free choice activities including pretending to feed baby dolls, building towers with Duplo blocks, and looking at books. Lunch served consisted of pinto beans with brown rice and corn, pears, and milk. Staff members were observed sitting with children and assisting them with eating as needed. After lunch, children transitioned to rest time routines. They rested on appropriately spaced cots with individual linens. Lights were dimmed and soft music played. 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. 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 318 Children between 12 and 24 months of age were grouped with children 3 years of age or older. A child 20 months of age has been grouped with a child 3 years of age for the past three days. 10A NCAC 09 .0713(a)(6) 542 The written feeding plan was not modified as the child's needs changed. Several feeding plans were not fully completed or not updated as the child's needs changed. 10 NCAC 09 .0902(a) 1065 Child care providers scheduled to work in the infant room, did not complete ITS-SIDS training within two months of employment or did not complete the training every three years. Child care administrators did not complete the ITS-SIDS training within 90 days of employment and every three years thereafter. Two staff members who began employment in June 2024 and are scheduled to work in the infant room have not yet completed ITS-SIDS training. .1102(f) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by November 13, 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 Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0713 (a)(6) which states that children between 12 and 24 months of age may not be grouped with older children unless all children are under three years of age. Today you stated the only three-year-old child enrolled in Space #2, which also has a 20-month-old enrolled, turned three over the past weekend and you did plan to move him up to the preschool classroom as you do not feel it is developmentally appropriate and your facility closes in a little over a week for the season. When I brought the violation to your attention, you stated you would speak with the mother of the three-year-old child to see how she felt about moving him. We also reviewed Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0713 (a)(3), which allows for one child two years of age or older to be placed with younger children with a physician’s statement that the placement is appropriate for the child’s developmental age. You shared this option with the child’s mother during the visit, as she stated she did not want him to move, and you stated the mother was going to ask for a physician’s statement at the child’s well check visit tomorrow. You must send a copy of the statement to verify correction of the violation if you wish to continue the child’s enrollment in Space #2. Today we also discussed reviewing infant feeding plans for completion and ensuring parents or guardians not only discuss but document any changes with caregivers before they occur. This will ensure all caregivers have complete information regarding amounts and frequencies of feedings as well as types of food and beverages to be served for each child. Please send copies of completed/updated feeding plans to verify compliance. Current ITS-SIDS certification is critical for staff members who work with infants, as they must be informed of the research surrounding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and aware of the risk factors which may be reduced through safe sleep practices in child care. Since your two newest staff members are scheduled to work with infants, they must be certified as soon as possible and at least one child care provider with current certification must be present in the infant room at all times. Please send copies of ITS-SIDS certifications to verify compliance. Rated License Information As discussed, since the May 30, 2024 visit, the “hold harmless” clause for rated license reassessments was extended to allow time for new rules regarding how star ratings are earned to be put in place. Your request for Environment Rating Scales (ERS) was cancelled and you were told to wait for further information regarding when your next reassessment would be required. Today I shared some basic information with you regarding proposed rules, as well as information from Session Law 2023-2024 regarding the accreditation licensure pathway. Since your facility has NAEYC accreditation which doesn’t expire until November 1, 2028, you may choose this pathway to maintain your star rated license. Currently, the only requirements are a compliance history score of at least 75% and current accreditation. If you wish to apply for this option now, please see instructions below: 1. Request assessment in writing to your consultant, and complete the ‘Request to Use Accreditation Licensure Pathway to Earn a Star Rated License form’ (can share via email) 2. Submit the form and a copy of the Accreditation Award or Certificate to your consultant for review and processing. You may do this at any time, or wait until you learn when your reassessment will be required. As discussed, Education and Quality points do not need to be evaluated using this option. Reminders Due to the nature of violations cited, an unannounced follow-up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance. Criminal records qualification letters for some of your staff expire in December. I strongly encourage you to ask them to submit information for requalification ahead of schedule, to avoid any potential delays. Applications may be sent as early as six months prior to expiration. To access the online portal for criminal background checks, please visit https://ncchildcarecbc.nc.gov/. You must schedule and obtain an approved fire inspection by April 9, 2025. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, printed and reviewed with 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.

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: GROW EARLY LEARNING WHITEVILLE CENTER Facility ID: 24000154 Consultant: AMY WANGLER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 10/30/2024 Number Present: 42 Completed Date: 10/30/2024 Age: From 0 To 4 Total Minutes: 240 Time In: 09:00 AM Time Out: 01:00 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of my 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 August 9, 2019, earning 7 points in Program Standards, 5 points in Education and 1 Quality point. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 84 children 0-5 years of age, meets enhanced space, and meets enhanced ratios minus one in each age group. Restrictions were in compliance today. The program was also monitored for compliance with implementing an approved curriculum as required for all four and five star licensed facilities where four-year-old children are enrolled; this program uses The Creative Curriculum, Guided Edition. East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, the non-profit corporation which owns the facility, was verified as current and active with the NC Secretary of State’s Office on October 28, 2024. The last annual compliance visit was conducted May 30, 2024. A Superior sanitation rating was obtained July 17, 2024, and a satisfactory fire inspection was conducted April 9, 2024; the facility was approved for day time care. Prior to today’s visit, the facility had an eighteen-month compliance history score of 98%. Administrator, C. Cobb, was present and available for consultation today. Seven indoor spaces are approved for use by children; only five are currently being used for child care. Infants and children one year of age enrolled in Space #3 were observed transitioning from the outdoor space indoors. Staff members washed their hands and placed them in classroom play areas, giving non-mobile infants materials to use. Safe sleep practices including documentation were monitored and in compliance today. Children one through three years of age in Space #2 were observed in free choice activities including working on puzzles and playing with plastic animals. Children one and two years of age enrolled in Spaces #5 and 7 were observed in diaper changing routines and free choice activities including playing with puppets and looking at books. Next, both of these groups transitioned to a fenced in playground, where they used the climber, played with balls and engaged in sand play in the sand box. In Space #6, preschool children were observed in free choice activities including pretending to feed baby dolls, building towers with Duplo blocks, and looking at books. Lunch served consisted of pinto beans with brown rice and corn, pears, and milk. Staff members were observed sitting with children and assisting them with eating as needed. After lunch, children transitioned to rest time routines. They rested on appropriately spaced cots with individual linens. Lights were dimmed and soft music played. 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. 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 318 Children between 12 and 24 months of age were grouped with children 3 years of age or older. A child 20 months of age has been grouped with a child 3 years of age for the past three days. 10A NCAC 09 .0713(a)(6) 542 The written feeding plan was not modified as the child's needs changed. Several feeding plans were not fully completed or not updated as the child's needs changed. 10 NCAC 09 .0902(a) 1065 Child care providers scheduled to work in the infant room, did not complete ITS-SIDS training within two months of employment or did not complete the training every three years. Child care administrators did not complete the ITS-SIDS training within 90 days of employment and every three years thereafter. Two staff members who began employment in June 2024 and are scheduled to work in the infant room have not yet completed ITS-SIDS training. .1102(f) A compliance letter including detailed information about how all violations have been corrected must be received by November 13, 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 Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0713 (a)(6) which states that children between 12 and 24 months of age may not be grouped with older children unless all children are under three years of age. Today you stated the only three-year-old child enrolled in Space #2, which also has a 20-month-old enrolled, turned three over the past weekend and you did plan to move him up to the preschool classroom as you do not feel it is developmentally appropriate and your facility closes in a little over a week for the season. When I brought the violation to your attention, you stated you would speak with the mother of the three-year-old child to see how she felt about moving him. We also reviewed Child Care Rule 10A NCAC 09 .0713 (a)(3), which allows for one child two years of age or older to be placed with younger children with a physician’s statement that the placement is appropriate for the child’s developmental age. You shared this option with the child’s mother during the visit, as she stated she did not want him to move, and you stated the mother was going to ask for a physician’s statement at the child’s well check visit tomorrow. You must send a copy of the statement to verify correction of the violation if you wish to continue the child’s enrollment in Space #2. Today we also discussed reviewing infant feeding plans for completion and ensuring parents or guardians not only discuss but document any changes with caregivers before they occur. This will ensure all caregivers have complete information regarding amounts and frequencies of feedings as well as types of food and beverages to be served for each child. Please send copies of completed/updated feeding plans to verify compliance. Current ITS-SIDS certification is critical for staff members who work with infants, as they must be informed of the research surrounding Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and aware of the risk factors which may be reduced through safe sleep practices in child care. Since your two newest staff members are scheduled to work with infants, they must be certified as soon as possible and at least one child care provider with current certification must be present in the infant room at all times. Please send copies of ITS-SIDS certifications to verify compliance. Rated License Information As discussed, since the May 30, 2024 visit, the “hold harmless” clause for rated license reassessments was extended to allow time for new rules regarding how star ratings are earned to be put in place. Your request for Environment Rating Scales (ERS) was cancelled and you were told to wait for further information regarding when your next reassessment would be required. Today I shared some basic information with you regarding proposed rules, as well as information from Session Law 2023-2024 regarding the accreditation licensure pathway. Since your facility has NAEYC accreditation which doesn’t expire until November 1, 2028, you may choose this pathway to maintain your star rated license. Currently, the only requirements are a compliance history score of at least 75% and current accreditation. If you wish to apply for this option now, please see instructions below: 1. Request assessment in writing to your consultant, and complete the ‘Request to Use Accreditation Licensure Pathway to Earn a Star Rated License form’ (can share via email) 2. Submit the form and a copy of the Accreditation Award or Certificate to your consultant for review and processing. You may do this at any time, or wait until you learn when your reassessment will be required. As discussed, Education and Quality points do not need to be evaluated using this option. Reminders Due to the nature of violations cited, an unannounced follow-up visit may be conducted in the near future to verify compliance. Criminal records qualification letters for some of your staff expire in December. I strongly encourage you to ask them to submit information for requalification ahead of schedule, to avoid any potential delays. Applications may be sent as early as six months prior to expiration. To access the online portal for criminal background checks, please visit https://ncchildcarecbc.nc.gov/. You must schedule and obtain an approved fire inspection by April 9, 2025. At the end of this visit, documentation was completed electronically, printed and reviewed with 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.