Foundations Early Learning Center #251

10A NCAC 09 .0901 · Violation

Name of Operation: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/2/2026 Number Present: 58 Completed Date: 6/2/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 148 Time In: 11:42 AM Time Out: 02:10 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a second temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. Current Inspections are as follows: Sanitation Inspection with ten (10) demerits and a classification of Superior completed March 26, 2026 Fire Inspection, approved for daytime only, dated February 16, 2026. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Children are not currently enrolled in spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11. Children enrolled in space 7 were in space 5 for rest time. Children enrolled in space 9 were combined in space 10 during today’s visit. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. Four infants were asleep in cribs. Safe sleep documentation had not been completed. Staff stated they had been unable to complete the documentation as they were attending to the needs of other children. Two infants were being held for a bottle feeding and other infants were on the floor playing with various toys. Toddlers and younger preschool children were observed resting and napping on their cots. Each child had individual linens. The lights were off; the windows provided ample light for supervision. Older preschool children were having lunch. Lunch today consisted of turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe and milk. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. New staff records and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed May 21, 2026. A fire drill was conducted May 20, 2026 and a shelter in place drill was completed May 18, 2026. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. the activity plan for spaces 1, 2, 3, and 10 were not current or not available. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. Bottles for two children present in space 1 were not dated. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. In space 1, safe sleep checks for four children were not documented. .0606(g) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and date weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. Bottles: Before placing bottles in the refrigerator ensure they are labeled with the child’s name and the current date. Safe Sleep: The frequency of visual checks should be included in your Safe Sleep Policy and followed. Visual checks must be documented every 15 minutes. Consider using a timer to ensure visual checks are completed and documented within the required timeframe. Various sample sleeping charts are available to you on the DCDEE website, under the “provider documents” tab. Safe sleep checks must be kept for each child and kept on file for a minimum of one month. Rated License Assessment: Discussions occurred with A. Feder regarding the two-component star rated license on March 10, 2026, April 1, 2026, and today using resources available on the QRIS Modernization Page, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization . All the newest information on the QRIS rated license assessments and documents are currently posted here. I reviewed each of the pathway options; Pathway 1 - Program Assessment, Pathway 2 - Classroom and Instructional Quality, and touched on Pathway 3 - Accreditation and Head Start. We identified facility needs, and I answered questions to assist the operator with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five (August) of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. Star levels are determined by meeting the requirements at each star level within the pathway chosen. I provided TA and consultation regarding the Family and Community Engagement Standards CQI, and Professional Development Plans. The following documents were reviewed with A. Feder. The facility has chosen Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: Each classroom is in the process of completing a 3-month ERS Self-Study using the appropriate ECERS-3 or ITERS-3 using either the Thinking More About Language or Thinking More About Activities worksheets. We reviewed information available on the NC Rated License Assessment website, www.ncrlap.org,including training and forms for the three-month self-study and other resources (videos, documents, live and recorded training). When the 3-month self-studies are completed, the administrator will complete and submit the Self-Study Verification Form. Copies of the individual self-studies will need to be available for review. 1) Application for Assessment for a Rated License for Centers must be completed and submitted to me. This was emailed to you during today’s visit. 2) Staff/Child Ratio or Space Option: On the application, you will indicated that you will meet enhanced staff/child ratio as outlined in 10A NCAC 09 .3208, and/ or enhanced space. Today, I verified that both enhanced staff/child ratio and enhanced space are in place and being maintained. 3) Staff Education Standards: The facility will complete the QRIS Staff Information and Education Worksheet submit it to me along with and applicable staff WORKS’ letters no later than 5:00pm on July 31, 2026. Ensure all staff education is accurately reflected in WORKS. Education must be current in WORKS by the fifth month (August) of the temporary time period so I can verify the eligible star level for education standards. 4) Family and Community Engagement Plan: Today we reviewed the Family and Community Engagement Plan. A. Feder reviewed the Foundational Practices and described how the center already meets these required practices. Striving for 5-Stars, the facility will also select four optional practices, one from each of the three categories plus a fourth one. The facility will create collect documentation of the practices including pictures, flyers, newsletters, emails, etc. 5) Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Professional Development (PD) Plan Individual: Annual Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI/PD) plans for administrators and staff members with caregiving responsibilities will be on file. A Facility CQI Plan will also be completed, and will document progress on the Programmatic goal to improve the consistency and quality of daily experiences for all children. 6) Program Assessment Self-Study: Once the self-assessments have been completed A. Feder will complete the facility self-study verification form. 7) Program Assessment: The facility will complete a request for their ERS assessments and submit it to me no later than June 12, 2026. Failure to request your assessment by June 12, 2026, may result in your license being processed without the results of your assessment. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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 .3208 · Violation

Name of Operation: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/2/2026 Number Present: 58 Completed Date: 6/2/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 148 Time In: 11:42 AM Time Out: 02:10 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a second temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. Current Inspections are as follows: Sanitation Inspection with ten (10) demerits and a classification of Superior completed March 26, 2026 Fire Inspection, approved for daytime only, dated February 16, 2026. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Children are not currently enrolled in spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11. Children enrolled in space 7 were in space 5 for rest time. Children enrolled in space 9 were combined in space 10 during today’s visit. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. Four infants were asleep in cribs. Safe sleep documentation had not been completed. Staff stated they had been unable to complete the documentation as they were attending to the needs of other children. Two infants were being held for a bottle feeding and other infants were on the floor playing with various toys. Toddlers and younger preschool children were observed resting and napping on their cots. Each child had individual linens. The lights were off; the windows provided ample light for supervision. Older preschool children were having lunch. Lunch today consisted of turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe and milk. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. New staff records and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed May 21, 2026. A fire drill was conducted May 20, 2026 and a shelter in place drill was completed May 18, 2026. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. the activity plan for spaces 1, 2, 3, and 10 were not current or not available. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. Bottles for two children present in space 1 were not dated. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. In space 1, safe sleep checks for four children were not documented. .0606(g) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and date weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. Bottles: Before placing bottles in the refrigerator ensure they are labeled with the child’s name and the current date. Safe Sleep: The frequency of visual checks should be included in your Safe Sleep Policy and followed. Visual checks must be documented every 15 minutes. Consider using a timer to ensure visual checks are completed and documented within the required timeframe. Various sample sleeping charts are available to you on the DCDEE website, under the “provider documents” tab. Safe sleep checks must be kept for each child and kept on file for a minimum of one month. Rated License Assessment: Discussions occurred with A. Feder regarding the two-component star rated license on March 10, 2026, April 1, 2026, and today using resources available on the QRIS Modernization Page, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization . All the newest information on the QRIS rated license assessments and documents are currently posted here. I reviewed each of the pathway options; Pathway 1 - Program Assessment, Pathway 2 - Classroom and Instructional Quality, and touched on Pathway 3 - Accreditation and Head Start. We identified facility needs, and I answered questions to assist the operator with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five (August) of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. Star levels are determined by meeting the requirements at each star level within the pathway chosen. I provided TA and consultation regarding the Family and Community Engagement Standards CQI, and Professional Development Plans. The following documents were reviewed with A. Feder. The facility has chosen Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: Each classroom is in the process of completing a 3-month ERS Self-Study using the appropriate ECERS-3 or ITERS-3 using either the Thinking More About Language or Thinking More About Activities worksheets. We reviewed information available on the NC Rated License Assessment website, www.ncrlap.org,including training and forms for the three-month self-study and other resources (videos, documents, live and recorded training). When the 3-month self-studies are completed, the administrator will complete and submit the Self-Study Verification Form. Copies of the individual self-studies will need to be available for review. 1) Application for Assessment for a Rated License for Centers must be completed and submitted to me. This was emailed to you during today’s visit. 2) Staff/Child Ratio or Space Option: On the application, you will indicated that you will meet enhanced staff/child ratio as outlined in 10A NCAC 09 .3208, and/ or enhanced space. Today, I verified that both enhanced staff/child ratio and enhanced space are in place and being maintained. 3) Staff Education Standards: The facility will complete the QRIS Staff Information and Education Worksheet submit it to me along with and applicable staff WORKS’ letters no later than 5:00pm on July 31, 2026. Ensure all staff education is accurately reflected in WORKS. Education must be current in WORKS by the fifth month (August) of the temporary time period so I can verify the eligible star level for education standards. 4) Family and Community Engagement Plan: Today we reviewed the Family and Community Engagement Plan. A. Feder reviewed the Foundational Practices and described how the center already meets these required practices. Striving for 5-Stars, the facility will also select four optional practices, one from each of the three categories plus a fourth one. The facility will create collect documentation of the practices including pictures, flyers, newsletters, emails, etc. 5) Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Professional Development (PD) Plan Individual: Annual Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI/PD) plans for administrators and staff members with caregiving responsibilities will be on file. A Facility CQI Plan will also be completed, and will document progress on the Programmatic goal to improve the consistency and quality of daily experiences for all children. 6) Program Assessment Self-Study: Once the self-assessments have been completed A. Feder will complete the facility self-study verification form. 7) Program Assessment: The facility will complete a request for their ERS assessments and submit it to me no later than June 12, 2026. Failure to request your assessment by June 12, 2026, may result in your license being processed without the results of your assessment. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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

GS 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/2/2026 Number Present: 58 Completed Date: 6/2/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 148 Time In: 11:42 AM Time Out: 02:10 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a second temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. Current Inspections are as follows: Sanitation Inspection with ten (10) demerits and a classification of Superior completed March 26, 2026 Fire Inspection, approved for daytime only, dated February 16, 2026. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Children are not currently enrolled in spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11. Children enrolled in space 7 were in space 5 for rest time. Children enrolled in space 9 were combined in space 10 during today’s visit. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. Four infants were asleep in cribs. Safe sleep documentation had not been completed. Staff stated they had been unable to complete the documentation as they were attending to the needs of other children. Two infants were being held for a bottle feeding and other infants were on the floor playing with various toys. Toddlers and younger preschool children were observed resting and napping on their cots. Each child had individual linens. The lights were off; the windows provided ample light for supervision. Older preschool children were having lunch. Lunch today consisted of turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe and milk. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. New staff records and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed May 21, 2026. A fire drill was conducted May 20, 2026 and a shelter in place drill was completed May 18, 2026. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. the activity plan for spaces 1, 2, 3, and 10 were not current or not available. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. Bottles for two children present in space 1 were not dated. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. In space 1, safe sleep checks for four children were not documented. .0606(g) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and date weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. Bottles: Before placing bottles in the refrigerator ensure they are labeled with the child’s name and the current date. Safe Sleep: The frequency of visual checks should be included in your Safe Sleep Policy and followed. Visual checks must be documented every 15 minutes. Consider using a timer to ensure visual checks are completed and documented within the required timeframe. Various sample sleeping charts are available to you on the DCDEE website, under the “provider documents” tab. Safe sleep checks must be kept for each child and kept on file for a minimum of one month. Rated License Assessment: Discussions occurred with A. Feder regarding the two-component star rated license on March 10, 2026, April 1, 2026, and today using resources available on the QRIS Modernization Page, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization . All the newest information on the QRIS rated license assessments and documents are currently posted here. I reviewed each of the pathway options; Pathway 1 - Program Assessment, Pathway 2 - Classroom and Instructional Quality, and touched on Pathway 3 - Accreditation and Head Start. We identified facility needs, and I answered questions to assist the operator with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five (August) of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. Star levels are determined by meeting the requirements at each star level within the pathway chosen. I provided TA and consultation regarding the Family and Community Engagement Standards CQI, and Professional Development Plans. The following documents were reviewed with A. Feder. The facility has chosen Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: Each classroom is in the process of completing a 3-month ERS Self-Study using the appropriate ECERS-3 or ITERS-3 using either the Thinking More About Language or Thinking More About Activities worksheets. We reviewed information available on the NC Rated License Assessment website, www.ncrlap.org,including training and forms for the three-month self-study and other resources (videos, documents, live and recorded training). When the 3-month self-studies are completed, the administrator will complete and submit the Self-Study Verification Form. Copies of the individual self-studies will need to be available for review. 1) Application for Assessment for a Rated License for Centers must be completed and submitted to me. This was emailed to you during today’s visit. 2) Staff/Child Ratio or Space Option: On the application, you will indicated that you will meet enhanced staff/child ratio as outlined in 10A NCAC 09 .3208, and/ or enhanced space. Today, I verified that both enhanced staff/child ratio and enhanced space are in place and being maintained. 3) Staff Education Standards: The facility will complete the QRIS Staff Information and Education Worksheet submit it to me along with and applicable staff WORKS’ letters no later than 5:00pm on July 31, 2026. Ensure all staff education is accurately reflected in WORKS. Education must be current in WORKS by the fifth month (August) of the temporary time period so I can verify the eligible star level for education standards. 4) Family and Community Engagement Plan: Today we reviewed the Family and Community Engagement Plan. A. Feder reviewed the Foundational Practices and described how the center already meets these required practices. Striving for 5-Stars, the facility will also select four optional practices, one from each of the three categories plus a fourth one. The facility will create collect documentation of the practices including pictures, flyers, newsletters, emails, etc. 5) Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Professional Development (PD) Plan Individual: Annual Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI/PD) plans for administrators and staff members with caregiving responsibilities will be on file. A Facility CQI Plan will also be completed, and will document progress on the Programmatic goal to improve the consistency and quality of daily experiences for all children. 6) Program Assessment Self-Study: Once the self-assessments have been completed A. Feder will complete the facility self-study verification form. 7) Program Assessment: The facility will complete a request for their ERS assessments and submit it to me no later than June 12, 2026. Failure to request your assessment by June 12, 2026, may result in your license being processed without the results of your assessment. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 6/2/2026 Number Present: 58 Completed Date: 6/2/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 148 Time In: 11:42 AM Time Out: 02:10 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a second temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. Current Inspections are as follows: Sanitation Inspection with ten (10) demerits and a classification of Superior completed March 26, 2026 Fire Inspection, approved for daytime only, dated February 16, 2026. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Children are not currently enrolled in spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11. Children enrolled in space 7 were in space 5 for rest time. Children enrolled in space 9 were combined in space 10 during today’s visit. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. Four infants were asleep in cribs. Safe sleep documentation had not been completed. Staff stated they had been unable to complete the documentation as they were attending to the needs of other children. Two infants were being held for a bottle feeding and other infants were on the floor playing with various toys. Toddlers and younger preschool children were observed resting and napping on their cots. Each child had individual linens. The lights were off; the windows provided ample light for supervision. Older preschool children were having lunch. Lunch today consisted of turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe and milk. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. New staff records and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed May 21, 2026. A fire drill was conducted May 20, 2026 and a shelter in place drill was completed May 18, 2026. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. the activity plan for spaces 1, 2, 3, and 10 were not current or not available. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 533 Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. Bottles for two children present in space 1 were not dated. 15A NCAC 18A .2804(d) 887 Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. In space 1, safe sleep checks for four children were not documented. .0606(g) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and date weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. The menu indicated that today’s should would consist of Santa Fe chicken bake, corn, black beans, brown rice and milk. Today’s menu served was turkey sandwiches, cooked carrots, cantaloupe, ranch and milk. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. Bottles: Before placing bottles in the refrigerator ensure they are labeled with the child’s name and the current date. Safe Sleep: The frequency of visual checks should be included in your Safe Sleep Policy and followed. Visual checks must be documented every 15 minutes. Consider using a timer to ensure visual checks are completed and documented within the required timeframe. Various sample sleeping charts are available to you on the DCDEE website, under the “provider documents” tab. Safe sleep checks must be kept for each child and kept on file for a minimum of one month. Rated License Assessment: Discussions occurred with A. Feder regarding the two-component star rated license on March 10, 2026, April 1, 2026, and today using resources available on the QRIS Modernization Page, https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization . All the newest information on the QRIS rated license assessments and documents are currently posted here. I reviewed each of the pathway options; Pathway 1 - Program Assessment, Pathway 2 - Classroom and Instructional Quality, and touched on Pathway 3 - Accreditation and Head Start. We identified facility needs, and I answered questions to assist the operator with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five (August) of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. Star levels are determined by meeting the requirements at each star level within the pathway chosen. I provided TA and consultation regarding the Family and Community Engagement Standards CQI, and Professional Development Plans. The following documents were reviewed with A. Feder. The facility has chosen Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: Each classroom is in the process of completing a 3-month ERS Self-Study using the appropriate ECERS-3 or ITERS-3 using either the Thinking More About Language or Thinking More About Activities worksheets. We reviewed information available on the NC Rated License Assessment website, www.ncrlap.org,including training and forms for the three-month self-study and other resources (videos, documents, live and recorded training). When the 3-month self-studies are completed, the administrator will complete and submit the Self-Study Verification Form. Copies of the individual self-studies will need to be available for review. 1) Application for Assessment for a Rated License for Centers must be completed and submitted to me. This was emailed to you during today’s visit. 2) Staff/Child Ratio or Space Option: On the application, you will indicated that you will meet enhanced staff/child ratio as outlined in 10A NCAC 09 .3208, and/ or enhanced space. Today, I verified that both enhanced staff/child ratio and enhanced space are in place and being maintained. 3) Staff Education Standards: The facility will complete the QRIS Staff Information and Education Worksheet submit it to me along with and applicable staff WORKS’ letters no later than 5:00pm on July 31, 2026. Ensure all staff education is accurately reflected in WORKS. Education must be current in WORKS by the fifth month (August) of the temporary time period so I can verify the eligible star level for education standards. 4) Family and Community Engagement Plan: Today we reviewed the Family and Community Engagement Plan. A. Feder reviewed the Foundational Practices and described how the center already meets these required practices. Striving for 5-Stars, the facility will also select four optional practices, one from each of the three categories plus a fourth one. The facility will create collect documentation of the practices including pictures, flyers, newsletters, emails, etc. 5) Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Professional Development (PD) Plan Individual: Annual Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI/PD) plans for administrators and staff members with caregiving responsibilities will be on file. A Facility CQI Plan will also be completed, and will document progress on the Programmatic goal to improve the consistency and quality of daily experiences for all children. 6) Program Assessment Self-Study: Once the self-assessments have been completed A. Feder will complete the facility self-study verification form. 7) Program Assessment: The facility will complete a request for their ERS assessments and submit it to me no later than June 12, 2026. Failure to request your assessment by June 12, 2026, may result in your license being processed without the results of your assessment. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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 .0901 · Violation

Name of Operation: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 4/1/2026 Number Present: 17 Completed Date: 4/1/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 10:00 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a first temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. The menu posted on in the kitchen was not dated however it reflected “week 3”. The menu in the kitchen reflected turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls to and milk to be served for lunch. A substitution of mashed potatoes had not been noted on the menu. The menu posted in spaces 2 and 3 reflected “week 1”. The menu posted in spaces 7, 9 and 10 reflected “week 2”. The activity plan posted outside of spaces 2, 4 and 7 were not current. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Space one (1) was not in use today. Spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11 are not currently in use and children are not enrolled in these spaces at this time. A walk-through of the facility was completed today; all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. One infant was sleeping in a crib and one infant was in the process of falling asleep in a crib. Safe sleep documentation was current and appeared to be completed in real time. One infant was being held for a bottle feeding and another infant was being held and soothed as he was upset he was not outside with the toddlers. Toddlers were observed outside on the fenced in playground. They were climbing, sliding, riding trikes and scooters and playing in the activity area. Staff moved about the space actively engaged in play with the children. Preschool aged children were observed during free play in their classrooms. Children were dancing, cooking in dramatic play, working on puzzles and listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar book. After free play children completed personal care routines and prepared for lunch. Staff sat at the tables and had lunch with the children. Staff asked open-ended questions and encouraged conversation. Spaces for preschool and school age children are arranged into activity areas to include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. Staff records, five children’s records, and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed March 24, 2026. A. Feder stated the facility has not yet completed a fire drill or since the temporary license was issued March 10, 2026. A fire drill will be completed on or before April 10, 2026. This will be reviewed / monitored at the next visit. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The activity plan for 2, 4 and 7 were not current. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu posted on in the kitchen was not dated however it reflected “week 3”. The menu in the kitchen reflected turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls to and milk to be served for lunch. A substitution of mashed potatoes had not been noted on the menu. The menu posted in spaces 2 and 3 reflected “week 1”. The menu posted in spaces 7, 9 and 10 reflected “week 2”. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on April 10, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 The compliance history is based on violations that are cited during visits to your facility. If you have an acceptable compliance history at the end of your temporary license you will be eligible to apply for a star rated license. Failure to maintain an acceptable compliance history may result in the issuance of administrative action up to and including denial of a full license at the end of the temporary time period. Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and dated weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. Meals and snacks served to children in a child care center must comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which are based on the recommended nutrient intake judged by the National Research Council to be adequate for maintaining good nutrition. Food that does not meet the nutritional requirements specified in Paragraph (a) of this Rule, such as cupcakes, cakes, and donuts shall only be offered for special occasions such as holidays and birthdays. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. The menu should be dated and posted for easy view by the parents and the cook. Rated License Assessment: During today’s visit, I reviewed the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses. Additionally, we reviewed Pathway 1 – Program Assessment and Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality. We identified facility needs; I answered questions to assist A. Feder with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. We reviewed: Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: You are eligible for this pathway, which allows your program to demonstrate quality through best practices using the Environment Rating scale. This includes completing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plan, meeting Family and Community Engagement Standards, implementing a Curriculum for 4 year olds in 4- and 5-Star programs, and Enhanced Staff/Child Ratios. Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality: You are eligible for this pathway, which allows your program to demonstrate quality through smaller groups of children, child-focused planning, curriculum implementation, training and coaching for staff, CQI plans, family engagement, and child observations. This pathway requires curriculum to be implemented for all ages served by the program, ensuring quality practices that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. Child-focused planning through observation of individual growth and development is included in this pathway. Training for early educators will emphasize the skills needed to use curriculum and child-focused planning in daily classroom practices. This pathway intentionally combines the most stringent staff/child ratios for centers to ensure successful implementation of classroom and instructional practices. Education Standards: During the temporary time-period, as part of the process, I will need to verify evaluation of staff education. To prepare, be sure the staff member’s education has been evaluated in WORKS and is available for review. Print and file a copy of each staff’s WORKS letter. WORKS is a self-service applicant portal that will be used by an individual applicant to register and maintain their workforce information to support education requirements. The WORKS portal is available online and requires that the user maintain an individual North Carolina Identity Management (NCID) username and password. Only official unopened transcripts will be submitted to the Workforce Education Unit, all other documents will be uploaded by the applicant. All staff need to ensure current education information has been submitted to WORKS and they have requested the appropriate evaluation for their position. Your license will not be delayed due to education information not being processed. It typically takes WORKS 4-6 weeks to complete an evaluation. Your license will not be delayed due to education information not being processed. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Applies to Pathways 1 and 2 The CQI Plan includes the following: Identification of goal(s), Necessary resources, supports and actions needed to accomplish the goal(s). Document the reason for the goal(s), Annual review of efforts toward completion of the goal(s). Individual CQI planning for each staff member that accompanies the Professional Development Plan, Facility CQI Plan that will be completed by the center administrator. Family and Community Engagement: Applies to Pathway 1 and 2- We reviewed all options included in the following Family and Community Engagement Categories: Educational Opportunity, Engagement & Leadership, and Communication. The facility is still determining which pathway they will choose. For more information about NCID and WORKS, visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov to view more information under the DCDEE WORKS tab http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/general/mb_dcdeeworks.asp. You can also contact the Workforce Education Unit at 1-800-859-0829 (In State Only) or 919-527-6600 for more information concerning WORKS. The NCRLAP website (www.ncrlap.org) has a wealth of information on the Environment Rating Scales and overall quality issues for child care. You can find information that will assist operators with quality environments, self-study process, and the Environment Rating Scale assessments using the ITERS-3 and ECERS-3. Training videos are available on the following topics: Overview of the Assessment Process, Using Materials with Non-Mobile Infants, A Safe Place for Gross Motor Play, Hand washing and Other Basic Health Considerations, and Language for Learning. To access resources or information on webinars, go to www.ncrlap.org. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR): A. Feder has completed the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. A. Feder has four (4) months to go online and complete the EPR Plan (July 17, 2026). Fire drills will continue to be completed monthly and lock down drills or shelter in place drills will be completed within three months. The trained staff shall review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changes to ensure all information is current. All staff shall review the center's EPR Plan during orientation and/or on an annual basis with the trained staff. Documentation of the review shall be maintained on file. The template for the EPR plan can be found at: https://rmp.nc.gov/portal/portal.aspx. On-going Training: It is your responsibility to keep the staff and training worksheets current for the consultant to review during annual compliance visits. Reminder: After the first year of employment, the child care administrator and any staff who work with children shall participate in on-going training activities annually. Refer to child care requirement 09.1103 for the number of required training hours based on education and experience. 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. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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

GS 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 4/1/2026 Number Present: 17 Completed Date: 4/1/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 10:00 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a first temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. The menu posted on in the kitchen was not dated however it reflected “week 3”. The menu in the kitchen reflected turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls to and milk to be served for lunch. A substitution of mashed potatoes had not been noted on the menu. The menu posted in spaces 2 and 3 reflected “week 1”. The menu posted in spaces 7, 9 and 10 reflected “week 2”. The activity plan posted outside of spaces 2, 4 and 7 were not current. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Space one (1) was not in use today. Spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11 are not currently in use and children are not enrolled in these spaces at this time. A walk-through of the facility was completed today; all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. One infant was sleeping in a crib and one infant was in the process of falling asleep in a crib. Safe sleep documentation was current and appeared to be completed in real time. One infant was being held for a bottle feeding and another infant was being held and soothed as he was upset he was not outside with the toddlers. Toddlers were observed outside on the fenced in playground. They were climbing, sliding, riding trikes and scooters and playing in the activity area. Staff moved about the space actively engaged in play with the children. Preschool aged children were observed during free play in their classrooms. Children were dancing, cooking in dramatic play, working on puzzles and listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar book. After free play children completed personal care routines and prepared for lunch. Staff sat at the tables and had lunch with the children. Staff asked open-ended questions and encouraged conversation. Spaces for preschool and school age children are arranged into activity areas to include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. Staff records, five children’s records, and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed March 24, 2026. A. Feder stated the facility has not yet completed a fire drill or since the temporary license was issued March 10, 2026. A fire drill will be completed on or before April 10, 2026. This will be reviewed / monitored at the next visit. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The activity plan for 2, 4 and 7 were not current. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu posted on in the kitchen was not dated however it reflected “week 3”. The menu in the kitchen reflected turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls to and milk to be served for lunch. A substitution of mashed potatoes had not been noted on the menu. The menu posted in spaces 2 and 3 reflected “week 1”. The menu posted in spaces 7, 9 and 10 reflected “week 2”. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on April 10, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 The compliance history is based on violations that are cited during visits to your facility. If you have an acceptable compliance history at the end of your temporary license you will be eligible to apply for a star rated license. Failure to maintain an acceptable compliance history may result in the issuance of administrative action up to and including denial of a full license at the end of the temporary time period. Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and dated weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. Meals and snacks served to children in a child care center must comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which are based on the recommended nutrient intake judged by the National Research Council to be adequate for maintaining good nutrition. Food that does not meet the nutritional requirements specified in Paragraph (a) of this Rule, such as cupcakes, cakes, and donuts shall only be offered for special occasions such as holidays and birthdays. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. The menu should be dated and posted for easy view by the parents and the cook. Rated License Assessment: During today’s visit, I reviewed the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses. Additionally, we reviewed Pathway 1 – Program Assessment and Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality. We identified facility needs; I answered questions to assist A. Feder with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. We reviewed: Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: You are eligible for this pathway, which allows your program to demonstrate quality through best practices using the Environment Rating scale. This includes completing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plan, meeting Family and Community Engagement Standards, implementing a Curriculum for 4 year olds in 4- and 5-Star programs, and Enhanced Staff/Child Ratios. Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality: You are eligible for this pathway, which allows your program to demonstrate quality through smaller groups of children, child-focused planning, curriculum implementation, training and coaching for staff, CQI plans, family engagement, and child observations. This pathway requires curriculum to be implemented for all ages served by the program, ensuring quality practices that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. Child-focused planning through observation of individual growth and development is included in this pathway. Training for early educators will emphasize the skills needed to use curriculum and child-focused planning in daily classroom practices. This pathway intentionally combines the most stringent staff/child ratios for centers to ensure successful implementation of classroom and instructional practices. Education Standards: During the temporary time-period, as part of the process, I will need to verify evaluation of staff education. To prepare, be sure the staff member’s education has been evaluated in WORKS and is available for review. Print and file a copy of each staff’s WORKS letter. WORKS is a self-service applicant portal that will be used by an individual applicant to register and maintain their workforce information to support education requirements. The WORKS portal is available online and requires that the user maintain an individual North Carolina Identity Management (NCID) username and password. Only official unopened transcripts will be submitted to the Workforce Education Unit, all other documents will be uploaded by the applicant. All staff need to ensure current education information has been submitted to WORKS and they have requested the appropriate evaluation for their position. Your license will not be delayed due to education information not being processed. It typically takes WORKS 4-6 weeks to complete an evaluation. Your license will not be delayed due to education information not being processed. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Applies to Pathways 1 and 2 The CQI Plan includes the following: Identification of goal(s), Necessary resources, supports and actions needed to accomplish the goal(s). Document the reason for the goal(s), Annual review of efforts toward completion of the goal(s). Individual CQI planning for each staff member that accompanies the Professional Development Plan, Facility CQI Plan that will be completed by the center administrator. Family and Community Engagement: Applies to Pathway 1 and 2- We reviewed all options included in the following Family and Community Engagement Categories: Educational Opportunity, Engagement & Leadership, and Communication. The facility is still determining which pathway they will choose. For more information about NCID and WORKS, visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov to view more information under the DCDEE WORKS tab http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/general/mb_dcdeeworks.asp. You can also contact the Workforce Education Unit at 1-800-859-0829 (In State Only) or 919-527-6600 for more information concerning WORKS. The NCRLAP website (www.ncrlap.org) has a wealth of information on the Environment Rating Scales and overall quality issues for child care. You can find information that will assist operators with quality environments, self-study process, and the Environment Rating Scale assessments using the ITERS-3 and ECERS-3. Training videos are available on the following topics: Overview of the Assessment Process, Using Materials with Non-Mobile Infants, A Safe Place for Gross Motor Play, Hand washing and Other Basic Health Considerations, and Language for Learning. To access resources or information on webinars, go to www.ncrlap.org. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR): A. Feder has completed the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. A. Feder has four (4) months to go online and complete the EPR Plan (July 17, 2026). Fire drills will continue to be completed monthly and lock down drills or shelter in place drills will be completed within three months. The trained staff shall review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changes to ensure all information is current. All staff shall review the center's EPR Plan during orientation and/or on an annual basis with the trained staff. Documentation of the review shall be maintained on file. The template for the EPR plan can be found at: https://rmp.nc.gov/portal/portal.aspx. On-going Training: It is your responsibility to keep the staff and training worksheets current for the consultant to review during annual compliance visits. Reminder: After the first year of employment, the child care administrator and any staff who work with children shall participate in on-going training activities annually. Refer to child care requirement 09.1103 for the number of required training hours based on education and experience. 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. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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: Foundations Early Learning Center #251 Facility ID: 65001116 Consultant: JENNIFER GARNER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 4/1/2026 Number Present: 17 Completed Date: 4/1/2026 Age: From 0 To 5 Total Minutes: 210 Time In: 10:00 AM Time Out: 01:30 PM Time In: Time Out: List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Temp Time Period Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today's visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements pertinent to a first temporary time period visit. This program currently operates with a Temporary License issued March 10, 2026 through September 10, 2026. Restrictions on the permit include a first shift capacity of 182 children aged 0 to 12 years old. According to the North Carolina Secretary of State website today, your corporation The Sunshine House, Inc.- NC is current and active. The information on record with DCDEE was verified as correct by Administrator Amy Feder. A. Feder, Administrator, was present. I explained the purpose of the visit and requested A. Feder accompany me as I conduct a walk-through of the indoor and outdoor areas. The menu posted on in the kitchen was not dated however it reflected “week 3”. The menu in the kitchen reflected turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls to and milk to be served for lunch. A substitution of mashed potatoes had not been noted on the menu. The menu posted in spaces 2 and 3 reflected “week 1”. The menu posted in spaces 7, 9 and 10 reflected “week 2”. The activity plan posted outside of spaces 2, 4 and 7 were not current. Eleven (11) indoor spaces and three (3) outdoor spaces are approved for use by children. Space one (1) was not in use today. Spaces 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11 are not currently in use and children are not enrolled in these spaces at this time. A walk-through of the facility was completed today; all indoor and outdoor areas were monitored. In spaces for infants and toddlers, materials are kept in identifiable grouping including books, blocks, dolls, pretend play materials, musical toys, sensory toys and fine motor toys. An open area that allows freedom of movement was available, both indoors and outdoors, for infants and for toddlers; as well as hands-on experiences. One infant was sleeping in a crib and one infant was in the process of falling asleep in a crib. Safe sleep documentation was current and appeared to be completed in real time. One infant was being held for a bottle feeding and another infant was being held and soothed as he was upset he was not outside with the toddlers. Toddlers were observed outside on the fenced in playground. They were climbing, sliding, riding trikes and scooters and playing in the activity area. Staff moved about the space actively engaged in play with the children. Preschool aged children were observed during free play in their classrooms. Children were dancing, cooking in dramatic play, working on puzzles and listening to The Very Hungry Caterpillar book. After free play children completed personal care routines and prepared for lunch. Staff sat at the tables and had lunch with the children. Staff asked open-ended questions and encouraged conversation. Spaces for preschool and school age children are arranged into activity areas to include but are not limited to art, blocks, dramatic play, music, cozy, science, manipulatives, writing and language. A variety of age-appropriate learning materials were accessible in each activity area. 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 February 13, 2026. The Lead Paint Testing and Asbestos Testing section reflected the application process was completed March 2, 2026; no further action is needed. Staff records, five children’s records, and required center program records were monitored today. The most current outdoor inspection checklist was completed March 24, 2026. A. Feder stated the facility has not yet completed a fire drill or since the temporary license was issued March 10, 2026. A fire drill will be completed on or before April 10, 2026. This will be reviewed / monitored at the next visit. The following violations were observed: Violation Number Comment Rule 428 A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The activity plan for 2, 4 and 7 were not current. GS 110-91(12); .0508(a) 526 Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu posted on in the kitchen was not dated however it reflected “week 3”. The menu in the kitchen reflected turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls to and milk to be served for lunch. A substitution of mashed potatoes had not been noted on the menu. The menu posted in spaces 2 and 3 reflected “week 1”. The menu posted in spaces 7, 9 and 10 reflected “week 2”. 10A NCAC 09 .0901(b) 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. The violations observed and documented today may impact the compliance history score. The violations observed and documented today must be corrected immediately. Additionally, by 5:00 p.m. on April 10, 2026, you must submit a written, dated, and signed statement to me. The statement must describe accurately and in detail, how and when the violations were corrected. If the letter states that corrections have been made when they have not, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Mail or email the information to: Jennifer Garner, Child Care Consultant PO Box 2234 Shallotte, NC 28459 910-824-1447 If you email the compliance letter to me, Jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov, 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 The compliance history is based on violations that are cited during visits to your facility. If you have an acceptable compliance history at the end of your temporary license you will be eligible to apply for a star rated license. Failure to maintain an acceptable compliance history may result in the issuance of administrative action up to and including denial of a full license at the end of the temporary time period. Technical Assistance Specific to Today’s Visit: Activity Plans: A violation regarding activity plans was observed and documented today. Complete and dated weekly activity plans include developmentally appropriate activities for enrolled children. Children attending early care and education programs with well-developed curricula are more likely to achieve appropriate levels of development. Activity plans for all children must include and meet the following minimum licensing requirements: • Daily activities to stimulate the five developmental domains as listed in the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development book. (social and emotional development, health and physical development, approaches to play and learning, language development/ communication, and cognitive development). • Daily gross motor activities which may occur indoors or outdoors. • Reflect at least four activities daily (one of which is gross motor), one of which is offered outdoors, weather permitting. The remaining three activities should occur in the following areas: art/creative play, children’s books, blocks and block building, manipulatives, and family living/dramatic play. • Free choice and adult-directed activities, which allow children to choose and participate with the whole group, in a small group or independently. • In addition, activity plans must include each of these three enrichment activities on at least a weekly basis: sand/water play; science and nature; and music and rhythm. Materials and equipment must be available both inside and outside to support the activities on the activity plan and the daily schedule. The administrator and I discussed the importance of developmentally appropriate activities for each age group. Menus/ Nutrition: Planning the menu in advance and posting the current menu, to include substitutions, is essential in providing a variety of foods for proper nutrition. A current menu must be posted, in advance, visible to parents and in the kitchen. Meals and snacks served to children in a child care center must comply with the Meal Patterns for Children in Child Care Programs from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which are based on the recommended nutrient intake judged by the National Research Council to be adequate for maintaining good nutrition. Food that does not meet the nutritional requirements specified in Paragraph (a) of this Rule, such as cupcakes, cakes, and donuts shall only be offered for special occasions such as holidays and birthdays. Parents/ guardians need to be informed about food served in the facility to know how to complement it with the food served at home. The menu should be dated and posted for easy view by the parents and the cook. Rated License Assessment: During today’s visit, I reviewed the new rules in Section .3200; Standards for Two through Five Star Rated Licenses. Additionally, we reviewed Pathway 1 – Program Assessment and Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality. We identified facility needs; I answered questions to assist A. Feder with establishing a plan to achieve compliance for a rated license by month five of the Temporary Time period. As a reminder, the facility must transition to a 3-5 Star Rated License to continue to be eligible to receive subsidized care after six (6) months. We reviewed: Pathway 1 – Program Assessment: You are eligible for this pathway, which allows your program to demonstrate quality through best practices using the Environment Rating scale. This includes completing a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plan, meeting Family and Community Engagement Standards, implementing a Curriculum for 4 year olds in 4- and 5-Star programs, and Enhanced Staff/Child Ratios. Pathway 2 – Classroom and Instructional Quality: You are eligible for this pathway, which allows your program to demonstrate quality through smaller groups of children, child-focused planning, curriculum implementation, training and coaching for staff, CQI plans, family engagement, and child observations. This pathway requires curriculum to be implemented for all ages served by the program, ensuring quality practices that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. Child-focused planning through observation of individual growth and development is included in this pathway. Training for early educators will emphasize the skills needed to use curriculum and child-focused planning in daily classroom practices. This pathway intentionally combines the most stringent staff/child ratios for centers to ensure successful implementation of classroom and instructional practices. Education Standards: During the temporary time-period, as part of the process, I will need to verify evaluation of staff education. To prepare, be sure the staff member’s education has been evaluated in WORKS and is available for review. Print and file a copy of each staff’s WORKS letter. WORKS is a self-service applicant portal that will be used by an individual applicant to register and maintain their workforce information to support education requirements. The WORKS portal is available online and requires that the user maintain an individual North Carolina Identity Management (NCID) username and password. Only official unopened transcripts will be submitted to the Workforce Education Unit, all other documents will be uploaded by the applicant. All staff need to ensure current education information has been submitted to WORKS and they have requested the appropriate evaluation for their position. Your license will not be delayed due to education information not being processed. It typically takes WORKS 4-6 weeks to complete an evaluation. Your license will not be delayed due to education information not being processed. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI): Applies to Pathways 1 and 2 The CQI Plan includes the following: Identification of goal(s), Necessary resources, supports and actions needed to accomplish the goal(s). Document the reason for the goal(s), Annual review of efforts toward completion of the goal(s). Individual CQI planning for each staff member that accompanies the Professional Development Plan, Facility CQI Plan that will be completed by the center administrator. Family and Community Engagement: Applies to Pathway 1 and 2- We reviewed all options included in the following Family and Community Engagement Categories: Educational Opportunity, Engagement & Leadership, and Communication. The facility is still determining which pathway they will choose. For more information about NCID and WORKS, visit the DCDEE website at www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov to view more information under the DCDEE WORKS tab http://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/general/mb_dcdeeworks.asp. You can also contact the Workforce Education Unit at 1-800-859-0829 (In State Only) or 919-527-6600 for more information concerning WORKS. The NCRLAP website (www.ncrlap.org) has a wealth of information on the Environment Rating Scales and overall quality issues for child care. You can find information that will assist operators with quality environments, self-study process, and the Environment Rating Scale assessments using the ITERS-3 and ECERS-3. Training videos are available on the following topics: Overview of the Assessment Process, Using Materials with Non-Mobile Infants, A Safe Place for Gross Motor Play, Hand washing and Other Basic Health Considerations, and Language for Learning. To access resources or information on webinars, go to www.ncrlap.org. Smart Start of New Hanover County offers on-site technical assistance to child care programs. Types of technical assistance provided include observation and assessment and support and mentoring visits. Training: 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. Complete the health and safety training record as found on the DCDEE website. After the first year, staff must complete the health and safety training topics at least once every five years. Child care staff are expected to be well informed about child abuse and neglect issues and adequately trained to prevent and recognize potential maltreatment. The child care administrator and all staff members shall complete Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment/licensure. Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training is available at https://www.preventchildabusenc.org. Additionally, staff who are responsible for supervising groups of school-age children (group leaders) shall be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to employment and shall complete the BSAC training within three months of becoming employed. Documentation of training must be kept on file for review. Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR): A. Feder has completed the Emergency Preparedness and Response in Child Care training. A. Feder has four (4) months to go online and complete the EPR Plan (July 17, 2026). Fire drills will continue to be completed monthly and lock down drills or shelter in place drills will be completed within three months. The trained staff shall review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changes to ensure all information is current. All staff shall review the center's EPR Plan during orientation and/or on an annual basis with the trained staff. Documentation of the review shall be maintained on file. The template for the EPR plan can be found at: https://rmp.nc.gov/portal/portal.aspx. On-going Training: It is your responsibility to keep the staff and training worksheets current for the consultant to review during annual compliance visits. Reminder: After the first year of employment, the child care administrator and any staff who work with children shall participate in on-going training activities annually. Refer to child care requirement 09.1103 for the number of required training hours based on education and experience. 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. 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. At the completion of the visit, this summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. If you have any questions, please contact me, at 910-824-1147/ jennifer.j.garner@dhhs.nc.gov or my supervisor, Kim Sherry at 910-824-0470/ kim.sherry@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