THE Downtown School Preschool Program

G.S. 110-91 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE DOWNTOWN SCHOOL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM Facility ID: 34001449 Consultant: TAMMY CHILDRESS Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 11/20/2025 Number Present: 49 Completed Date: 11/20/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 220 Time In: 09:00 AM Time Out: 12:40 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 your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements during the second temporary time period visit. Brittany Taylor, Assistant Principal, all lead teachers and teachers, and Laquetta Williams, WSFCS District Preschool DCDEE Licensure Support, assisted me with the visit. This facility was issued a temporary license on July 24, 2024, with a restriction of daytime care only, no children in diapers, and no children under 3 years old. I observed children in each indoor and outdoor learning environment. Children throughout the facility were participating in having morning snack, free choice play, small group activities, outdoor play, and lunch. A selection of new children’s files were reviewed and found to be in compliance. Additional staff records were reviewed and found to be in compliance. Program records, including fire drills and monthly outdoor inspections were completed and current. The following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately. Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. Grass turf around the stationary playground equipment was torn in one area exposing mesh backing and in a second area at a drain grate was not level and sinking. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(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 a compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before December 4, 2025, I must receive a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail how and when the violations were corrected. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is considered legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Email the information to me at tammy.childress@dhhs.nc.gov. The compliance letter 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. Technical Assistance: Safe Environment - Equipment and furnishing requirements were reviewed with Ms. Taylor and Ms. Williams. Both indoor and outdoor play areas must contain safe, sturdy equipment that is in good repair. This includes the turf beneath and around the stationary equipment on the playground. In one area the turf is torn in a line exposing foam and rubber pieces as well as the backing of the turf. In the second area at a drainage grate, the turf is not level and is sinking and is not stable. Ms. Taylor submitted a work order for repairs on October 10, 2025, and again during today’s visit. The condition of the turf was noted on the playground inspection form completed in October 2025. The purpose of surfacing is to provide cushioning to prevent injuries when children fall. You correctly identified the issue on the playground inspection report and requested a repair. However, the repairs have not been completed. During the visit, Ms. Williams placed duct tape over the linear tear and blocked off the area at the drain and someone was coming to center to determine how to repair the area today. Rated License Discussion On October 23,2025, and October 24, 2025, I spoke with Laquetta Williams, WSFCS District Preschool DCDEE Licensure Support, regarding your plans for applying for a 2-5 star rated license. As new program, Ms. Williams stated that you would like to start with the issuance of a One Star License and apply for a 2-5 Star License in the future. However today, Ms. Williams stated that the facility will apply for a Three Star License using Pathway 2. We reviewed all requirements for Pathway 2 Classroom and Instructional Quality during the visit. Staff must update and/or create WORKS accounts to be evaluated for education. Ms. Williams will let me know when the official transcripts have been submitted and I will request the evaluations to be expedited. Ms. Williams will email me a new application, and the required documents associated with Pathway 2- Classrooms and Instructional Quality. Consultation: Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for The Downtown School meets the requirements for your program’s EPR Plan. The date of the annual plan review should be entered on Staff and Training Worksheets for each staff member, and I would recommend a statement with the review date and signature for all staff to be on file. Continue to document monthly fire drills, using the fire alarm system, and emergency drills (lockdown or shelter-in-place) quarterly. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. Contact me at tammy.childress@dhhs.nc.gov or by telephone at (336)317-6436 or Pamela Hauser, Licensing Supervisor, at pamela.hauser@dhhs.nc.gov if you have questions. 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: THE DOWNTOWN SCHOOL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM Facility ID: 34001449 Consultant: TAMMY CHILDRESS Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 11/20/2025 Number Present: 49 Completed Date: 11/20/2025 Age: From 3 To 5 Total Minutes: 220 Time In: 09:00 AM Time Out: 12:40 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 your program for compliance with applicable child care requirements during the second temporary time period visit. Brittany Taylor, Assistant Principal, all lead teachers and teachers, and Laquetta Williams, WSFCS District Preschool DCDEE Licensure Support, assisted me with the visit. This facility was issued a temporary license on July 24, 2024, with a restriction of daytime care only, no children in diapers, and no children under 3 years old. I observed children in each indoor and outdoor learning environment. Children throughout the facility were participating in having morning snack, free choice play, small group activities, outdoor play, and lunch. A selection of new children’s files were reviewed and found to be in compliance. Additional staff records were reviewed and found to be in compliance. Program records, including fire drills and monthly outdoor inspections were completed and current. The following violations were observed today and must be corrected immediately. Violation Number Comment Rule 721 All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. Grass turf around the stationary playground equipment was torn in one area exposing mesh backing and in a second area at a drain grate was not level and sinking. G.S. 110-91(6); .0601(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 a compliance history score of at least seventy-five percent. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before December 4, 2025, I must receive a written, dated, and signed compliance letter that describes accurately and in detail how and when the violations were corrected. Please be aware that any information submitted by you is considered legal documentation. If it is determined the information provided in the letter is not true, this may be considered falsification of information. If sufficient information is not received by the due date, a follow-up visit may be completed. Email the information to me at tammy.childress@dhhs.nc.gov. The compliance letter 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. Technical Assistance: Safe Environment - Equipment and furnishing requirements were reviewed with Ms. Taylor and Ms. Williams. Both indoor and outdoor play areas must contain safe, sturdy equipment that is in good repair. This includes the turf beneath and around the stationary equipment on the playground. In one area the turf is torn in a line exposing foam and rubber pieces as well as the backing of the turf. In the second area at a drainage grate, the turf is not level and is sinking and is not stable. Ms. Taylor submitted a work order for repairs on October 10, 2025, and again during today’s visit. The condition of the turf was noted on the playground inspection form completed in October 2025. The purpose of surfacing is to provide cushioning to prevent injuries when children fall. You correctly identified the issue on the playground inspection report and requested a repair. However, the repairs have not been completed. During the visit, Ms. Williams placed duct tape over the linear tear and blocked off the area at the drain and someone was coming to center to determine how to repair the area today. Rated License Discussion On October 23,2025, and October 24, 2025, I spoke with Laquetta Williams, WSFCS District Preschool DCDEE Licensure Support, regarding your plans for applying for a 2-5 star rated license. As new program, Ms. Williams stated that you would like to start with the issuance of a One Star License and apply for a 2-5 Star License in the future. However today, Ms. Williams stated that the facility will apply for a Three Star License using Pathway 2. We reviewed all requirements for Pathway 2 Classroom and Instructional Quality during the visit. Staff must update and/or create WORKS accounts to be evaluated for education. Ms. Williams will let me know when the official transcripts have been submitted and I will request the evaluations to be expedited. Ms. Williams will email me a new application, and the required documents associated with Pathway 2- Classrooms and Instructional Quality. Consultation: Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan The Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for The Downtown School meets the requirements for your program’s EPR Plan. The date of the annual plan review should be entered on Staff and Training Worksheets for each staff member, and I would recommend a statement with the review date and signature for all staff to be on file. Continue to document monthly fire drills, using the fire alarm system, and emergency drills (lockdown or shelter-in-place) quarterly. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. Contact me at tammy.childress@dhhs.nc.gov or by telephone at (336)317-6436 or Pamela Hauser, Licensing Supervisor, at pamela.hauser@dhhs.nc.gov if you have questions. If the operator fails to correct any documented violations within the established time period, the Division of Child Development and Early Education may deny, suspend, terminate, or revoke any permit to operate (10A NCAC 09 .2000). All information in this report has been reviewed with me today.I understand that it is my responsibility to maintaincompliance with applicable NC Child Care Requirements at all times

10A NCAC 09 .0604 · Violation

Name of Operation: THE DOWNTOWN SCHOOL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM Facility ID: 34001449 Consultant: TAMMY CHILDRESS Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 8/27/2025 Number Present: 47 Completed Date: 8/27/2025 Age: From 3 To 4 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 unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with all applicable child care requirements during the first temporary time visit. The visit was conducted with Brittany Taylor, Assistant Principal. Currently this center operates with a Temporary License, issued on July 24, 2025, to operate first shift. The facility is licensed to provide care for children ages three to five-years-old and is approved to operate four classrooms within The Downtown School. Restrictions are daytime care only, no children in diapers, and no children under 3. All classrooms have direct exits. The Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools owns the program. If any changes in ownership need to be made, you must notify your consultant at least thirty days prior to any changes occurring. The license cannot be bought, sold, subleased, transferred to another person or location, or inherited. A sampling of classrooms and all outdoor spaces were monitored during today’s visit. All program records, documents required to be posted, and a sampling of staff and children’s files were monitored. The playground is surfaced with concrete and artificial grass/turf. The playground is enclosed by a cinderblock wall and the school building, and both exceed six feet in height. The facility does not provide transportation. Parents provide all meals and snacks and lunch from the school cafeteria is available for purchase. A Nutritional Opt Out form was on file in all children’s records reviewed today. During today’s visit, children present were observed to be engaged free choice activities, handwashing, lunch, outdoor play and nap. Children who purchased lunch from the school cafeteria today were served rigatoni with Italian meat sauce, garlic herb flatbread, Italian vegetables, apple sauce and milk. The following violations were cited during today’s visit: Violation Number Comment Rule 812 Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. Electrical outlets not in use were not covered in Room 204. In addition, a candle warmer was removed from an outlet. 10A NCAC 09 .0604(c) Technical Assistance Provided During Today’s Visit: You may consider speaking with janitorial staff regarding covering outlets that they use when cleaning/vacuuming the classrooms, or implementing a classroom safety checklist as a reminder for staff to ensure the electrical outlets not in use and not blocked by furniture are covered with safety covers when opening and closing the classroom each day. Complete the Pre-Service for Administrators form for Ms. Taylor and submit to me. Your compliance history affects the star rating. It is imperative that staff maintain compliance with child care rules and requirements at all times. Violations of child care requirements affect the facility’s compliance history. You must maintain a minimum compliance history of seventy-five (75) percent. We will work on scheduling a rules review for staff during a teacher workday. During the Pre-Licensing Visits conducted on June 24, 2025, and July 24, 2025, I discussed the process for rated license assessments as well as rule changes related to the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Modernization with Laquetta Willaims. At that time, Ms. Williams was unsure if you would apply for a star rated license at the end of the Temporary License. Further information regarding the process for a rated license assessment as well as rule changes related to the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Modernization, was emailed to Ms. Williams on August 24, 2025. Resources including Smart Start of Forsyth County and the North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project website were also provided. The Rated License application and the Request for the Environment Rating Scale Assessment (if applicable) must be submitted by email to me no later than October 22, 2025. If you do not wish to apply for a 2-5 star rated license and to meet the requirements chosen by a pathway option, you will be issued a One Star License effective January 25, 2026. Please ensure that all staff members have a WORKS Account and are updated with their correct educational information. The information on each staff member’s WORKS Qualification Letter and what is shown in the DCDEE WORKS system is what will be used to determine the points in education for your license. Instructions for the DCDEE WORKS system is located in the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. Register with Department of Justice You must register with the Department of Justice to receive e-mail or phone call notification if a sex offender moves into your area. You may register on line at: https://signup.ncsbi.gov/. To reference the law concerning Sex offender and Public Protection Registration Programs you may go to: http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByArticle/Chapter_14/Article_27A.html. Contact the local Sheriff's Department if a sex offender email or phone notification is received from the NC Sex Offender Registry. Child Care Rules Chapter 9- Child Care Rules has been updated, effective July 1, 2025. Please review the rules and save a copy to your desktop or other file for quick reference. The Chapter 9- Child Care Rules can be found on the DCDEE website at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov, under the “Provider” tab in the home screen and selecting “Child Care Rules.” On-Going Professional Development In addition to the required Health and Safety Trainings, staff can access professional development training on Moodle under Early Childhood Professional Development in the categories of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Orientation and Regulatory. Updated training modules are being added, including a child care rule rollout with new rules effective July 1, 2025. An individual NCID username and password is needed to access DCDEE Moodle. If you experience problems with Moodle, contact dcdee_moodle_support@dhhs.nc.gov for assistance. For other training-related questions, please contact the Training and Program Development Consultant, Amia Eaton by calling (919) 814-6365 or emailing her at Amia.Eaton@dhhs.nc.gov Specifically, under the Orientation section, I would encourage all staff to complete the training for “Child Development Module.” This training module provides a basic overview about child development and is designed to help early educators support infants, toddlers, and preschool children to reach their next developmental milestone. In addition to gaining introductory knowledge about child development, early educators will learn about the many resources and professional agencies available in North Carolina to help with promoting a responsive and engaging learning environment to support all children served. Upon completion, participants will receive one (1) contact hour credit (CHC). This visit summary was reviewed and a copy provided to Ms. Taylor during the visit. If you have any furhter questions about today’s visit, please contact me at tammy.childress@dhhs.nc.gov or by telephone at (336)317-6436. You may also contact the Licensing Supervisor, Pamela Hauser, at pamela.hauser@dhhs.nc.gov if you have concerns regarding today’s visit or any violations documented. 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