G.S. 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: BRIGHT BEGINNINGS PRESCHOOL AND DAY CARE Facility ID: 74000115 Consultant: LESHAUNDA MCCOTTER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/15/2026 Number Present: 33 Completed Date: 1/15/2026 Age: From 1 To 4 Total Minutes: 244 Time In: 09:01 AM Time Out: 12:50 PM Time In: 04:00 PM Time Out: 04:15 PM List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit and to provide technical assistance on section .3200 of the child care rules. A. West, Director, assisted me with the visit. Your program currently operates with a four-star license, issued 6/5/18, earning 7 points in the education component, 2 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced space) and 1 quality point for the education option of the center having a combined turnover rate of 20% or less for the administrator, program coordinator, lead teacher, teacher and group leader over the last 12 months. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 2/3/25. The sanitation inspection was completed 10/21/25 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 4/22/25 and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The center's compliance history was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was one hundred percent as of 1/14/26. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on 1/14/26 and Bright Beginnings Preschool and Childcare, Inc. was listed as current- active. We reviewed your facility contact information listed on the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) website and all information is current. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your contact information, e.g., phone numbers, mailing address. All indoor and outdoor learning environments were monitored today. Four groups were observed in the indoor learning environment. Children throughout the facility transitioned from snack to personal care routines and whole group activities. Next the children transitioned into indoor free play. Teachers were observed assisting children with learning materials, reading stories to the children, and leading whole group. Proper hand washing techniques procedures were observed. Lunch was observed and consisted of chicken alfredo, peas, applesauce, saltine crackers, and milk. The following violations were observed. Violation Number Comment Rule 106 Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. An approved fire inspection report from the April 22, 2025, was received during the visit. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). Staff employed on June 17, 1996, had a qualification letter that expired on September 31, 2025. A new qualification letter was issued on September 2, 2025. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Staff employed 6/17/96, 6/17/96, 10/29/01, 2/10/20, 2/3/20, and 6/26/23 had First Aid certification that expired on August 31, 2025 and completed First Aid training on September 25, 2025, therefore they did not complete certification before the expiration of the previous certification. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Staff employed 6/17/96, 6/17/96, 10/29/01, 2/10/20, 2/3/20, and 6/26/23 had CPR certification that expired on August 31, 2025 and completed CPR training on September 25, 2025, therefore they did not complete certification before the expiration of the previous certification. .1102(d) 1899 Health and safety training topics were not included as part of on-going training within five years of completing the previous health and safety training topics. Staff employed on 10/29/01, did not have a training certificate on file for Recognizing and Responding to the Suspicions of child Maltreatment within five years of the initial training on 3/4/20. .1103(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. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before January 29, 2026, 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 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: LeShaunda McCotter, Child Care Consultant P.O. Box 397 Grifton, NC 28530 LeShaunda.McCotter@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, 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: CBC- A criminal background check must be completed every five years. It was observed that a staff member had a CBC that expired on August 31, 2025, and a new qualification letter was issued September 2, 2025. You reported the staff began the process early and it took longer than expected to receive the new qualification letter. I shared with you that staff an begin the application process for a new qualification letter, up to six months before the expiration of the previous qualification letter. First Aid/CPR Training- Basic first aid is essential to respond quickly to injuries and emergencies. Staff employed on Staff employed 6/17/96, 6/17/96, 10/29/01, 2/10/20, 2/3/20, and 6/26/23 had First Aid and CPR certification that expired on August 31, 2025. Successful completion of the training was on September 25, 2025. You stated the trainer was not available until September 25th. We discussed scheduling the training further in advance to ensure training is completed in a timely manner. You may also contact other trainers and training facilities to assist you and your staff if your preferred trainer is unavailable. Inspection Reports-Maintain current inspections is essential to maintaining a safe environment for children. A fire inspection was completed on April 22, 2025; however, a copy of the report was not received until today’s visit. You stated you mailed a copy of the report to the Post Office Box. You stated that as of today, you would implement a plan to send a photo of the inspection via email and mail a hard copy of the inspection report to the consultant when an inspection is completed. We discussed how to use a scanning app on your phone to scan documents and email them as an additional alternative. Health and Safety Training- Child care providers who have direct responsibility for the care and oversight of children, including center administrators, must complete health and safety trainings to comply with the NC Child Care Rules. Staff employed on 10/29/01, did not have a training certificate on file for Recognizing and Responding to the Suspicions of child Maltreatment within five years of the initial training on 3/4/20. You stated this was omitted mistakenly. Use the Staff and Training Worksheet as a tracking tool to know when training is due. Pathways to the Stars: During the visit an overview of section .3200 of the child care rules was provided. Each of the following pathway options were discussed: Program Assessment Pathway, Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway, and Accreditation and Head Start Pathway. Additionally, we reviewed the CQI and Family and Community Engagement. You informed me that your facility will pursue Pathway #2: Classroom and Instructional Quality. Your facility currently uses the Creative Curriculum for all preschool groups. At this time, you do not have a formative assessment tool. A list of approved formative assessments was shared with you during the visit. CQI-We walked through the Individual and Facility Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) forms (individual and center). Each staff member will complete an Individual CQI annually. Maintain these in the staff’s personnel files. The administrator will also complete the Facility CQI Plan to create an overall goal for the center. Family and Community Engagement- We reviewed Foundational Practices and discussed how the center already meets these required practices. You will need to identify the optional practices you wish to meet. The number of optional practices are based on the star level you are striving to meet. Coaching/Training- We discussed options for five hours of additional training (on-going training or CEUs) or coaching/mentoring for the administrator and lead teacher. Education-Today, we reviewed education requirements for the various positions (lead teacher, Teacher, administrator). Staff’s education will be evaluated at 50% of Lead Teaches and 50% of Other Educators to determine the facility’s expected star level. Any staff person who will be evaluated as part of the Lead Teachers or Other Educators needs to register for a WORKS account and submit original, official transcripts or update their current WORKS account and submit new education. Have all staff submit and/or update their WORKS accounts by June 2026. Submit your Rated License Application by July 2026. Visit the QRIS Modernization page at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization for the Pathways to the Stars resources including the slide deck, Pathways in Brief and frequently asked questions. Resources: As a licensed child care facility, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to teach your staff the rules to ensure your center remains in compliance. The following resources are available to you: 1. DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov – current laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina, “What’s New” tab, Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program. 2. Raise NC Newsletter—Weekly newsletter emailed to facility email including relevant information from the Division, training opportunities, grants, and more. You can sign up to receive Raise NC on the What’s New tab. 3. Your local Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies—Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children - (252) 758-8885 or mppfc.org. 4. North Carolina Rate License Assessment Project (NCRLAP)- Check out resources, webinars, and trainings about the Third Editions of the Environment Rating Scales , The Self-Study Process, and Outreach Assessments by visiting https://ncrlap.org/. North Carolina General Statute 14-208 requires sex offenders to register with the North Carolina Department of Justice. The law states that a sex offender shall not knowingly reside within 1,000 feet of the property on which any public or nonpublic school or child care center is located. This does not apply to child care centers that are located on or within 1,000 feet of property of an institution of higher education where the registrant is a student or is employed. All licensed child care centers must register to receive e-mail notification when a registered sex offender moves within a one-mile radius of the center. (§14-208.19) To register for the e-mail notification, go to http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov. If you have any questions, please contact your local sheriff's department. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. Contact me at LeShaunda McCotter, Child Care Consultant, 252-751-8634, LeShaunda.McCotter@dhhs.nc.gov or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, 252-373-4199, Jennifer.Linhardt@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

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.

NC GS 110-90 · Violation

Name of Operation: BRIGHT BEGINNINGS PRESCHOOL AND DAY CARE Facility ID: 74000115 Consultant: LESHAUNDA MCCOTTER Operation Type: Center Case Number: Visit Date: 1/15/2026 Number Present: 33 Completed Date: 1/15/2026 Age: From 1 To 4 Total Minutes: 244 Time In: 09:01 AM Time Out: 12:50 PM Time In: 04:00 PM Time Out: 04:15 PM List to Use: Center Type Of Visit: Annual Comp Full Announced/Unannounced: Unannounced The purpose of today’s unannounced visit was to monitor compliance with applicable child care requirements for an annual compliance visit and to provide technical assistance on section .3200 of the child care rules. A. West, Director, assisted me with the visit. Your program currently operates with a four-star license, issued 6/5/18, earning 7 points in the education component, 2 points in the program standards component (meeting enhanced space) and 1 quality point for the education option of the center having a combined turnover rate of 20% or less for the administrator, program coordinator, lead teacher, teacher and group leader over the last 12 months. The last annual compliance visit was conducted 2/3/25. The sanitation inspection was completed 10/21/25 with a “Superior” classification. The last fire inspection was conducted 4/22/25 and your facility was approved for daytime care only. The center's compliance history was reviewed with the operator. The program’s compliance history was one hundred percent as of 1/14/26. The NC Secretary of State website was reviewed on 1/14/26 and Bright Beginnings Preschool and Childcare, Inc. was listed as current- active. We reviewed your facility contact information listed on the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) website and all information is current. Contact me if you need to make any changes to your contact information, e.g., phone numbers, mailing address. All indoor and outdoor learning environments were monitored today. Four groups were observed in the indoor learning environment. Children throughout the facility transitioned from snack to personal care routines and whole group activities. Next the children transitioned into indoor free play. Teachers were observed assisting children with learning materials, reading stories to the children, and leading whole group. Proper hand washing techniques procedures were observed. Lunch was observed and consisted of chicken alfredo, peas, applesauce, saltine crackers, and milk. The following violations were observed. Violation Number Comment Rule 106 Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. An approved fire inspection report from the April 22, 2025, was received during the visit. 10A NCAC 09 .0304(a) 1044 Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). Staff employed on June 17, 1996, had a qualification letter that expired on September 31, 2025. A new qualification letter was issued on September 2, 2025. G.S. 110-90.2(b) & .2703(n)&(o) 1048 All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Staff employed 6/17/96, 6/17/96, 10/29/01, 2/10/20, 2/3/20, and 6/26/23 had First Aid certification that expired on August 31, 2025 and completed First Aid training on September 25, 2025, therefore they did not complete certification before the expiration of the previous certification. .1102(c) 1049 All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Staff employed 6/17/96, 6/17/96, 10/29/01, 2/10/20, 2/3/20, and 6/26/23 had CPR certification that expired on August 31, 2025 and completed CPR training on September 25, 2025, therefore they did not complete certification before the expiration of the previous certification. .1102(d) 1899 Health and safety training topics were not included as part of on-going training within five years of completing the previous health and safety training topics. Staff employed on 10/29/01, did not have a training certificate on file for Recognizing and Responding to the Suspicions of child Maltreatment within five years of the initial training on 3/4/20. .1103(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. Any violation(s) documented may impact the compliance history score. The violation(s) documented must be corrected immediately. On or before January 29, 2026, 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 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 will be conducted. Mail or email the information to: LeShaunda McCotter, Child Care Consultant P.O. Box 397 Grifton, NC 28530 LeShaunda.McCotter@dhhs.nc.gov If you email the compliance letter, 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: CBC- A criminal background check must be completed every five years. It was observed that a staff member had a CBC that expired on August 31, 2025, and a new qualification letter was issued September 2, 2025. You reported the staff began the process early and it took longer than expected to receive the new qualification letter. I shared with you that staff an begin the application process for a new qualification letter, up to six months before the expiration of the previous qualification letter. First Aid/CPR Training- Basic first aid is essential to respond quickly to injuries and emergencies. Staff employed on Staff employed 6/17/96, 6/17/96, 10/29/01, 2/10/20, 2/3/20, and 6/26/23 had First Aid and CPR certification that expired on August 31, 2025. Successful completion of the training was on September 25, 2025. You stated the trainer was not available until September 25th. We discussed scheduling the training further in advance to ensure training is completed in a timely manner. You may also contact other trainers and training facilities to assist you and your staff if your preferred trainer is unavailable. Inspection Reports-Maintain current inspections is essential to maintaining a safe environment for children. A fire inspection was completed on April 22, 2025; however, a copy of the report was not received until today’s visit. You stated you mailed a copy of the report to the Post Office Box. You stated that as of today, you would implement a plan to send a photo of the inspection via email and mail a hard copy of the inspection report to the consultant when an inspection is completed. We discussed how to use a scanning app on your phone to scan documents and email them as an additional alternative. Health and Safety Training- Child care providers who have direct responsibility for the care and oversight of children, including center administrators, must complete health and safety trainings to comply with the NC Child Care Rules. Staff employed on 10/29/01, did not have a training certificate on file for Recognizing and Responding to the Suspicions of child Maltreatment within five years of the initial training on 3/4/20. You stated this was omitted mistakenly. Use the Staff and Training Worksheet as a tracking tool to know when training is due. Pathways to the Stars: During the visit an overview of section .3200 of the child care rules was provided. Each of the following pathway options were discussed: Program Assessment Pathway, Classroom and Instructional Quality Pathway, and Accreditation and Head Start Pathway. Additionally, we reviewed the CQI and Family and Community Engagement. You informed me that your facility will pursue Pathway #2: Classroom and Instructional Quality. Your facility currently uses the Creative Curriculum for all preschool groups. At this time, you do not have a formative assessment tool. A list of approved formative assessments was shared with you during the visit. CQI-We walked through the Individual and Facility Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) forms (individual and center). Each staff member will complete an Individual CQI annually. Maintain these in the staff’s personnel files. The administrator will also complete the Facility CQI Plan to create an overall goal for the center. Family and Community Engagement- We reviewed Foundational Practices and discussed how the center already meets these required practices. You will need to identify the optional practices you wish to meet. The number of optional practices are based on the star level you are striving to meet. Coaching/Training- We discussed options for five hours of additional training (on-going training or CEUs) or coaching/mentoring for the administrator and lead teacher. Education-Today, we reviewed education requirements for the various positions (lead teacher, Teacher, administrator). Staff’s education will be evaluated at 50% of Lead Teaches and 50% of Other Educators to determine the facility’s expected star level. Any staff person who will be evaluated as part of the Lead Teachers or Other Educators needs to register for a WORKS account and submit original, official transcripts or update their current WORKS account and submit new education. Have all staff submit and/or update their WORKS accounts by June 2026. Submit your Rated License Application by July 2026. Visit the QRIS Modernization page at https://ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/Provider/Licensing/Star-Rated-License/QRIS-Modernization for the Pathways to the Stars resources including the slide deck, Pathways in Brief and frequently asked questions. Resources: As a licensed child care facility, it is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of the child care laws and rules and to teach your staff the rules to ensure your center remains in compliance. The following resources are available to you: 1. DCDEE website, www.ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov – current laws and rules regarding child care facilities in North Carolina, “What’s New” tab, Items Number Listing which you can use as a checklist for your program. 2. Raise NC Newsletter—Weekly newsletter emailed to facility email including relevant information from the Division, training opportunities, grants, and more. You can sign up to receive Raise NC on the What’s New tab. 3. Your local Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies—Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children - (252) 758-8885 or mppfc.org. 4. North Carolina Rate License Assessment Project (NCRLAP)- Check out resources, webinars, and trainings about the Third Editions of the Environment Rating Scales , The Self-Study Process, and Outreach Assessments by visiting https://ncrlap.org/. North Carolina General Statute 14-208 requires sex offenders to register with the North Carolina Department of Justice. The law states that a sex offender shall not knowingly reside within 1,000 feet of the property on which any public or nonpublic school or child care center is located. This does not apply to child care centers that are located on or within 1,000 feet of property of an institution of higher education where the registrant is a student or is employed. All licensed child care centers must register to receive e-mail notification when a registered sex offender moves within a one-mile radius of the center. (§14-208.19) To register for the e-mail notification, go to http://sexoffender.ncsbi.gov. If you have any questions, please contact your local sheriff's department. At the completion of the visit, this visit summary was printed, reviewed, and a copy was left with you. Contact me at LeShaunda McCotter, Child Care Consultant, 252-751-8634, LeShaunda.McCotter@dhhs.nc.gov or Jennifer Linhardt, Licensing Supervisor, 252-373-4199, Jennifer.Linhardt@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

Open Not marked corrected in the state record

Category: supervision. Open / not marked corrected.