Prior to employment or residency, as applicable, and every 5 years thereafter, all child care staff, substitutes, other employees, and volunteers who may be alone with children or are included in staff to child ratios, and household members age 10 years or older, shall submit for a background record check using NH Connections.

Two licensing coordinators' review of department records revealed that one staff did not submit for a background record check prior to employment. The program was previously cited for non-compliance with this rule following a visit on June 10, 2022. A corrective action plan submitted by the program and approved by the department stated, “The confusion happened as the applicant was not a childcare staff, nor substitute or volunteer or other employee and only worked occasionally after business hours & weekends. The background check was complited [sic] as soon as the rule was clarified. In the future, all child care staff and applicants will not allow a lapse in their background check.” Corrective action: The program did their best to comply with the regulation. The staff member had their fingerprints done and paid for and submitted the paperwork and payment for background record check prior to employment by mail, however the paper work was returned with the request for it to be submitted online. This created delay and frustration. The program acknowledges this directed CAP and in the future, will not have staff working in the program if they are not deemed eligible.

He-C 4002.41(a) · Correction status not published

Programs shall comply with approved corrective action plans and corrective action plans issued in accordance with (i) and (j) above.

This Statement of Findings includes a repeat citation for He-C 4002.41(a), which constitutes failure to comply with an approved corrective action plan for one repeat citation, as noted herein. Corrective action: The repeated violation was not intentional and the nature of the situation was different from the previous one. The employee and the program did their best to comply with the rule however, the process of submitting for background check had been changed from paper submission to online submission only, which created a delay and the need to resubmit the paperwork. The program acknowledges this unintentional failure to comply and will comply with an approved corrective action plan in the future.

The program shall maintain on file for each staff member: (1) Documentation of the staff’s qualifications, including a resume, transcripts, diplomas, or any other documentation, which demonstrates their qualifications; (2) Documentation of a completed background check in accordance with He-C 4002.41; (3) A record of health screening, in accordance with (b) below; (4) Documentation of orientation, certifications, training, and professional development, as applicable; (5) Documentation verifying the staff reviewed the program’s emergency operations plan in accordance with He-C 4002.16(j); (6) Documentation verifying the staff reviewed their job description required in He-C 4002.16(e); and (7) Documentation of supervision regarding disciplinary actions or investigations specific to the staff member.

The licensing coordinator's review of five staff files revealed that four files did not contain documentation verifying that the staff reviewed their job description. Corrective action: The job descriptions were completed and on the computer at the time of visit. We misunderstood the deadline for this after the new regulations took place. Since the visit, every new employee will receive and sign a job description during our staff orientation moving forward. All current employees have their job description signed and in their file.

He-C 4002.09(a) · Correction status not published

Programs shall provide toys, equipment, furniture, and learning materials that are: (1) Age and developmentally appropriate; (2) Of sufficient quantity and variety to meet the needs of the children cared for in the program; (3) Available and accessible to children; and (4) Cleaned on a regular basis.

The licensing coordinator observed that in the Preschool classroom, was a rocking chair equipped with a cushion which was visibly soiled. Corrective action: The preschool chair gets cleaned and sanitized but we took our coordinators advice to wash the cushions for additional cleanliness and we will be washing them regularly from now on. We also have a replacement cushion to switch out when one is being washed.The program will add washing the cushion to our weekly cleaning list. The program will also make sure all toys, equipment, and furniture will be cleaned on a daily basis and checked off on the daily cleaning list.The daily cleaning list consists of an AM/PM section to make sure the above listed gets cleaned after each use.