Inspection · 2025-02-10
Date
2025-02-10
Complaint Related
Yes
Licensing Inspector
Trisha Brown
(757) 404-2601
(757) 404-2601
SHSIA monitoring inspection of an approved subsidy vendor to determine compliance with current subsidy requirements regarding the health and safety of children and to promote quality standards for the children in their care.
No
Areas Reviewed
22.1 Religious Exempt; Background Checks Code; Carbon Monoxide
32.1 Report by person other than physician
54.1 Must be MAT Certified.
63.2 Child abuse and neglect
8VAC20-770 Background Checks
Inspector Notes
An unannounced inspection was initiated on 2/10/2025 and completed on 8/14/2025 with a local agency in response to a complaint received by the licensing office on 1/10/2025 relating to allegations of supervision. The inspector reviewed 7 children?s records and 6 staff records on-site. This inspection included document review, tour of the facility, interviews, and observations.
The preponderance of evidence gathered during the investigation supports the allegation(s); therefore, the complaint is determined to be valid. Information gathered during the inspection determined non-compliance with applicable standards or law, and the violations are documented on the violation notice issued to the program.
Please complete the plan of correction (POC) and date to be corrected sections for each violation cited on the violation notice. Specify how the violation will be or has been corrected. Submit your POC within five business days from today, which will be the close of business on 9/3/2025. A POC submitted after this date will not appear on the public website.
Violations
2Standard 22.1-289.031-B-2
The center shall establish and implement procedures for appropriate supervision of all children in care. During staff interviews multiple staff reported that while supervising children Staff #1 implemented inappropriate supervision practices that were not a part of the established procedures as explained by management. Staff described that they observed inappropriate supervision by Staff #1 as grabbing, yelling at, and pushing children.
Plan of Correction: We were not made aware of many of the incidents until January 28, 2025 Upon notification, administration immediately began an internal review and developed corrective actions to ensure child safety, strengthen staff practices, and prevent recurrence.
Corrective Actions Taken:
1. Increased Monitoring and Accountability: Cameras were installed in each classroom within one month of the investigation to provide additional oversight, documentation, and assurance of safe practices. Administrative walk-throughs and unannounced observations have been increased to support staff accountability and reinforce safe practices.
2. Staff Training and Professional Development: Mandatory in-person training on appropriate interactions with children, safe handling, supervision, and injury prevention was implemented. This training will occur twice annually. The first session took place in May 2025, and the next is scheduled for January 2026. A consultant gave a training to all staff in April of 2025 which covered boundary training, teachers? mandatory reporting obligations under current Virginia state law, and maintaining professional relationships.
3. Improved Onboarding and Mentoring: The staff onboarding process has been revised to include expanded in-person training specifically focused on supervision and positive interactions in Early Years classrooms. A mentoring program has been established, pairing new staff with a seasoned educator for at least the first 90 days of employment to model and reinforce best practices.
4. Policy Development and Communication: A new Staff Supervision and Guidance of Early Years Students Policy has been created and formally added to the Staff Handbook.
Staff will be trained and sign off on this policy during a mandatory staff meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025, and ongoing reinforcement will occur during quarterly meetings.
5. Clear Reporting Protocols: Administration has clarified and reinforced that any suspected child abuse or neglect incident will be reported to the proper authorities within a 24 hour period. Internal investigations will follow after reporting. Staff have been reminded of their roles as mandated reporters, with written acknowledgment of this responsibility placed in their personnel files.
Ongoing Monitoring: Administration will document compliance with training, mentoring, and policy reviews. Follow-up evaluations will occur quarterly to assess the effectiveness of corrective measures and to make adjustments as needed. Continuous feedback loops with staff will ensure an open culture of accountability and improvement.
Corrective Actions Taken:
1. Increased Monitoring and Accountability: Cameras were installed in each classroom within one month of the investigation to provide additional oversight, documentation, and assurance of safe practices. Administrative walk-throughs and unannounced observations have been increased to support staff accountability and reinforce safe practices.
2. Staff Training and Professional Development: Mandatory in-person training on appropriate interactions with children, safe handling, supervision, and injury prevention was implemented. This training will occur twice annually. The first session took place in May 2025, and the next is scheduled for January 2026. A consultant gave a training to all staff in April of 2025 which covered boundary training, teachers? mandatory reporting obligations under current Virginia state law, and maintaining professional relationships.
3. Improved Onboarding and Mentoring: The staff onboarding process has been revised to include expanded in-person training specifically focused on supervision and positive interactions in Early Years classrooms. A mentoring program has been established, pairing new staff with a seasoned educator for at least the first 90 days of employment to model and reinforce best practices.
4. Policy Development and Communication: A new Staff Supervision and Guidance of Early Years Students Policy has been created and formally added to the Staff Handbook.
Staff will be trained and sign off on this policy during a mandatory staff meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025, and ongoing reinforcement will occur during quarterly meetings.
5. Clear Reporting Protocols: Administration has clarified and reinforced that any suspected child abuse or neglect incident will be reported to the proper authorities within a 24 hour period. Internal investigations will follow after reporting. Staff have been reminded of their roles as mandated reporters, with written acknowledgment of this responsibility placed in their personnel files.
Ongoing Monitoring: Administration will document compliance with training, mentoring, and policy reviews. Follow-up evaluations will occur quarterly to assess the effectiveness of corrective measures and to make adjustments as needed. Continuous feedback loops with staff will ensure an open culture of accountability and improvement.
Standard 63.2-1509-A
Persons who, in their professional or official capacity, have reason to suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child, shall report the matter immediately to the local department of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred. Multiple staff and management report being made aware of suspected abuse by staff providing direct care to children. Staff began reporting, to management, these suspected abuse incidents in May of 2024 and continued documenting and reporting incidents through January 2025. However, none of these were reported to the local department as required.
Plan of Correction: We were not made aware of many of the incidents until January 28, 2025 Upon notification, administration immediately began an internal review and developed corrective actions to ensure child safety, strengthen staff practices, and prevent recurrence.
Corrective Actions Taken:
1. Increased Monitoring and Accountability: Cameras were installed in each classroom within one month of the investigation to provide additional oversight, documentation, and assurance of safe practices. Administrative walk-throughs and unannounced observations have been increased to support staff accountability and reinforce safe practices.
2. Staff Training and Professional Development: Mandatory in-person training on appropriate interactions with children, safe handling, supervision, and injury prevention was implemented. This training will occur twice annually. The first session took place in May 2025, and the next is scheduled for January 2026. A consultant gave a training to all staff in April of 2025 which covered boundary training, teachers? mandatory reporting obligations under current Virginia state law, and maintaining professional relationships.
3. Improved Onboarding and Mentoring: The staff onboarding process has been revised to include expanded in-person training specifically focused on supervision and positive interactions in Early Years classrooms. A mentoring program has been established, pairing new staff with a seasoned educator for at least the first 90 days of employment to model and reinforce best practices.
4. Policy Development and Communication: A new Staff Supervision and Guidance of Early Years Students Policy has been created and formally added to the Staff Handbook.
Staff will be trained and sign off on this policy during a mandatory staff meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025, and ongoing reinforcement will occur during quarterly meetings.
5. Clear Reporting Protocols: Administration has clarified and reinforced that any suspected child abuse or neglect incident will be reported to the proper authorities within a 24 hour period. Internal investigations will follow after reporting. Staff have been reminded of their roles as mandated reporters, with written acknowledgment of this responsibility placed in their personnel files.
Ongoing Monitoring: Administration will document compliance with training, mentoring, and policy reviews. Follow-up evaluations will occur quarterly to assess the effectiveness of corrective measures and to make adjustments as needed. Continuous feedback loops with staff will ensure an open culture of accountability and improvement.
Corrective Actions Taken:
1. Increased Monitoring and Accountability: Cameras were installed in each classroom within one month of the investigation to provide additional oversight, documentation, and assurance of safe practices. Administrative walk-throughs and unannounced observations have been increased to support staff accountability and reinforce safe practices.
2. Staff Training and Professional Development: Mandatory in-person training on appropriate interactions with children, safe handling, supervision, and injury prevention was implemented. This training will occur twice annually. The first session took place in May 2025, and the next is scheduled for January 2026. A consultant gave a training to all staff in April of 2025 which covered boundary training, teachers? mandatory reporting obligations under current Virginia state law, and maintaining professional relationships.
3. Improved Onboarding and Mentoring: The staff onboarding process has been revised to include expanded in-person training specifically focused on supervision and positive interactions in Early Years classrooms. A mentoring program has been established, pairing new staff with a seasoned educator for at least the first 90 days of employment to model and reinforce best practices.
4. Policy Development and Communication: A new Staff Supervision and Guidance of Early Years Students Policy has been created and formally added to the Staff Handbook.
Staff will be trained and sign off on this policy during a mandatory staff meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025, and ongoing reinforcement will occur during quarterly meetings.
5. Clear Reporting Protocols: Administration has clarified and reinforced that any suspected child abuse or neglect incident will be reported to the proper authorities within a 24 hour period. Internal investigations will follow after reporting. Staff have been reminded of their roles as mandated reporters, with written acknowledgment of this responsibility placed in their personnel files.
Ongoing Monitoring: Administration will document compliance with training, mentoring, and policy reviews. Follow-up evaluations will occur quarterly to assess the effectiveness of corrective measures and to make adjustments as needed. Continuous feedback loops with staff will ensure an open culture of accountability and improvement.