Inspection · 2024-01-31
(703) 537-6241
Areas Reviewed
8VAC20-780 Administration.
8VAC20-780 Staffing and Supervision.
8VAC20-780 Programs.
8VAC20-780 Special Care Provisions and Emergencies
8VAC20-780 Special Services.
8VAC20-820 THE LICENSE.
8VAC20-820 THE LICENSING PROCESS.
8VAC20-820 HEARINGS PROCEDURES.
63.2 Child Abuse & Neglect
Inspector Notes
An unannounced complaint investigation was conducted today between 8:20am and 9:00am in response to a complaint received by the Fairfax Licensing Office that the center is failing to follow the student to staff ratios in the morning.
During the inspection classrooms were observed, staff were interviewed, staff written statements, and relevant documents were reviewed. A preponderance of the evidence collected supported the complaint and the complaint is deemed to be valid.
Please contact Kara Vaughan at kara.vaughan@doe.virginia.gov with questions regarding this
inspection.
Please submit your plan of correction within five business days in order for it to be included on the public website.
Violations
5Based on interviews and documentation review, the staff did not ensure the care and protection of children in their care.
Evidence:
1. On the morning of January 18, 2024 multiple staff members confirmed that the Toddler room was running at a ratio of 1 staff for 8 children. The ratio requirement for a classroom of children aged 16 months to 24 months is 1 staff for 5 children.
2. On the morning of January 18, 2024, while the toddler room was out of ratio, Child 1 fell and hit their mouth on the, requiring first aid.
3. The incident report of the injury listed Staff 1 as the only staff present in the room when the incident occurred.
Based on observation and staff statements, the licensee failed to adhere to the required ratio requirements.
Evidence:
1. On the date of inspection, the Preschool classroom was operating with 1 staff for 14 children. The required ratio for that classroom is a maximum of 10 children per supervising staff member.
2. During interviews multiple staff members confirmed that rooms have been consistently over ratio in the mornings for a period of approximately a month.
3. In a written statement one staff member claimed to have been over ratio by 3 to 9 children on most mornings.
Evidence:
Multiple staff confirmed during interviews that children are reassigned casually and repeatedly to stay with management in the front lobby in the mornings to alleviate classroom staff that are over ratio, disrupting the children's schedule and attachment to their assigned staff members and group.
Evidence:
Interviews with multiple staff confirmed that children are routinely sent to the lobby to wait for additional staff to arrive when the current staff in the classrooms are over the required ratio.
Evidence:
An incident report for Child 1 dated 1/18/2024 did not contain the time of the incident.
will retrain all staff on proper procedures to fill out incident reports and review them for thoroughness.