Belinda Snow-Gifford

Regulation 7.1.2.1: The FCCP shall have successfully completed pediatric first aid and CPR prior to being licensed and must remain currently certified.

“The provider's FIrst Aid and CPR certification expired and she did not renew. Provider stated she was having difficulties finding a training. Corrective Action: Since the visit the provider has completed an approved First Aid and CPR training. As discussed if you are having difficulties locating a required training please contact the resource advisor at Northern LIghts at CCV. This was not a repeat violation and no further corrective action is required.”

Correction date in the state record: Aug 22, 2024

Regulation 2.3.8.3: The FCCP shall ensure that the FCCP; all individuals residing in the home; staff; and any individuals who are left alone with children have met ongoing background check requirements by submitting at least once every five (5) years a Records Check Authorization form to the Division and as required shall submit to fingerprinting.

“A review of the program's BFIS associated parties list reflected that the Provider, Staff A, Staff B, and Household Member X had not yet submitted to fingerprinting. Notification of the requirement to complete fingerprinting, along with a Fingerprint Authorization Certificate was issued to the provider in June of 2018, to Staff A in June of 2018, to Staff B in June of 2018, and to Household Member X in July of 2019. The provider stated that Staff A and Staff B have been left alone with enrolled children on several occasions. The provider stated that while they had attempted to contact the local courthouse to schedule fingerprinting appointments, none of the named persons had yet submitted to fingerprinting. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to have all listed parties print their Fingerprint Authorization Certificate and submit to fingerprinting. Develop a system which will prompt you and/or other required individuals to submit to fingerprinting in a timely manner as required moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 25, 2022

Regulation 5.4.1.5: Children shall be supervised by FCCP and/or staff while napping or resting. The FCCP and/or staff shall directly observe a sleeping child at least every fifteen (15) minutes to check the child's face, view the color of the child's skin, and check on the child's breathing.

“During the visit, Child D, who was nine (9) months old, was asleep in a bedroom with the door closed. Between 2:33 PM and 3:18 PM, the provider did not perform any in person checks on Child D. At 3:18 PM, the provided went to check on Child D when prompted to do so by this Licensor. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to conduct in person checks on all sleeping infants to check the child's face, view the color of the child's skin, and check on the child's breathing. In the safe sleep portion of your program improvement plan, develop a system which will prompt you to conduct in person checks on each sleeping infants at least once every 15 minutes moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 14, 2021

Regulation 5.10.1.10.3: All poisonous or toxic materials shall be inaccessible to children.

“During the visit, the provider was observed to utilize a solution of [name] and water which was kept in a bucket in the bathtub located in the bathroom utilized by the children in the program. Child A, B, and C, who were between the ages of six (6) and ten (10) years old, were observed on separate occasions to enter the bathroom, close the door behind them, and come back out of the bathroom several minutes later. The provider did not visually supervize Child A, B, or C while in the bathroom. Additionally, during the visit, Child D, who was nine (9) month old, was sleeping in a pack and play in a bedroom with the door closed. The pack and play was directly in front of a clothes dresser which had several bottles of cologne and hair products on top and near the edge closest to the pack and play. The top of the clothes dresser was approximately10 inches above the top of the pack and play and within arms reach if Child D were to wake and pull up to standing. Between the 2:33 PM and 3:18 PM, the provider did not conduct any in person checks on the Child D. The provider did not have a baby monitor in use or another way to supervise and monitor Child D's well being. When Child D woke from their nap, Child D was observed to pull up to standing and easily reach for items while standing. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to place all toxic materials, including but not limited to, cologne, hair products, and cleaning products, out of children's reach. Due to the quanitity and type of violations observed and the apparent lack of undertanding and/or application of the most current Child Care Licensing Regulations, plan to create and submit for approval a Program Improvement Plan. In the health and safety portion of your program improvement plan, include details of a system you will utilize to scan all areas used by the program and accessed by children for poisonous or toxic materials and place all poisonous and toxic materials out of children's reach prior to allowing children to access those spaces each day moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 27, 2021

Regulation 5.4.3.2: Children shall not be required to sleep. Children who do not nap shall be provided space and equipment for quiet play.

“Upon arrival at the program at approximately 2:30 PM, Child A, B, and F were lying on rest mats in the livingroom/playroom area. Child A was school age and was awake. Child B was school age and was awake. Child F was 2 years old and was asleep. Between 2:30 PM and 3:28 PM Child A and B were required to remain on their mats and were not offered space or equipment for quiet play. The daily schedule indicates that rest time begins at 1:00 PM each day. Additionally, during the visit, Child A and Child B got off from their mats several times. Each time, the provider was observed to use a loud voice to instruct each one to get back on their mat. On one occasion, the provider was observed to use a stern, loud voice to tell Child A that Child A would be in trouble if Child A got off of their mat one more time. The provider then told Child A to get back on their mat and sleep. On one occasion when Child B got off of their mat, the provider was observed to walk quickly toward Child B, quickly take Child B's hand, and pull Child B back to their mat. The provider then pointed to the mat and gave Child B a stern look. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to provide space, materials, and equipment for any child who does not sleep. In the Rest Time portion of the Program Improvement Plan, include details of the types of age appropriate materials and equipment which will consistently be made available for every child who does not sleep during rest time. Include an updated copy of the daily schedule which reflects the alternate activities which will be made available to all school age children and any other child who does not sleep. Plan to provide a copy of the updated daily schedule to all current and newly enrolled families.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 15, 2021

Regulation 6.2.3.2: The FCCP and/or staff shall appropriately hold, touch, smile and talk to children.

“During the visit, the provider was observed to use a loud, stern voice to address an infant Child E. After Child E finished a bottle, the provider sat Child E up on the provider's lap and patted Child E's back. Child E spit up on the provider's arm. The provider loudly asked Child E if Child E was kidding and turned Child E to face the provider. Child E's face leaned into the provider's shoulder and hair. The provider loudly told Child E not to get the spit up in the provider's hair. The provider laid Child E back down in the provider's arms and began to wipe the spit up. Child E looked at the provider and began to smile. The provider loudly told Child E that it was not funny, and that it was not ok to spit up on the provider. The provider did not have age-appropriate expectation of or appropriately talk to Child E. Chid E was 5 months old. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to appropriately interact with children and attend a minimum of 4 training hours with a focus on child development, including positive and age-appropriate interactions with young children. In the Appropriate Interactions portion of your Program Improvement Plan, include details of the dates, times and content of the trainings you will attend. Additionally include a revised copy of the program's parent/family handbook which includes researched information about child development and how you intend to apply this researched information to the daily practices within the program.”

Correction date in the state record: Aug 25, 2023

Regulation 5.4.2.3: The FCCP and staff shall ensure that infants sleep in cribs or port-a-cribs. Infants shall not be placed to sleep on soft surfaces, such as a couch or sofa, pillow, quilts, sheepskins or blankets. Infants shall not be placed in car seats, swings, high chairs, jumping chairs or similar equipment for sleep. A child that falls asleep in this type of equipment shall be gently transferred to a crib or port-a-crib as soon as feasible.

“Upon arrival, Child E, who was 5 months old, was asleep on a blanket on the floor in a bedroom. The provider stated that Child E typically sleeps on a mat on the floor of the bedroom with pillows placed all around the edges of the mat. Additionally, toward the end of the visit, Child E was placed in a crib to sleep with a blanket. After Child E fell asleep, the provider left the room where the crib was located to begin making snack for the other children. Child E was asleep with the blanket and out of the provider's sight for approximately 20 minutes. The provider only went to check on Child E and remove the blanket from the crib when prompted by this licensor. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to place child E in a crib or port-a-crib for sleep, without blankets, pillows, or other items. In the safe sleep portion of your Program Improvement Plan, include details of researched safe sleep practices, how you will inform all parents of the safe sleep practices you are required to utilize for infants under 12 months old, and how you intend to comply with those practices for every child under the age of 12 months moving forward. Provide a revised copy your parent handbook which includes updated details of safe sleep practices. Plan to provide an updates copy of the parent handbook to all currently and newly enrolled families moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: Aug 25, 2023

Regulation 6.2.5.3: The FCCP and/or staff shall use positive methods of guidance and behavior management that encourage self-control, self-direction, self-esteem and cooperation.

“During the visit, the provider was observed to use a loud, harsh, and/or threatening tone in response to children's behavior. The provider was also observed to require a child to sit on the stairs for prolonged periods of time in response to the child's behavior. The provider was observed to call school-age Child C to the bathroom and loudly address Child C, in front of Child A, about getting the floor wet while using the toilet. Later the provider was observed to shout at school-age Child B to get off the stairs. Additionally, the provider was observed to require Child A to sit on the stairs on two separate occasions after Child A got off of their rest mat. Child A was required to sit on the steps for approximately 10 minutes the first time, and approximately 20 minutes the second time. Child A was observed to have pink, wet cheeks and make sobbing noises while sitting on the steps. The provider did not respond to Child A during the time Child A was required to sit on the steps. The provider did not respond to the children's behavior with positive methods of guidance and behavior management which encouraged self-esteem and cooperation. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to respond to each child's behavior using positive and age appropriate methods of guidance and behavior management and attend a minimum of four training hours with a focus on guidance and behavior management practices which encourage self-esteem and cooperation. In the Positive Guidance section of your Program Improvement Plan, include details of the trainings you will attend including dates, times, and content. Include a revised copy of the program's positive guidance policy which includes details of appropriate responses to the behaviors of young and school age children, details of positive methods of behavior management, including preventative strategies such as engaging children in consistent, age-appropriate activities throughout each portion of the day, and how you will train yourself and staff in regard to these policies and strategies until yourself and all staff continuously utilize positive methods of guidance and behavior management. Plan to update your parent/family handbook with the revised positive guidance policy and provide new copies of this handbook to all currently and newly enrolled families.”

Correction date in the state record: Aug 25, 2023

Regulation 2.3.10.5: The FCCP shall be responsible for compliance with all applicable state and federal laws even when they are more stringent than the rules in this set of FCCH regulations.

“The water test kits were sent to the mailing address provided to the CDD licensing technician when completing the survey of taps in your child care facility. Follow-up emails were sent on 09/04 and 10/03/2019. A follow-up phone call was placed on 10/03/2019. Upon arrival today, Belinda stated that she had not yet collected and sent the water samples for the required water testing. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to collect the samples, following the instructions included in the box, then send the water test kits back to the lab within the required time limit stated in the instructions.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 6, 2019

Regulation 6.2.1.5: The registered FCCP shall ensure that the number of staff present meets requirements described in the chart below for ages of children, maximum group size, and staff/child ratios at any time of day.

“Provider had eleven children in care including; two 8 year olds, three 7 year olds, one 5 year old, one 3 year old, one 2 year old and one 10 month old. The maximum staff child ratio for school vacation is 1 adult:10 children. A review of attendence records reflects 11 children in attendence on 03/04, 03/05 and 03/11-13/2019. THIS IS A SERIOUS VIOLATION. Corrective Action: Send an email containing a plan for maintaining compliant ratios moving forward, as this is a serious violation.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 30, 2019

Regulation 5.10.1.2.4: The FCCP shall ensure that each floor of the home, and in the corridor to access the home in an apartment building, has an operating smoke detector as well as a smoke detectors in the immediate vicinity where children sleep. The FCCP shall ensure carbon monoxide monitors are located outside of rooms were children sleep.

“While two smoke detectors were observed, there were no carbon moonoxide detectors present in the FCCH. Provider stated that she has had several, but they have malfunctioned and beeped constantly, so she or her husband have thrown them out. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to install cabon monoxide detectors outside of rooms where children sleep.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 30, 2019

Regulation 3.3.3: The FCCP shall establish a system for taking attendance, including documentation of the time when each child arrives and departs each day he/she attends the FCCH. The FCCP shall save all daily attendance records identifying the hours of children's attendance for at least twelve (12) months from the date that care is provided.

“The attendence sheet for the week of 06/17-06/21/2019 did not reflect accurate attendence or departure times for all children in care. Belinda stated that sometimes her book gets moved by other house members and she is not able to find it to record arrival and departure times. THIS IS A REPEAT VIOLATION. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to record attendence for each child upon arrival and departure each day. Include in your program improvement plan, a system for attendence that includes a consistent and secure place for your attendence book and how you will be prompted to record accurate times immediately upon arrival and departure of each child each day, as this is a repeat violation.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 30, 2019