Community Connections at Calais Elementary, s Elementary)

Regulation 5.4: Afterschool Child Care Program Staff that work in the Afterschool Child Care Program are required to have at least one of the following within the first year of employment: * Vermont Afterschool Foundations Certificate or * Vermont Afterschool Essentials Certificate or * Vermont On-the-Job Training Certificate or * Vermont Afterschool Professional Credential or * Vermont Program Director Credential or * Vermont Teacher Licensure or * BA/BS or Associates degree

“Staff C was hired on 09/30/2022 and has not completed the coursework required of new Program Staff within one year of their hire date. Corrective Action: The program shall submit a plan identifying how Staff C will meet qualification requirements and a timeline for when they will have completed the requirements. The program shall communicate with this licensor if the plan or timeline changes.”

Correction date in the state record: Dec 1, 2023

Regulation 5.11: The licensee shall ensure that any new individuals regularly present at the Afterschool Child Care Program submit a Records Check Authorization form to the Division prior to working with children in the Afterschool Child Care Program.

“Staff A and B were the only staff with children the day of the visit and record check authorization forms were not submitted for them, therefore they were no listed as staff on the program's associated parties list. Corrective Action: Ensure that record check authorization forms are submitted for staff even if they work at another program location. Programs with multiple sites have seperate licenses for each location. Since the visit the required record check authorizations forms have been submitted. This licensor met with the Program Administrator the day of the visit and discussed the program's plan for future compliance. No further corrective action is due.”

Correction date in the state record: Oct 19, 2023

Regulation 10.9: Emergency evacuations shall be practiced with the children each month. A record of practice drills for the previous and current year shall be maintained and available onsite. Practice drills may be pre-announced. There shall be: * a system in place to assure that all children are accounted for at a predetermined safe place; * a safety plan that may include additional lock down practices and procedures.

“Program staff stated that practice drills have not been conducted since the program began operation in September. Corrective Action: Plan to practice two drills during the month of December and January. Ensure that drills are practiced in accordance with this regulation and that those monthly drills are recorded and the documentation is kept on site.”

Correction date in the state record: Dec 8, 2022

Regulation 5.24: A Program Administrator or a designated Site Director shall be present at the program more than 50% of the time children are present.

“A Program Staff member share the the inividual identified as the director regularly works at a site in East Montpelier, that she rarely is at this location during the program hours. Corrective Action: By 10/11/2019, submit a written program improvement plan outlining a plan to ensure the program is operating with a Program Director who meets qualifications is present in the program at least 50% of programs operation. Status: Appeal Period.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 19, 2021

Regulation 18.77: Within six months of the initial date of employment, Staff working with children and the Site Director and/or Program Administrator shall maintain an up-to-date BFIS Quality and Credential Account. Documentation, verification of qualifications and all annual professional development activities as specified in the rules in Section 5 of these regulations shall be submitted to NLCDC to be verified and maintained in BFIS.

“The BFIS Quality and Credential Account for staff members who have been with the program more than 6 months does not reflect documents for verification of qualifications and/or training requirements. Corrective Action: By 10/11/2019, e-mail confirmation to this licensor that required documents have been sent and a program improvement plan outlining a system to ensure required documentation is sent to Northern Lights at CCV in the time frame outlined in this regulation.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 19, 2021

Regulation 5.31: Orientation training shall be conducted for every employee before they are left alone with children. This training shall be documented and shall cover material included in the Staff handbook and licensing regulations. Complete written information and the orientation training session shall include: * Basic knowledge of child growth and development; * Routine and emergency health protection of children including health related exclusions; * Safety and sanitation requirements including handling and storage of hazardous materials and disposal of bio contaminants; * Positive behavior management and child guidance; * Curriculum development policies and responsibilities; * Supervision of children; * Policies and procedures for reporting a missing child; * Child accident and injury procedures including building and physical premises safety; * Safe sleep practices; * Requirements for administration and storage of medication; * Emergency Response Plan and emergency procedures, including: staffing emergencies, school closings, evacuation plans such as site evacuations in case of national or environmental emergency, lock-down procedures, responding to a sick or injured child and medical emergencies; * Use of fire extinguishers; * Nutrition and food safety including prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; * Recordkeeping, including daily attendance procedures; * Transportation and child passenger safety; * Off-site activities (field trips) * Release of children; * Respectful engagement of families, including daily communication with parents about their child's activities; * Preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse and neglect; including information about the signs and symptoms of sexual abuse, sexual violence, grooming processes, recognizing the dangers of child sexual abuse, and other predatory behaviors of sex offenders; * Recognition of and response to the symptoms of common childhood illnesses; * Preventing the spread of infectious disease; * Providing developmentally appropriate activities and experiences for children; * Inclusion of children with special needs; * Guidelines for volunteers; * Responsibility to comply with current applicable licensing regulations; * Staffing plans and definitions of related duties to include opening and closing procedures; * Afterschool Child Care Program licensing regulations; * Employee complaint and grievance procedures; and * Assuring children have extra clothes and diapers available.

“The staff member present and working with children has not completed the orientation training. Corrective Action: By 10/11/2019, submit a plan on how the orientation will be completed by all staff. Once completed, keep documentation on file if utilizing the orientation template or submit documentation of completed online orientation to Northern Lights at CCV for entrance into BFIS Quality and Credentialing accounts.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 19, 2021

Regulation 18.50: The Licensee shall be responsible for compliance with these regulations and shall operate the Afterschool Child Care Program at all times within the terms and conditions of the license.

“There were 2 pre-school age children in care with the school age children in the space licensed for the After School Child Care Program with one Program staff member when I arrived at 7:40AM. The Program Staff member shared that the 3-year old and 4-year old siblings have been attending the school age program in the mornings until 8:45AM when they move to the pre-school space. At 8AM a staff person of pre-school program arrived in the Afterschool Program space, she shared that from 8AM-8:45 she acts as Program Staff for the School-age program. Corrective Action: Effective immediately, only school age children may attend the school-age program. Send confirmation of your understanding of this rule and a plan to ensure only school age children are in care under this license to this licensor by 10/11/2019.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 19, 2021

Regulation 10.9: Emergency evacuations shall be practiced with the children each month. A record of practice drills for the previous and current year shall be maintained and available onsite. Practice drills may be pre-announced. There shall be: * a system in place to assure that all children are accounted for at a predetermined safe place; * a safety plan that may include additional lock down practices and procedures.

“Upon request to review fire drill logs, a Program Staff person indicated that there wasn't a log and that fire drills have not been done during this programs hours of operation in the past year. Corrective Action: Effective immediately, establish and maintain a practice of conducting monthly fire drills and documenting the required information.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 19, 2021

Regulation 5.4: Afterschool Child Care Program Staff that work in the Afterschool Child Care Program are required to have at least one of the following within the first year of employment: * Vermont Afterschool Foundations Certificate or * Vermont Afterschool Essentials Certificate or * Vermont On-the-Job Training Certificate or * Vermont Afterschool Professional Credential or * Vermont Program Director Credential or * Vermont Teacher Licensure or * BA/BS or Associates degree

“A Program Staff member who was present and working with children at the time of this visit and who has been with this program more than a year confirmed that she does not meet the Afterschool Child Care Program Staff qualifications. Corrective Action: Effective immediately, only individuals who meet minimum qualifications to be considered staff shall be counted in staff to child ratio. A program improvement plan detailing the steps to be taken to ensure staff meet qualifications shall be submitted to the licensor for review by 10/11/2019.”

Correction date in the state record: Nov 19, 2021