Elizabeth's Early Learning Center

8VAC20-780-560-F-4

“Children three years of age or younger may not be offered foods that are considered to be potential choking hazards. The children in Classrooms 5 and 6 (ages 3 years-4 years) were served whole corn dog nuggets and the children in Classroom 13 (ages 2 years) were served corn dog nuggets that were sliced in a way that created small round pieces of hotdog; the hotdog withing the breading of a corn dog nugget is considered to be a potential choking hazard.”

8VAC20-780-500-B

“Disposable diapers shall be disposed of in a leakproof or plastic-lined storage system that is either foot-operated or used in such a way that neither the staff member’s hand nor the soiled diaper touches an exterior surface of the storage system during disposal. The foot-operated diaper disposal system in Classroom 1 was broken, and the staff member had to use their hand to open the lid to dispose of the soiled diaper.”

8VAC20-780-510-P

“When an authorization for medication expires, the parent shall be notified that the medication needs to be picked up within 14 days, or the parent must renew the authorization. Medications that are not picked up by the parent within 14 days will be disposed of by the center. The medication administration authorization form for Medication 6 expired on 03/17/2026; the medication was on-site during the inspection.”

8VAC20-820-120-E-3

“The licensee shall post the Notice of Intent in a prominent place at each public entrance of the facility to advise consumers of serious or persistent violations. The Notice of Intent, issued on 08/11/2025, was not posted at the facility.”

8VAC20-780-270-A

“Areas and equipment of the center, inside and outside, shall be maintained in a clean, safe and operable condition. There was a tricycle in use on the outdoor playground that was missing the plastic pedals exposing the medal pegs, creating potential for impalement.”

8VAC20-780-500-A

“Staff shall wash their hands before and after a diaper change and before preparing or serving food or beverages. Staff 2 did not wash their hands before preparing a bottle. Staff 6 did not wash their hands before a diaper change.”

8VAC20-820-120-E-3

“The licensee shall post the Notice of Intent in a prominent place at each public entrance of the facility to advise consumers of serious or persistent violations. The Notice of Intent, issued on 08/11/2025, was not posted at the facility.”

8VAC20-780-270-A

“Areas and equipment of the center, inside and outside, shall be maintained in a clean, safe and operable condition. There was a tricycle in use on the outdoor playground that was missing the plastic pedals exposing the medal pegs, creating potential for impalement.”

8VAC20-780-500-A

“Staff shall wash their hands before and after a diaper change and before preparing or serving food or beverages. Staff 2 did not wash their hands before preparing a bottle. Staff 6 did not wash their hands before a diaper change.”

8VAC20-780-410-1

“REPEAT VIOLATION/SYSTEMIC VIOLATION The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: physical punishment, striking a child, roughly handling or shaking a child, and restricting movement through binding or tying. 05/22/2025, during a pull-up change with Child 5 (age 2 years), Staff 1 took the child’s soiled clothing that was on the floor and swiped it across the child’s face. 06/05/2025, during a 2-hour period, Staff 1 and Staff 2 roughly handled Child 1 (age 2 years). The actions of Staff 1 included: picking and pulling the child up from the ground by their arms, pulling the child across the room by their arm, jerking and pulling the child’s legs up to forcefully remove and replace their shoes, and using their own hands to forcefully wash the child’s hands. The actions of Staff 2 included: forcefully replacing the child’s shoes and slamming the child down onto their bottom. Staff 2 made several threatening statements to Child 1 including ?you have 3 seconds and I?m gonna get your butt.? Child 1 cried most of the time during these interactions with staff.”

8VAC20-780-410-5

“SYSTEMIC VIOLATION The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: withholding or forcing food or rest. Over a two-day period in June 2025, Staff 1 and Staff 2 withheld food from children (ages 2-3 years old) due to their behaviors. During lunch, one child with a full plate of food was pulled away from the table by their chair and sat away from the table for several minutes. The child was not allowed to return to the table and was then told to go to their cot. The child cried as the plate of food was removed. A child who did not immediately come to the table for afternoon snack following naptime was eventually told they would not get snack. The child cried and asked for snack and was told it was too late even though other children were still at the table eating.”

8VAC20-780-410-6

“SYSTEMIC VIOLATION The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: verbal remarks which are demeaning to the child. Staff used verbal remarks which were demeaning to the children (ages 2-3 years old) during a 2-week period including ?it’s sad that I have to wash your hands for you like a little baby? and ?no one gives a crap, no one finds your stupid behavior funny.?”

8VAC20-780-500-B

“When a child’s clothing or diaper becomes wet or soiled, the child shall be cleaned and changed immediately. 05/22/2025, Child 5 (age 2 years) soiled their pull-up before naptime. The child stood in the classroom with their soiled pull-up around their ankles for approximately 8 minutes before staff intervened; the child’s body was not cleaned by staff before having a new pull-up placed on them. Child 5 soiled their pull-up again during naptime. Staff directed the child to change themselves. The child did not have their body cleaned before putting on a clean pull-up.”

8VAC20-780-40-E

“REPEAT VIOLATION The center shall be in compliance with the center’s own policies and procedures that are required by the standards. The center’s required discipline policy prohibits staff from using physical punishment, withholding food, making verbal remarks that are demeaning to the child, and punishing children for toileting accidents. Over a period of more than two weeks, staff did the following to children ages 2-3 years old: Made multiple verbal remarks that are demeaning to children; withheld food and drinks during mealtime; and punished a child for a toileting accident.”

8VAC20-780-340-A

“When staff are supervising children, they shall always ensure their care, protection and guidance. During a 2-hour period on 06/05/2025, Child 1 (age 2 years) was not given care and guidance by staff. After the child woke up from nap, they were given demands to come to the snack table. The child laid on the floor and yawned several times. Staff made verbal threats to withhold snack when the child did not come to the table. There were 3 other children at the snack table and two staff. Neither staff made attempts to help transition the child to the table. After several minutes, staff told the child they would not get snack and the child began to cry. The child was then told they would sit outside and not play and the child cried louder. After returning to the classroom from outside play, Child 1 was still crying. Over the next hour, staff inappropriately responded, physically, to the child. The child continued to cry, without any care or guidance from staff, and at one point the child said, ?I want my mama?.”

8VAC20-780-400-C

“SYSTEMIC VIOLATION When time-out is used as a behavior guidance technique, it shall be used sparingly and shall not exceed one minute for each year of the child’s age. 06/05/2025, Staff 1 placed Child 1 (age 2 years) in a spot against the wall, where they sat for approximately 7 minutes and cried the entire time. Another staff entered the classroom to check on the child as they could hear the child crying loudly. Later that afternoon, Staff 2 placed Child 1 into the ?quiet cube? for time-out. The child was in time-out for approximately 5 minutes.”

8VAC20-780-400-A

“SYSTEMIC VIOLATION In order to promote the child’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and social well-being and growth, staff shall interact with the child to provide needed help, comfort and support. On numerous occasions during a 2-week period from 5/22/2025 to 6/4/2025, staff did not provide the necessary help, comfort or support to promote children’s physical, intellectual, emotional, and social well-being. Staff language, on multiple occasions with children ages 2-3 years, was harsh and demeaning. When children needed assistance, staff would not provide support, including when a child needed help with a pull-up change. Staff demanded the child do it themselves. Staff told a child who is potty-trained, on multiple occasions, that they would be put in a diaper and not allowed to use the restroom. After the child was crying and waited for several minutes, staff allowed the child to use the restroom. Staff told a child that they were going to throw their shoes in the trash and then hid the shoes from the child who cried loudly.”

8VAC20-780-500-A

“Children’s hands shall be washed with soap and running water or disposable wipes before and after eating meals and snacks, with soap and running water after toileting and any contact with blood, feces, or urine, and staff shall wash their hands with soap and running water before and after helping a child use the toilet, before and after a diaper change. 05/22/2025, Child 5 (age 2 years) did not wash their hands after coming into contact with urine when they changed their own soiled pull-up. Child 5 then immediately went to the table and did not wash their hands before eating the afternoon snack. 06/05/2025, Staff 1 did not wash their hands before or after changing Child 2?s diaper. Staff 1 did not wash their hands before or after changing Child 1?s diaper.”

8VAC20-780-410-7

“SYSTEMIC VIOLATION The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: punishment for toileting accidents. 05/22/2025, Child 5 (age 2 years) soiled their pull-up during naptime. Staff 1 stated to Child 5, ?you pee?d yourself, you put it on yourself?. Staff 1 would not assist the child and the child changed their own pull-up which took several minutes.”