Little Footprints Childcare

AAC R9-3-305.A.1. A. A certificate holder shall ensure that: 1. An enrolled child is signed into and signed out from the child care group home by: a. The enrolled child’s parent; b. An individual authorized in writing or by telephone by the enrolled child’s parent; or c. The enrolled child, if the enrolled child is a school-age child and the enrolled child’s parent has given written permission for the enrolled child to self-admit or self-release;

“Findings: The Compliance Officer reviewed the group home's sign in/out records and noted the following: Child 1 was signed in on 9/15/25 and 9/16/25 but was not signed out on those days; Child 1 was present on the day of the inspection, but was not signed in on that day; Child 2 was signed in on 9/17/25, but was not signed out on that day.”

AAC R9-3-302.C. C. A certificate holder shall ensure that each staff member completes a total of 12 or more actual hours of training every 12 months after becoming a staff member in two or more of the following: 1. Child growth and development, which may include sudden infant death prevention; 2. Developmentally appropriate activities; 3. Nutrition and developmentally appropriate eating habits; 4. Responding to accidents and emergencies, including CPR and first aid for infants and children; 5. Recognizing signs of illness and infestation; 6. Detecting, preventing, and reporting child abuse or neglect; 7. Guiding and disciplining children; and 8. Availability of community services and resources, including those available to children with special needs.

“Findings: The Compliance Officer reviewed two staff files and noted that Staff 2's file did not have documentation of having completed 12 hours of training in the previous year as required. The Provider reported that they are working on their training hours. There were 4 hours of training documented between 12/1/2023 and 12/1/2024.”

AAC R9-3-502.A. A. Except as provided in subsection (B), a certificate holder shall ensure that the child care group home has an outdoor activity area that: 1. Is on the premises; 2. Is at least 500 square feet in size; 3. Is adjacent to the residence; 4. Includes shaded areas large enough to accommodate all enrolled children occupying the outdoor activity area at any time; and 5. Except as provided in subsection (D), is enclosed by a fence that: a. Is at least 4 feet high; b. Is secured to the ground; c. Does not have any vertical or horizontal open space that exceeds 4 inches at any point, including any space on a gate; and d. Has a gate from which an individual may exit the outdoor activity area.

“Findings: The Compliance Officer noted that there was no shaded area in the outdoor activity area. The Provider reported that a monsoon storm had damaged the shade structure’s post. She has plans to add a new shade structure.”

AAC R9-3-504.A.3. A. A certificate holder shall ensure that: 3. Each smoke detector required under subsection (A)(2): a. Is maintained in an operable condition; and b. Is either battery operated or, if hard-wired into the electrical system of the child care group home’s residence, has a back-up battery;

“Findings: The smoke detector in the infant’s room was making a “chirping” sound, indicating that the batteries need to be replaced.”

AAC R9-3-202.F. F. A certificate holder shall ensure each staff member and each adult resident submits to the certificate holder documentation of the staff member’s or adult resident’s valid: 1. Background check issued under A.R.S. § 46-811(A) within 10 calendar days after stating date of employment or volunteer service; and 2. Background check each time the background check document is issued or renewed every five years.

“Findings: The Compliance Officer reviewed two staff files and noted that Staff 1's file did not have documentation of their Central Background check in their file. The Provider confirmed that they had not yet received the results. Staff 1's start date is documented as 8/19/2024.”

AAC R9-3-402.A. A. A certificate holder shall ensure that: 1. Each enrolled child who naps or sleeps at the child care group home is furnished with a bed, cot, mat, or crib that accommodates the enrolled child’s height and weight; 2. The bed, cot, mat, or crib is not used by another individual while in use by the enrolled child; 3. The cot, mat, or bed’s mattress is covered with a clean sheet that is laundered when soiled, at least once every seven calendar days, and before use by a different enrolled child; 4. The crib mattress is covered with a clean fitted-sheet designed for the crib mattress size that is laundered when soiled, at least once every 24 hours, and before use by a different enrolled child; and 5. A clean blanket or sheet is provided to each enrolled child.

“Compliance Officer observed one child was sleeping on the floor next to their mat.”

AAC R9-3-310.A. A. A certificate holder shall ensure that a child care group home has a first-aid kit on the premises that contains at least the following items, in a quantity sufficient to meet the needs of the enrolled children at the child care group home: 1. Sterile bandages including: a. Adhesive bandages of assorted sizes, b. Sterile gauze pads, and c. Sterile gauze rolls, 2. Antiseptic solution or sealed antiseptic wipes, 3. Single-use non-porous gloves, 4. Reclosable plastic bags of at least one-gallon size, 5. Scissors, and 6. Adhesive or self-adhering tape.

“Compliance Officer 1 reviewed the group home's first aid kit and noted that it had one gauze roll. The Provider reported that they did not have any additional rolls on site.”

AAC R9-3-305.A.2. A. A certificate holder shall ensure that: 2. The individual signing the enrolled child into or out from the child care group home: a. Records the time of the enrolled child’s arrival or departure, and b. Signs the attendance record with at least the first initial of the individual’s first name and the individual’s last name; and

“Compliance Officer 1 reviewed the sign in/out records and noted the following: Child 5 was present at the facility on the day of the inspection but had not been signed in; Child 6, Child 7 and Child 8 were signed out on 10/9/24 but were not signed in on that day.”

AAC R9-3-303.B. B. Except as required in A.R.S. § 36-309, before a child is enrolled at a child care group home, a certificate holder shall require the individual enrolling the child to complete a Department-provided Emergency, Information, and Immunization Record card containing: 1. The child’s name, home address, city, state, zip code, sex, and date of birth; 2. The date of the child’s enrollment; 3. The name, home address, city, state, zip code, and contact telephone number of each parent of the child; 4. The name and contact telephone number of at least two individuals authorized by the child’s parent to collect the child from the child care group home or to be contacted if the child’s parent cannot be contacted; 5. The name and contact telephone number of the child’s physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse practitioner; 6. Written authorization for emergency medical care of the child; 7. The name of the individual to be contacted in case of injury or sudden illness of the child; 8. A written description provided by a child’s parent of the nutritional and dietary needs of the child; 9. A written description provided by the child’s parent noting the child’s susceptibility to illness, physical conditions of which a staff member should be aware, and any individual requirements for health maintenance; and 10. The dated signature of the individual completing the Emergency, Information, and Immunization Record card.

“Compliance Officer 2 reviewed ten Emergency, Information and Immunization records and noted the following: Child 1's card did not list their date of enrollment; the cards of Child 2 and Child 3 list the name of a hospital instead of the name of the individual to be contacted in case of injury or sudden illness of the child.”

AAC R9-3-304.A.2. A. A certificate holder shall not permit an enrolled child to receive child care services at a child care group home until the child care group home receives: 2. An exemption affidavit for the enrolled child provided by the enrolled child’s parent that contains: a. A statement, signed by the enrolled child’s physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse practitioner, that the immunizations required by 9 A.A.C. 6, Article 7 would endanger the enrolled child’s health or medical condition; or b. A statement, signed by the enrolled child’s parent, that the enrolled child is being raised in a religion whose teachings are in opposition to immunization.

“Compliance Officer 2 reviewed the immunzation records of ten enrolled children and noted that Child 4 had a Personal Beliefs exemption form for their immunizations. Personal Belief exemption forms are not permitted for the child's age group.”

AAC R9-3-304.A.1. A. A certificate holder shall not permit an enrolled child to receive child care services at a child care group home until the child care group home receives: 1. An immunization record for the enrolled child with the information required in 9 A.A.C. 6, Article 7, stating that the enrolled child has received all current, age-appropriate immunizations required under 9 A.A.C. 6, Article 7, that is: a. Provided by a physician, physician assistant, registered nurse practitioner, or another individual authorized by state law to administer immunizations; or b. Generated from the Arizona State Immunization Information System, which is the Department’s child immunization reporting system established in A.R.S. § 36-135; or

“The Compliance Officer observed Child 1 did not have documentation of an immunization record on file.”

AAC R9-3-502.C.2.a. C. A certificate holder shall ensure that: 2. If a child can fall more than 48 inches from a climbing structure, swing, or slide in an outdoor activity area to the ground below, the climbing structure, swing, or slide: a. Has one of the following covering the fall zone of the climbing structure, swing, or slide: i. At least 6 inches of fine loose sand, pea gravel, wood fiber product, or other resilient material; or ii. A shock-absorbing unitary surfacing material manufactured for such use in outdoor activity areas; and

“The Compliance Officer observed 2" of sand around the fall areas of the climber and swing set.”

AAC R9-3-506.9. A certificate holder shall ensure that: 9. Each toilet bowl and sink in a child care group home available for use by enrolled children is cleaned and disinfected daily or, if necessary, more often;

“The Compliance Officer observed both bathrooms to have urine in the toilets.”

AAC R9-3-507.A.1. A. A certificate holder shall ensure that a staff member changes diapers only on a nonabsorbent, sanitizable diaper changing surface that: 1. Is kept clear of items not required for diaper changing;

“The Compliance Officer observed the diapering counter surface to be cracked and in poor repair.”

AAC R9-3-301.I. A certificate holder shall ensure that a staff member who has current training in first aid and CPR is present during hours of operation when an enrolled child is on the premises or on a trip away from the premises under the supervision of a staff member

“The Compliance Officer observed that Staff 1 had been left alone, however does not have current CPR and First Aid. Staff 1's certifications expired 8/30/2023.”