Neighborhood Schoolhouse

Regulation 2.3.9.3: The licensee shall ensure that all staff 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.

“Staff person A's 5 yr renewal date for completed/approved fingerprints clearance was 12/20/2025. Staff person B's 5 yr renewal date for completed/approved fingerprint clearance was 11/23/2025. As of the date of this visit, 02/05/2026, neither person had submitted a new record check authorization form to start the renewal process. Submission of record check authorization forms was required during the site visit. Corrective Action: Ensure Staff person A and Staff person B are not alone with children until fingerprint approval/clearance notification is received from the Child Development Division. Develop a documentaiton system to monitor renewal dates for staff persons and create a plan for timely processing of the required steps. Send this plan via email to Licensing Field Specialist Crawford. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 3.7.3: Emergency Preparedness Training: Within 365 days of opening a CBCCPP, the licensee shall attend emergency preparedness training which shall include content specifically related to sheltering in place in the event of an emergency in which the licensee and children present need to remain in the CBCCPP for an extended period.

“The person meeting the requirements of this rule ended their association with the program in June 2024. There is no documentation available within the BFIS quality and credential account nor provided as part of this visit indicating that the Program Director in place since June 2024 has completed a training meeting this rule. Corrective Action: Have the Program Director complete a training that meets the requirements of this rule. Consult the NL@CCV training calendar for clarity on training options. Submit the completed training documents to be uploaded to the quality and credential account and notify Licensing Field Specialist Crawford when submitted. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 5.10.3.3: Safe Use Zones For all play equipment that is thirty (30) inches or higher from the ground, including climbing equipment, slides, swings and other similar equipment, the licensee shall ensure that the surface under and around the equipment, including recommended use zones, is of approved resilient material that protects children if they fall. * Materials in the use zone shall consist of wood chips, pea stone, mulch, engineered wood fibers, sand, safety-tested shredded or rubber like material or rubber mats designed for protective cushioning; * Materials used in the use zone shall follow the recommendations listed in the most recent publication of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Public Playground Safety Handbook regarding critical depth of tested materials determined by the height of the highest climbing surface of the equipment; * Materials used in the use zone shall be installed and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions; * If the loose material such as sand, mulch, or shredded rubber is used in use zones, the licensee shall ensure that the material is raked regularly and replenished to maintain depth and resilience; and * If the resilient material in use zones freezes, staff shall ensure that children will not play on the equipment until the resilient material has thawed and is once again resilient.

“Children were observed using playgrund equipment that required cushioning materials in the safe use zone. The areas around and under the slide and under and around the climbing wall had visible areas of ice and hard packed snow. Ice and hard snow upon cushioning material indicate the material is frozen and not resilient. Corrective Action: As required during the visit, equipment is not be used until resilient material is thawed and free of ice/snow. Review this requirement with all staff persons.”

Correction date in the state record: Feb 7, 2025

Regulation 5.6.5: All prescription medication administered by staff shall be in its original container, properly labeled for the child, and administered prior to the expiration date on the container.

“The inhaler for a child in care is unlabeled and is stored in a plastic bag. Corrective Action: Develop a system to review medications to ensure compliance to this rule is maintained at all times. Identify who on site will be responsible for ensuring compliance to this rule.”

Correction date in the state record: Mar 3, 2023

Regulation 7.1.3: The licensee, in consultation with the program director, shall establish written program policies and procedures and provide these to staff and to auxiliary staff left alone with children and/or counted in staff/child ratio as specified in the rule 6.2.1.8 of these regulations during an orientation training session approved by the Division prior to being left alone with children. Trainees under eighteen (18) years of age and other staff not left alone with children shall complete the orientation training within at least one (1) month of their first date of working with children. 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; Supervision of children; Child accident and injury procedures including building and physical premises safety; Safe sleep practices; Administration of medication requirements; Emergency and evacuation requirements; Nutrition and food safety including prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; Recordkeeping; Transportation and child passenger safety; Release of children; Respectful engagement of families; 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, partner staff, auxiliary staff, and business managers; Responsibility to comply with current applicable licensing regulations; Staffing requirements to include opening and closing; and Ensuring children have extra clothes and diapers available.

“Two staff persons who have been employed in the program since September 2022 have not completed the required orientation. Corrective Action: Have the two identified persons complete orientation. Send confirmation of the completed orientation to Northern Lights@CCV for uploading to the Quality and Credential Accounts for each person.”

Correction date in the state record: Feb 8, 2024

Regulation 3.4.7.3: Within six (6) months of the initial date of employment; staff and auxiliary staff left alone with children and/or counted in staff/child ratio as specified in the rule 6.2.1.8 of these regulations, and the program director 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 sections 7.3 and 7.4 of these regulations shall be submitted to Northern Lights at CCV to be verified and maintained in BFIS.

“Of the four (4) staff persons present during this visit who have been employed more than six (6) months, none have CPR/1st aid within their BFIS Quality and Credential account, two (2) are missing documentation confirming completion of orientation and two are missing confirmation of completion of Protecting Vermont's Children from Abuse and Neglect. Corrective Action: Review all staff persons BFIS quality and credential accounts and ensure all required documentation has been submitted for uploading. Develop a system which includes who will be responsible for timely submissions of required materials.”

Correction date in the state record: May 21, 2022

Regulation 5.1.2: General Health Examinations: Within forty-five (45) days of enrollment, the licensee shall obtain documentation of the child's age appropriate well care exam from the parent. Documentation shall include information regarding any health conditions and medications that may impact the care of the child.

“In a sampling of three (3) children's files, all were missing the required general health examination documentation completed by a health practioner. The Program Director confirmed that this was not documentation that was being required to be submitted. Corrective Action: Review all children's files and work with families to have the required documentation submitted. Develop a plan to include this documentation requirement to the enrollment process.”

Correction date in the state record: May 21, 2022

Regulation 5.10.3.2.1: All outdoor play equipment shall be sturdy, safe, clean and free from rough edges, sharp corners, pinch and crush points, splinters, and exposed bolts. To prevent entrapment, no openings in equipment shall be between 3.5 and nine (9) inches. Chains on swings shall have protective coverings and swing seats shall be made of soft materials with no sharp edges.

“The painted green swingsets and playstructures have significant areas of chipping peeling paint. On the two bay swingset, the front left side support beam has missing paint on 50% of the child height accessible surface and the right sude support post has approximately 30% of missing paint. On each post, there are visibly raised peeling off flakes of paint. The platforms and stairs on the climbing structure have more than 50% of the surfaces with chipped, peeling, or missing paint. On one step and on the sides of two of the platforms there is splintering wood and missing sections of wood with nail/screw heads exposed. The bridge upon the structure has missing sections of paint and visible chipping flakes on each of the bridge planks. Corrective Action: Either remove the hazard of chipping peeling paint and deteoriating wood by immediately repairing the identified deficiencies or block children's access to the equipment until it is repaired. Send confirmation of the program's immediate and long term plans to address the condition of the playground pieces. In this corrective action, include when repairs will be done and what monitoring system will be put in place to ensure playground equipment remains in good safe repair.”

Correction date in the state record: May 21, 2022

Regulation 3.4.7.5: The licensee shall maintain a current list of the licensee or designee, staff, auxiliary staff, and volunteers as in the rules in section 7.7.5 of these regulations, as applicable in BFIS. Any changes shall be reported through BFIS within five (5) working days of the change.

“The associated parties list has 4 persons listed as substitutes who are no longer associated with the program and/or have never substituted in the program. Corrective Action: Review the associated parties list and remove persons no longer involved with or never were involved with the licensed program children. Create a system to ensure the associated parties list is maintained up to date in accordance with this regulation. Notify this license via e-mail that the corrections have been completed.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 29, 2020

Regulation 3.4.7.3: Within six (6) months of the initial date of employment, staff working with children and the program director 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 sections 7.3 and 7.4 of these regulations shall be submitted to NLCDC to be verified and maintained in BFIS.

“Staff person A is listed as hired in 2016 and currently employed by the program. The quality and credential account for Staff person A does not contain the required professional development hours for 2018-2019 and does not have verification of current CPR/1st aid training. The quality and credential account for Staff person B has no documentation of education or qualifications for her role which is listed as teacher. This staff person was hired in 2016 and is currently employed by the program. The Program Director's quality and credential account does not contain the required approved coursework to meet the requirements of rule 7.3.1.3 & 7.3.1.5. The Program director has been employed more than one year and this information is required within 12 months of employment as director. Corrective Action: Review all staff person quality and credential accounts within the BFIS system to ensure the required documentation has been submitted and uploaded. Ensure all staff persons hired within the last 6 months have complete quality and credential accounts by each person's 6 month hire anniversary. Compare each staff persons complete quality and credential accounts and update his/her position title within the BFIS system to match the appropriate position title (qualification- teacher, teaching associate, assistant etc.) for which he/she qualifies. Send an email to this licenser explaining how these steps will be enacting and that compliance to up to date BFIS accounts will be maintained.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 29, 2020