Northshire Day School

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.

“Two epi-pens and two inhalers in three separate classrooms were expired. The program had not administered the medications since the expiration dates, but had the medication on site and available for administration if needed by the child. Corrective Action: Send home expired medication and require that new medication be provided for any child still needing that medication. If the child no longer needs the medication, this should be documented by a medical professional and provided to the program. Create a plan to ensure that medication expiration dates are regularly monitored. Send documentation of updated medications and the plan to sarah.crosier@vermont.gov for review. Status: Appeal Period.”

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.

“One climbing structure and a separate slide on the playground used by Hickory and Evergreen had cracked plasitc leaving pinch points and sharp edges accessible to children. Efforts had been made to mitigate risk by putting duct tape over cracked areas, however the tape was worn and peeling and did not prohibit access to the sharp edges and pinch points. No children were observed playing on this structure, however discussion with staff indicated that children do currently use this equipment. Corrective Action: The broken equipment will immediately be made off limits for use by all children. Program will provide a written plan for how they will ensure compliance with this regulation. Please send an email to sarah.crosier@vermont.gov detailing the plan. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 6.2.7.5: No punitive action shall be taken with children for not going to sleep, for toileting accidents, for failure to eat all or part of a meal or for failure to complete a prescribed activity.

“Staff X briefly placed a piece of scotch tape over Child A's mouth because they were talking loudly during rest time. Child A is Staff X's child. When this occured Child A was signed into the Pre-K classroom and Staff X was on the clock and working in a different classroom. Corrective Action: Review this regulation with Staff X and ensure that they are aware they must maintain compliance with this and all licensing regulations when they are interacting with their own child while signed in as a staff member. Email Licensor [name] Crosier and confirm that the corrective actions requirements are complete. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 3.2.5: Self-reported violations: If an incident or situation occurs in a CBCCPP while children are present that could be considered a serious violation as defined in the rule 2.2.50 of these regulations, the licensee has a responsibility to self-report this to the Division within twenty-four (24) hours of the incident. A complete report will include a description of the incident, what the licensee has done to verify the particulars of what occurred, and how the licensee has taken corrective action to ensure the safety and well-being of children and to prevent a future serious violation. If such a report is received in a timely manner from a licensee with a history of consistent regulatory compliance, no child has been seriously injured or harmed as a result of the incident or situation, and the licensee has taken prompt and appropriate corrective action; the Division may, on a case by case basis and at the Division's discretion, elect to issue a warning, rather than a violation related to that incident or situation.

“On March 20th, 2026, a staff member reported to Staff A and Staff B, staff on the program's leadership team that they observed a concerning interaction involving Staff X. The Director was on leave at the time of the incident and the leadership staff covering the Director's responsibilities were required to submit a self-report with the Child Development Division and did not do so. It should also be noted that when the Director returned from leave she was not informed about the incident. Corrective Action: The Director shall review this violation with any staff members that cover Director responsibilities when they are not present. Ensure that this regulation and regulation 2.2.50 are reviewed with all staff and members of the leadership team to ensure staff understand when incidents must be reported to the Child Development Division. Email Licensor [name] Crosier and confirm that the corrective actions requirements are complete. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 6.2.6.1: Staff shall be able to hear all children of pre-kindergarten age and younger at all times, shall be able to see the children with a quick glance, and shall be able to physically respond immediately.

“A child was left outside on the fenced in playground for 1-2 minutes after teachers and other children went inside. One staff member stated that all children were present and the other did not count independently before going inside. Corrective Action: Develop a plan to ensure that identified strategies are used to account for all children during transitions. Program has already implemented additional new strategies including a visual clipboard by the playground door that has each child's name added when they arrive for the day, and they move this inside and out as a visual attendance. They are engaging an active attendance to make sure all are accounted for. They are using this clipboard to do face to name checks each time they go in or out.”

Correction date in the state record: Oct 22, 2024

Regulation 6.2.6.1: Staff shall be able to hear all children of pre-kindergarten age and younger at all times, shall be able to see the children with a quick glance, and shall be able to physically respond immediately.

“A toddler left the playground behind the building without staff seeing the child leave. The child went to the front of the building. The child was near a tree next to the front door of the building, between the building and the driveway of the program, where the child was seen by a teacher from the infant classroom. It is not clear how long the was gone from the playground. This is the fifth incident of children being unspervised by staff since October 2021. Corrective Action: Create and implement a Program Improvement Plan detailing training and program practices to ensure that all children are supervised at all times. Send the plan to sarah.crosier@vermont.gov for review when complete. This is a serious violation which requires that a Parental Notification Letter be sent to all families of children enrolled in your program. Please also send to sarah.crosier@vermont.gov names and contact information for parents who will be sent the Parental Notification Letter.”

Correction date in the state record: Oct 31, 2022