Otter Creek Child Center

Regulation 7.3.2: Staff The program director shall ensure and maintain documentation that staff meet one (1) of the following qualifications:

“Staff Member A, at the focus of this investigation, had been in their position as a Trainee for over three (3) years and did not yet meet minimum qualifications. This staff member was required to have met minimum qualifications by December of 2023. Corrective Action: All staff BFIS credential accounts must be reviewed by management to ensure that qualification documents are in their respective BFIS credential accounts. These documents shall demonstrate that staff are qualified for their titled positions. All position titles shall be updated by June 1st, 2026.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 11, 2026

Regulation 5.1.1: The licensee shall ensure that the CBCCPP environment and practices support children's health and safety.

“Multiple staff requested help and support for the classroom from management and expressed concern about the interactions that Staff A had with children and that Staff A appeared very frustrated. Management told the other staff to stop intervening and let Staff member A handle the situation with children without them intervening and having that staff member take a break and leave the classroom. Corrective Action: By 06/01/2026, you must contact SPARQS to help develop a program improvement plan to support staff with team building and to work with management in supporting staff. By this date you shall have met at least once with SPARQS.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 11, 2026

Regulation 6.2.7.3: Staff shall use positive methods of guidance and behavior management that encourage self-control, self-direction, self-esteem, and cooperation.

“Staff Member A laid a child on a mat for rest time. The child got up and Staff Member A reported speaking harshly to the child, telling them to lie down. Staff Member B reported that in addition to yelling at the child to lay down, Staff Member A also pulled the child onto the mat by placing their two hands on the upper arms of the child near the shoulders, resulting in a bruise on the child's left upper arm. This is a serious violation. Corrective Action: Effective immediately instructs staff to use developmentally appropriate expectations of children's behavior. By 6/01/26, contact SPARQS to help develop a program improvement plan that states how the program will ensure staff's expectations and the staff's responses include positive guidance developmentally appropriate to each child's level of understanding. The plan shall include the steps taken by management to provide additional oversight to a classroom that is struggling, with a mechanism for reporting staff's concerns and documenting management's responses. A Parental Notification Letter, which is a copy of the licensing report, must be provided to each parent of every child enrolled within ten (10) days of the report submission. Provide a list of parent's names, child's name and contact information for each enrolled child.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 11, 2026

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 children's rescue inhalers reviewed, were not in there original boxes that are properly labeled with the children's names. The children were in care during this licensing visit. Corrective Action: Immediately request the box for the rescue inhalers with the children's name and expiration date. Maintain future compliance to only accept medications that are in the original box label with the child's name. By 2/28/2026 submit confirmation to this Licensor.”

Correction date in the state record: Feb 28, 2026

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.

“A review of the staff's BFIS quality and credential accounts, staff files, and the support from Northern Lights to find missing documentation, it was determined that four (4) staff members employed longer than six (6) months did not have an up-to-date BFIS Quality and Credential account as required and was missing education documentation, professional development certificates, CPR and First Aid certificates. Corrective Action: The program received support from the Resource Advisor from Northern Lights after this licensing visit. By 3/6/2026, submit confirmation to this Licensor when all required information has been sent to Northern Lights at CCV and a plan with how required training certificates and education documentation will be submitted to Northern Lights to be uploaded into staff's BFIS accounts within the required six (6) months of their hire date, and monitored by the program to ensure they are reflected.”

Correction date in the state record: Feb 28, 2026

Regulation 7.4.4: All staff shall complete fifteen (15) clock hours of annual professional development activities as required in the rule 7.4.2 of these regulations. Substitutes filling a staff position for less than thirty (30) consecutive days within a 365 day period shall be exempt.

“A review of the staff's BFIS Quality and Credential account, confirmation from Northern Lights for missing documentation and time given to the program to locate any missing documentation, it was confirmed that four (4) staff members were missing fifteen (15) hours of professional development. Staff A is missing six (6) hours between 5/31/24 to 5/31/24. Staff B is missing ten (10) hours between 12/14/24 to 25. Staff C is missing twelve (12) hours between 9/19/24 to 25. Staff D is missing ten (10) hours between 10/15/24-25. Corrective Action: By 3/16/2026, have the four (4) staff members complete their missing professional development hours. These training hours will not count toward the following year's training hours due date for each staff member. Submit all training certificates to Northern Lights through Direct Send and submit confirmation to this Licensor.”

Correction date in the state record: Mar 13, 2026

Regulation 6.2.4.3: The program director shall ensure that each group of children is led by a staff member who is at least qualified as a teacher associate for at least 75% of the hours of operation.

“The infant classroom located in the main building was operating with two staff members who do not meet requirements of the rule. One staff has qualifications of trainee and one staff has qualifications of assistant as confirmed by review of BFIS credential accounts and by management. Both staff members were working more than 75% of the time of program operation. Corrective Action: Create a plan outlining how the program will come into compliance with this regulation, to include how the program will staff the infant room located in the main building, to ensure it is led by a staff member who is at least qualified as a teacher associate and working in the infant room at least 75% of the time of program operation going forth. Email plan to this licensor for review prior to due date.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 23, 2025

Regulation 5.11.6.8: Unused portions of formula or breast milk that was offered to the infant shall be discarded after each feeding or after one (1) hour without refrigeration. Open containers of ready-to-feed or concentrated formula shall be covered, refrigerated, and discarded after forty-eight (48) hours if not used. Unused expressed breast milk shall be discarded after forty-eight (48) hours if refrigerated, after two (2) weeks if frozen.

“During my observation of the Sea Pups classroom I observed that two children's cubbies contained bottles with milk/formula in them. The bottles were there at 10:10 and remained in the same location when I looked again at 11:30. Children and staff were outside from 10:30 to 11:30. Corrective Action: Review this regulation with all staff and substitutes that care for infants. Email confirmation to this licensor that staff have reviewed the regulation and will ensure future compliance.”

Correction date in the state record: Mar 27, 2020

Regulation 7.2.2: The licensee shall ensure that all new staff and auxiliary staff, prior to working with children in the CBCCPP; and any new individual designated as the representative of the licensee shall submit a Records Check Authorization form to the Division and shall submit to fingerprinting at a location designated by the Division after having received the Fingerprinting Authorization Certificate by the Division.

“Review of the program's BFIS account revealed that a substitute was issued a request to submit to fingerprinting on 03/21/2019. Fingerprints were never submitted. Corrective Action: Effective immediately, schedule an appointment for fingerprinting. Do not allow this substitute to be alone with children until fingerprinting results are posted in BFIS. Create a program improvement plan that identifies how the program will make sure substitutes and staff members submit to fingerprinting within 60 days of receiving notification. Submit plan to this licensor.”

Correction date in the state record: Feb 24, 2022

Regulation 5.10.4.5.2: All interior and exterior walls, roofs, chimneys, floors, doors, ceilings, windows, skylights, stairways, ramps and porches shall be maintained in good repair.

“The porch is used as an outdoor play space for the infant/toddler group. One of the spindles on the porch has rotted and is no longer affixted to the bottom rail. When gently pushed on it can be moved back and forth. A second spindle is also rotted along the bottom rail and wiggles when gently pushed on. The gate entering the playground is rotting along the bottom edge closest to the ground, there are sections larger than one square foot where paint is chipping or missing exposing non treated wood. A section of fence closest to the gate and running along the edge of the driveway has areas larger than one square foot where sections of paint is missing or peeling. Corrective Action: Immediately block access to the section of porch where the rotted spindles are. Submit a program improvement plan that provides a timeline and steps that will be taken to address the spindles, gate and peeling paint on the fence. Also explain how moving forward the progam will monitor and block access when outdoor surfaces deteriorate and become hazardous.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 26, 2020