Shellie's Early Start Learning Center #4

AAC R9-5-209.1 A licensee shall: Allow the Department immediate access to all areas of the facility affecting the health, safety, or welfare of an enrolled child or to which an enrolled child has access during hours of operation, according to A.R.S. § 36-885;

“Findings: Based on the Compliance Officer's observation, it was determined that the Compliance Officer did not have immediate access to the facility. The Compliance Officer rang the doorbell twice and waited approximately five minutes. When no one answered the door, the Compliance Officer contacted the facility by telephone. A facility staff member subsequently arrived and opened the door.”

AAC R9-5-512.F.4.5. F. A licensee shall ensure that: 4. Except for a cup or receptacle used only for water, food waste is stored in a covered container and the container is clean and lined with a plastic bag; 5. Food waste and other refuse is removed from the facility building at least once every 24 hours or more often as necessary to maintain a clean condition and avoid odors;

“Findings: Based on the Compliance Officer's observation, it was determined that there was uncovered food waste in a trash can on the playground.”

AAC R9-5-404.C.3. C. A licensee shall ensure that when there are: 3. Six or more enrolled children are present in a facility, an infant is not placed for supervision with a child who is not an infant.

“Findings: Based on the Compliance Officer's observation, it was determined that there was an infant in the 1's classroom when 6 or more children were present at the facility.”

AAC R9-5-501.B.6. B. A licensee shall ensure that a staff member: 6. For enrolled children five-years or younger, and except as provided in subsection (C), prepares, posts, and implements a dated lesson plan in each indoor activity area for each calendar week, which is maintained on facility premises for 12 months after the lesson plan date and provides opportunities for each child to: a. Gain a positive self-concept; b. Develop and practice social skills; c. Think, reason, question, and experiment; d. Acquire language skills; e. Develop physical coordination skills; f. Participate in structured large muscle physical activity; g. Develop habits that meet health, safety, and nutritional needs; h. Express creativity; i. Learn to respect cultural diversity of children and staff; j. Learn self-help skills; and k. Develop a sense of responsibility and independence;

“Findings: Based on the Compliance Officer's observation and review of facility documentation, it was determined that the lesson plan posted in the 2's classroom was dated for the week of 8/11/2025.”

AAC R9-5-503.A.2. A. A licensee shall ensure that each diaper changing area required in R9-5-601(4) contains: 2. A hand-washing sink next to the diaper changing surface for staff use when changing diapers and for washing an enrolled child during or after diapering that provides: a. Running water between 86° F and 110° F, b. Soap from a dispenser, and c. Single-use paper hand towels from a dispenser;

“Findings: Based on the Compliance Officer's observation, it was determined that the water temperature in the 1's and 2's diaper handwashing sink was 115° F.”

AAC R9-5-301.F. F. A licensee shall ensure that a staff member submits, on or before the starting date of employment or volunteer services, one of the following as evidence of freedom from infectious active tuberculosis: 1. Documentation of a negative Mantoux skin test or other tuberculosis screening test recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, administered within 12 months before the starting date of employment or volunteer service, that includes the date and the type of tuberculosis screening test; or 2. If the staff member has had a positive Mantoux skin test or other tuberculosis screening test, a written statement that the staff member is free from infectious active tuberculosis that is signed and dated by a health care provider within six months before the starting date of employment or volunteer service.

“Findings: Based on Compliance Officer #1's observation and review of facility documentation, it was determined that the negative Mantoux TB test for Staff #1 (start date: 4/11/2024) was not read until 5/3/2024.”

AAC R9-5-514. C. C. A licensee shall:1. Prepare and date a written fire and emergency plan that contains: a. The location of the first aid kit; b. The names of staff members who have the first aid training required by R9-5-403(E); c. The names of staff members who have the CPR training required by R9-5-403(E); d. The directions for: i. Initiating verbal notification of an enrolled child’s parent by telephone or other equally expeditious means within 30 minutes of a fire or emergency; and ii. Providing written notification to the enrolled child’s parent within 24 hours; and e. The facility’s street address and the emergency telephone numbers for the local fire department, police department, ambulance service, and poison control center; 2. Maintain the plan required in subsection (C)(1) in a location on facility premises that has an operable telephone service or two-way voice communication system that connects the facility with an individual who has direct access to an in-and-out operable telephone service; 3. Post the plan required in subsection (C)(1) in any indoor activity area that does not have an operable telephone service or two-way voice communication system that connects the indoor activity area with an individual who has direct access to an in-and-out operable telephone services; and 4. Update the plan in subsection (C)(1) every 12 months after the date of initial preparation of the plan or when any information changes.

“Findings: Based on Compliance Officer #2's observation and review of facility documentation, it was determined that the written fire and emergency plans posted in all the classrooms were last updated on 8/9/2023.”

AAC R9-5-603.H. H. A licensee shall provide a shaded area for each enrolled child occupying an outdoor activity area at any time of day.

“Findings: Based on Compliance Officer #2's observation, it was determined that the shade structure on the playground was broken.”

AAC R9-5-501.A.1. A. A licensee shall ensure that:1. In addition to complying with the requirements in this Chapter, the health, safety, or welfare of an enrolled child is not placed at risk of harm;

“Findings: Based on Compliance Officer's observation and information provided by the staff, on 4/25/24 a 3-year-old child walked into a classroom and was alone in the 3-year-old classroom without a teacher present, placing the child at risk of harm.”

AAC R9-5-306.B. B. A licensee shall: 1. Develop, document, and implement policies and procedures to ensure that a staff member maintains daily documentation of the presence of an enrolled child in an activity area that includes a method to account for any temporary absences of the enrolled child from the activity area, and 2. Maintain the documentation of the presence of enrolled children in an activity area required in subsection (B)(1) on facility premises for 12 months after the date of the documentation.

“Findings: Based on Compliance Officer's observation and review of facility documentation, on 5/3/24 the roster for the 4/5’s classroom reflected the presence of 16 children however only 11 children were present in the classroom.”

AAC R9-5-404.A. A. A licensee shall ensure that at least the following staff-to-children ratios are maintained at all times when providing child care services to enrolled children: Age Group/Staff: Children - Infants/1:5 or 2:11; 1-year-old children/1:6 or 2:13; 2-year-old children/1:8; 3-year-old children/1:13; 4-year-old children/1:15; 5-year-old children not school-age/1:20; School-age children/1:20

“Findings: Based on Compliance Officer's observation and information provided by the staff, on 4/25/24 a child was in a ratio of 0:1 in a 3 year old classroom, instead of the state mandated ratio of 1:1. Additionally, on 5/3/24 the 2’s classroom was at a ratio of 1:9 instead of the state mandated ratio of 2:9.”

AAC R9-5-501.C.1. C. A licensee shall ensure that a staff member: 1. Supervises each enrolled child at all times;

“Per Allegation Findings: Based on Compliance Officer's observation and information provided by the staff, on 4/25/24 a 3-year-old child was unsupervised when alone in the 3-year-old classroom without a teacher present in the classroom. Per staff, the child ran from a hallway where children were using the restroom, through the 4/5's classroom and into the 3-year-old classroom without a staff member noticing the child had left. The 3-year-old child remained in the classroom alone until the other children and staff member returned.”

AAC R9-5-306.B. B. A licensee shall: 1. Develop, document, and implement policies and procedures to ensure that a staff member maintains daily documentation of the presence of an enrolled child in an activity area that includes a method to account for any temporary absences of the enrolled child from the activity area, and 2. Maintain the documentation of the presence of enrolled children in an activity area required in subsection (B)(1) on facility premises for 12 months after the date of the documentation.

“Findings: Based on facility documentation and the Compliance Officers' observations, it was determined that the roster for the 4's classroom did not reflect the number of children present (13 children present, 14 children listed on the roster).”