Sherrie James

Regulation 2.3.8.3: The FCCP shall ensure that the FCCP; all individuals residing in the home; staff; and any individuals who are left alone with children 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.

“Upon review of BFIS it was observed that two household members had not completed their fingerprints and had been sent a fingerprint letter on 2/14/2025. When discussed with the provider she stated that she had been reminding them to schedule an appointment but they never did it. She said she would schedule appointments in Montpelier as soon as possible. Corrective Action: Immediately submit fingerprinting as required by this regulation. Provide a picture of the fingerprint receipts to the licensor by 5/16/2025.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 29, 2025

Regulation 7.4.4: All staff, with the exception of substitutes, shall complete fifteen (15) clock hours of annual professional development activities as required in the rule 7.4.2 of these regulations.

“A review of the provider's staff file and BFIS quality and credential account reflected that the provider had not completed 15 hours of professional development for the year 06/15/2020 through 06/14/2021. The provider stated that she had not completed any professional development hours during that time frame. The provider stated that she prefers in person trainings and while in person trainings have been more available, she has not attended as the timing of the trainings has conflcted with attending other family and social events. This is a repeat violation. Corrective Action: Immediately develop a program improvement plan as this is a repeat violation. Develop a detailed plan to obtain at least 15 hours of professional development for the year 06/15/2021 through 06/14/2022 and an additonal 45 hours of professional development for the year 06/15/2022 through 06/14/2023. Include in the plan the names and dates of the first 25 hours of professional development and details of the dates by which you will research, sign up for, and attend the remainder of the necessary hours prior to the noted dates. If you need assistance with finding and signing up for professional development hours, you may reach out to your Northern Lights at CCV resource advisor, [name], at 802-828-0621 or joanne.rouleau01@ccv.edu. Additionally, provide details of how you will prompt yourself to sign up for, set time aside for and complete at least 15 hours of annual professional development for each year your program is in operation in order to maintain compliance with this rule moving forward. Following the submission of an approved program improvement plan, send an email to carrie.knight@vermont.gov every 60 days with an update of the names and dates of training hours attended, names and dates of training hours that will be attended over the following 60 days, and confirmation that all professional development documents have been submitted to Northern Lights at CCV with cover sheets until such a time when all hours assigned in this corrective action have been completed.”

Correction date in the state record: May 24, 2022

Regulation 3.3.3: The FCCP shall establish a system for taking attendance, including documentation of the time when each child arrives and departs each day he/she attends the FCCH. The FCCP shall save all daily attendance records identifying the hours of children s attendance for at least twelve (12) months from the date that care is provided.

“Upon arrival at approximately 1:30 PM, there were four children present at the program. A review of the attendance records reflected that no children had been signed into the program for the day. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to sign children into and out of the program in a timely manner. Develop a system which will prompt you to sign children into and out of the program upon arrival and departure each day.”

Correction date in the state record: May 24, 2022

Regulation 3.3.6.1: The FCCP shall maintain a record of the date of each evacuation drill as required in the rules in section 3.6.2 of these regulations that includes the number of children, staff evacuated, time taken to evacuate, and notation of the drill conducted while children were sleeping or resting. Evacuation records shall be kept for two (2) years.

“The evacuation logs for the years 2020 and 2021, reflected that no evacuation drills had been conducted since May 2020. The provider stated that she had not conducted any evacuation drills since May of 2020. This is a repeat violation. This violation was cited in a site visit report dated 11/01/2017. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to conduct and record 2 evacuation drills per month for the months of May through October of 2021. Develop a system which will prompt you to conduct and record monthly evacuation drills after October 2021 and moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: May 18, 2021

Regulation 7.4.4: All staff, with the exception of substitutes, shall complete fifteen (15) clock hours of annual professional development activities as required in the rule 7.4.2 of these regulations.

“A review of the provider's BFIS quality and credential account and staff file reflected that the provider had not completed any professional development hours between 03/01/2020 and 02/28/2021. The provider confirmed that she had not completed any professional development hours over the last year. Corrective Action: Plan to complete 30 clock hours of annual professional development activities between now and 02/28/2022. If you need assistance finding professional development trainings, you may reach out to your Northern Lights at CCV Resource Advisor, [name], at (802) 828-0621 or joanne.rouleau01@ccv.edu. Develop a system which will prompt you to complete at least 15 clock hours of professional development activities each year moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: May 18, 2021

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 FCCP shall ensure that the surface under and around the equipment, included 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 FCCP shall ensure that the material is raked regularly and replenished to maintain depth and resilience; and * If the resilient material in use zones freezes, the FCCP shall ensure that the children will not play on the equipment until the resilient material has thawed and is once again resilient.

“There was no cushioning material under the swings. Sherrie stated that the swings are used by the children in her care. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to discontinue use of the swings or add cushioning materials which follow the recommendations.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 14, 2019

Regulation 5.4.1.8: Bedding used by a child shall be stored in a manner that prevents contact with bedding used by other children.

“The linens that the children use for sleeping were all placed together in a plastic bin. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to develop a system to store each child's bedding separately. This could mean using individual bags, pillow cases, bins or any other provision for separation.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 14, 2019

Regulation 5.4.1.1: The FCCP shall ensure that each child, except school age children, has an individual crib, port-a-crib, cot, mat, or bed that is safe for the child's age and development, in good repair, and used by only one child each day. No child shall nap directly on the floor or on furniture not designed for sleeping. Cribs or port-a-cribs shall be used for children under the age of twelve (12) months. Children shall not nap in cribs or port-a-cribs if they are physically able to climb out unassisted.

“Sherrie stated that children who no longer use a port-a crib, sleep on blankets on the floor without mats, cots or beds. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to provide a mat, cot, or bed for each child who is old enough to nap outside of a crib or port-a-crib.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 14, 2019

Regulation 5.3.2: Daily Health Check Upon arrival into the FCCH staff shall observe each child for symptoms of communicable disease and signs of injuries. Any obvious injuries shall be documented along with any comments from the parent pertaining to the child's condition. This documentation shall be maintained in the child's file for a minimum of 365 days.

“Sherrie stated that she does not have a system in place to do daily health checks. Corrective Action: Develop a system that will prompt you to complete daily health checks and documentation. Include details such as when these will be performed and how you will complete and maintain documentation.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 14, 2019

Regulation 6.2.1: Maximum Capacity and Staffing in a registered FCCH The registered FCCP shall ensure that the registered FCCH shall not exceed the limits described in this section, including the charts below.

“There were 5 children in care, including one 5 month old, one 14 month old, one 23 month old, one 3 year old, and one 4 year old. Corrective Action: Send an email containing a plan for maintaining compliant ratios moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 3, 2019

Regulation 3.6.2.2: The FCCP shall ensure that evacuation drills are conducted at least once a month, and children and staff are evacuated in less than three (3) minutes.

“The provider reports emergency evacuation drills have not been conducted with the children in July, August, September or October of this year as she has forgotten to practice them with the children. Corrective Action: For November and December conduct two emergency evacuation drills each month with the children and record each practiced drill as described by regulation 3.3.6.1 Beginning in January 2018, conduct at least one emergency evacuation drill and continue doing so each month. By January 1, 2018, submit the dates of completed evacuation drills to danielle.palmer@vermont.gov”

Correction date in the state record: May 24, 2019