Special Needs Support Center of the Upper Valley at WRJ

Regulation 5.31: Orientation training shall be conducted for every employee before they are left alone with children. This training shall be documented and shall cover material included in the Staff handbook and licensing regulations. 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 and child guidance; * Curriculum development policies and responsibilities; * Supervision of children; * Policies and procedures for reporting a missing child; * Child accident and injury procedures including building and physical premises safety; * Safe sleep practices; * Requirements for administration and storage of medication; * Emergency Response Plan and emergency procedures, including: staffing emergencies, school closings, evacuation plans such as site evacuations in case of national or environmental emergency, lock-down procedures, responding to a sick or injured child and medical emergencies; * Use of fire extinguishers; * Nutrition and food safety including prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; * Recordkeeping, including daily attendance procedures; * Transportation and child passenger safety; * Off-site activities (field trips) * Release of children; * Respectful engagement of families, including daily communication with parents about their child's activities; * 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; * Responsibility to comply with current applicable licensing regulations; * Staffing plans and definitions of related duties to include opening and closing procedures; * Afterschool Child Care Program licensing regulations; * Employee complaint and grievance procedures; and * Assuring children have extra clothes and diapers available.

“A review of staff BFIS accounts and staff files reflected that no staff had completed an approved Orientation Training. The program director stated that the staff handbook had been approved as an in-house orientation training, however, no evidence of approval of the handbook as an orienation training was made available, and no documentation of staff completing an in-house orientation was provided. A review of the staff handbook reflected that more than 50% of the required items in this rule could not be assessed as complete. As such, the handbook could not be approved as an in-house orientation at this time. This is a repeat violation which was previously cited on 04/09/2024. Corrective Action: Immediately plan to revise the staff handbook to ensure compliance with this rule. Further, continue to make additions and revise the handbook and correspond with Licensor [name] until such a time when you have received written confirmation that the hndbook has met compliance and has been approved as an in-house orientation. Once the handbook and materials provided be approved as an in-house orientation, plan to have all staff complete the orientation, have an opportunity to ask questions, have their knowledge verified by the Director or Program Administrator, and complete documentation of orienation completion and understanding, signed by each staff, the director or administrator who verified understanding, and maintain documentation of such in each staff's onsite file moving forward. Should you choose, rather than moving forward with an in-house orientation approval process, you may ensure all staff take the Nine-hour, Vermont Orientation Training through Penn State's Better Kid Care and ensure documentation of such is kept in each staff's onsite file and uploaded to each staff's BFIS credential account as expected. The link for this approved training can be found at DCF.vermont.gov. Follow the path: Divisions> Child Development Division> Child Care Providers> Professional Development> Licensing Required trainings.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 23, 2025

Regulation 5.31: Orientation training shall be conducted for every employee before they are left alone with children. This training shall be documented and shall cover material included in the Staff handbook and licensing regulations. 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 and child guidance; * Curriculum development policies and responsibilities; * Supervision of children; * Policies and procedures for reporting a missing child; * Child accident and injury procedures including building and physical premises safety; * Safe sleep practices; * Requirements for administration and storage of medication; * Emergency Response Plan and emergency procedures, including: staffing emergencies, school closings, evacuation plans such as site evacuations in case of national or environmental emergency, lock-down procedures, responding to a sick or injured child and medical emergencies; * Use of fire extinguishers; * Nutrition and food safety including prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions; * Recordkeeping, including daily attendance procedures; * Transportation and child passenger safety; * Off-site activities (field trips) * Release of children; * Respectful engagement of families, including daily communication with parents about their child's activities; * 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; * Responsibility to comply with current applicable licensing regulations; * Staffing plans and definitions of related duties to include opening and closing procedures; * Afterschool Child Care Program licensing regulations; * Employee complaint and grievance procedures; and * Assuring children have extra clothes and diapers available.

“BFIS Credential account review as well as post visit follow up with Staff A found that this required orientation has not yet been completed by any program staff. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff complete the training to come in to compliance with this rule by the corrective action due date given.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 23, 2025

Regulation 18.77: Within six months of the initial date of employment, Staff working with children and the Site Director and/or Program Administrator 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 Section 5 of these regulations shall be submitted to NLCDC to be verified and maintained in BFIS.

“Review of staff BFIS accounts as well as site visit follow up with Staff A determined required documentation not in BFIS nor sent to Northern Lights at CCV for uploading in to BFIS. Corrective Action: By the corrective action due date and using the required cover sheet, submit to Northern Lights at CCV all documents currently missing from BFIS accounts. Create a system or process for ensuring documentation is submitted to BFIS and checking to ensure BFIS accounts are up to date.”

Correction date in the state record: Sep 23, 2025