Thetford After School Program

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.

“Upon review of staff BFIS Quality and Credential accounts and on-site staff files, it was identified that a Program Staff member, employed for nine (9) months at the program, had not completed a Division approved Orientation. It was evident from discussion with the Director and the employee that the missing training was a result of employee refusal. This staff member resigned from their position at the end of the school year, two weeks after the site visit. The Director assured Licensing that this staff member would not be left alone with children in the final two weeks of their employment. Corrective Action: Develop a plan for new staff members to complete the Division-approved Orientation training. Develop a plan for managing employee noncompliance. Send a detailed description of both plans to Licensing Field Specialist Stark. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 5.34: The Program Administrator and the Site Director shall annually complete at least a minimum of twelve clock hours of Professional Development Activities which may be applied toward their Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) or equivalent excluding any additionally required training for Specialized Child Care or First Aid and CPR.

“Upon review of staff BFIS Quality and Credential accounts and on-site staff files, it was identified that the site Director is missing eight (8) hours of annual professional development from their most recent complete year (10/11/24-10/11/25). Corrective Action: Develop a plan to ensure completion of the missing professional development hours. These hours will be in addition to the current professional development year requirements. Email Licensing Field Specialist Stark the detailed plan. Develop a system for monitoring professional development requirements to ensure future compliance. Email Licensing Field Specialist Stark a detailed description of the system. Status: Appeal Period.”

Regulation 5.12: The licensee shall ensure that all new staff prior to working with children in the Afterschool Child Care Program; 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 BFIS profile as well as follow up with Program Business Manager post visit, determined a the time of this visit Staff A had not yet completed fingerprinting. A fingerprint required letter was printed and sent to Staff A on 12/7/23. Corrective Action: Program has since advised that Staff A had an appointment on 5/7 to have fingerprinting completed. Please provide a copy of the receipt to show this has been completed.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 19, 2024

Regulation 10.9: Emergency evacuations shall be practiced with the children each month. A record of practice drills for the previous and current year shall be maintained and available onsite. Practice drills may be pre-announced. There shall be: * a system in place to assure that all children are accounted for at a predetermined safe place; * a safety plan that may include additional lock down practices and procedures.

“Review of evacuation drill records revealed drills were not completed for November 2023 or February 2024. Corrective Action: For the month of May complete a second evacuation drill in addition to the monthly required drill. Create and implement a system to ensure drills are completed monthly as required by this rule.”

Correction date in the state record: May 17, 2024

Regulation 10.9: Emergency evacuations shall be practiced with the children each month. A record of practice drills for the previous and current year shall be maintained and available onsite. Practice drills may be pre-announced. There shall be: * a system in place to assure that all children are accounted for at a predetermined safe place; * a safety plan that may include additional lock down practices and procedures.

“Review of Emergency Drill log on site showed drills had only been completed in September 2022, and March and May 2023. During in person conversation while Licensor was on site, Staff A informed Licensor that no drills had been completed for October, November and December 2022, or January, February and April 2023. Corrective Action: Create a system to ensure an Emergency Evacuation drill is completed monthly as required by this rule.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 3, 2023

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.

“The BFIS quality and credential accounts for the program administrator, five (5) staff, three (3) subs and two (2) aides were missing either CPR and First Aid certification, mandated reporting and orientation training certificate. Four staff were missing at a minimal High School or GED documentation or college transcript. Corrective Action: Submit all documentation for staff as required to Northern Lights at CCV. Email confirmation to this licensor when required documents have been sent and a program improvement plan on how staff member's BFIS Quality and Credential Accounts will be up-to-date and maintained”

Correction date in the state record: Aug 13, 2020

Regulation 4.4: A system for taking attendance, including documentation of the time when each child arrives and departs each day he/she attends the Afterschool Child Care Program, shall be established.

“Children's presence is documented with a check mark and parents and/or guardians record their initials to note that their child has departed for the day. Corrective Action: Ensure the arrival and departure times are recorded for each child. Send an e-mail to danielle.palmer@vermont.gov confirming this requirement is being recorded.”

Correction date in the state record: Mar 17, 2017

Regulation 5.28: The Licensee is required to maintain an accurate record of Staff schedules and assignments for all Staff including substitutes.

“While there is a record of hours staff worked in the program there is not a record of staff assignments. Corrective Action: Maintain a record of the daily schedule of all staff including exact days and hours worked and the group of children to whom they are assigned. Submit an email to danielle.palmer@vermont.gov describing how this information will be recorded and maintained.”

Correction date in the state record: Mar 17, 2017