Thunder Care

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.

“Twelve (12) staff members who have been employed at the program for more than six (6) months do not have complete and or up to date BFIS quality and credential accounts. Documents that are missing include CPR/First Aid, Orientation, Protecting Vermont's Children, and professional development certificates. The missing documents were verified during the site visit; this violation was cited because these trainings were completed but not submitted to BFIS. Corrective Action: Submit the missing documents to Northern Lights at CCV so that they can be uploaded to BFIS and send the licensor confirmation of submission by 7/3/2026. .”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 2, 2026

Regulation 18.43.a.: Background Check Requirements as specified in rules 5.11 - 5.18 of these regulations. A new background check shall be completed for the Licensee and for all Staff, Substitutes, Associated Parties, and Volunteers at the time of renewal.

“Staff A's record check and fingerprints expired 10/20/22, and Staff B's record check and fingerprinting expired 11/2/23; neither Staff A nor Staff B have submitted an updated record check to the Divison or submitted to updated fingerprinting. The program was advised of this requirement on the annual assurance letter dated 6/25/23. Corrective Action: Ensure Staff A and Staff B submit an updated record check to the Division and comply with fingerprinting. Submit a program improvement plan that 1) identifies who is responsible for monitoring that new staff have submitted a record check to the Division and completed fingerprinting, 2) who is responsible for tracking when clearance is received from the Division for each staff, 3) who is responsible for following up with the Division if a reasonable amount of time has passed after someone has complied with all components of the record check process, 4) identifies the tracking system used to also know when staff are required to submit an updated record check to the Division and/or comply with fingerprinting.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 28, 2024

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 quality and credential accounts in BFIS, and on-site files it was determined that two (2) staff have not competed Vermont Orientation. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff required to complete Vermont Orientation do so, and documentation of completion is submitted to Northern Lights at CCV. Ensure all staff have completed this training before being left alone with children. Submit a plan on how trainings will be tracked to confirm staff required to take them do so.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 28, 2024

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.

“Upon review of staff BFIS quality and credential accounts it was determined that nineteen (19) staff had one (1) or more items in on-site files but were not reflected in their quality and credential accounts. Corrective Action: Submit a program improvement plan that outlines 1) who is reponsible for submitting documentation to Northern Lights at CCV, 2) how the documentation will be collected from staff (upon hire and ongoing) to be submitted, 3) the system to track when documents are submitted to Northern Lights and follow up to confirm documentation is reflected in staff accounts, and 4) what steps will be done if submitted documentation is not reflected in staff accounts in a reasonable amount of time.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 12, 2024

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.

“Four (4) staff have submitted record checks to the Division; three (3) have not submitted to fingerprinting despite the fingerprint authorization forms being generated in June 2023, and one (1) has not returned required out of state record check forms to the Division. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff required to have completed fingerprinting have done so and a copy of the receipt to confirm completion is provided to Supervisor Sheldrick-Humphries. Additionally, ensure staff required to return out of state record checks have returned those to the division; cc Supervisor Sheldrick-Humphries in the submission of those documents. Submit a plan on how the program will monitor when soneone is required to submit to fingerprinting, confirm they have done so, and track if out of state record check forms need to be returned to the Division. Within that system identify who will be tasked with this.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 28, 2024

Regulation 12.5: Hazardous substances shall be in their original container, stored separately and inaccessible to children.

“Cleaning products were observed in classrooms D3 and D5 and were accessible to the children in those spaces. Corrective Action: Ensure hazardous substances are inaccessible to children. Submit a plan on how this will be monitored ongoing to ensure compliance.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 7, 2024

Regulation 12.14: Cushioning material which is absorbent shall be in place under climbers, slides, swings, or other structures which allow children to achieve a height of more than thirty inches. The depth of surfacing materials shall be appropriate to the height and use of the equipment as outlined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Playground Safety Standards (see Appendix B). Surfacing material shall be maintained in good condition. Grass, bare ground, asphalt and concrete are prohibited under these structures. If weather conditions make the use of equipment unsafe, Staff shall keep children off of the equipment.

“The cushioning material was found to be nonsufficient under structures measuring thirty (30) inches or higher off the ground. Corrective Action: As discussed, discontinue use of any structure measuring over thirty (30) inches off the ground until ample cushioning is in place. Submit a plan on who will monitor the cushioning level and ensure it is addressed to maintain compliance.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 28, 2024

Regulation 5.39: Within six months of hire, all paid Staff counted in the staff/child ratios shall have obtained CDD-approved training in infant/child CPR and basic first aid for children, injury prevention and emergency readiness. All Staff shall receive retraining in first aid prior to the expiration date on each Staff person's first aid card.

“Upon review of staff BFIS quality and credential accounts and on-site files it was determiend that six (6) staff have either not obtained CPR/First Aid certification or have not renewed it prior to the expiration date. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff required to have CPR/First Aid certification complete the training and submit completion certificates to Northern Lights at CCV. Submit a plan on how the program will ensure all new hires obtain CPR and First Aid certification upon three (3) months of hire and that all staff maintain current CPR and First Aid certification moving forward.”

Correction date in the state record: Jun 28, 2024

Regulation 18.79: The Licensee shall maintain a current list of the Licensee or Designee, Staff, and Volunteers, as applicable in BFIS. Any changes shall be reported through BFIS within five working days of the change.

“During the review of the associated parties list on site and post visit it was determined that twelve (12) individuals were no longer associated with the program. The twelve (12) individuals removed some had not been part of the program since between the prior summer and Fall 2022. In addition to removing staff, there were six (6) staff with changes in positions that had not been updated. Corrective Action: Ensure the associated parties list reflects all individuals associated with the program. Develop a system to ensure that individuals no longer affiliated with the program are removed within five (5) days of the change and position titles are accurate for each individual listed.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 14, 2023

Regulation 5.22: The Licensee shall maintain hard copy or accessible electronic records for each Staff person, including: * start date * job title * record of education, training, and experience that demonstrates how the Staff member meets the required qualifications for the position * signed and dated statement(s) indicating that the employee has read and understands the Licensing Regulations for Afterschool Child Care Programs * current and dated Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) * a copy of the current First Aid and CPR training cards from either the American Red Cross or American Heart Association or other recognized organization(s), as required * a signed and dated statement verifying understanding of the legal requirement to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

“During a review of staff files, the program did not have files for eight (8) staff, nor documentation on site or a current affidavit to confirm for all staff their qualifications and/or completion of required trainings. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff have a complete file and that documentation of that is maintained as required by this rule. Submit a program improvement plan that address how documentation will be collected upon hire and during employment for each employee, how that documentation will be maintained, and who will monitor the files to ensure documents requiring updating are in compliance.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 14, 2023

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 files prior, during and post visit, it was determined that twenty-two (22) individuals had not completed Vermont Orientation as required by this rule. Since the visit, eleven (11) individuals have completed Orientation. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff required to complete Orientation, to include Protecting Vermont's Children: Reporting Abuse & Neglect training do so. Submit a program improvment plan on how the program will ensure ongoing compliance to this rule is met and maintained.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 14, 2023

Regulation 5.39: Within six months of hire, all paid Staff counted in the staff/child ratios shall have obtained CDD-approved training in infant/child CPR and basic first aid for children, injury prevention and emergency readiness. All Staff shall receive retraining in first aid prior to the expiration date on each Staff person's first aid card.

“Six (6) staff have not obtained or maintained CPR/First Aid as required. Corrective Action: Ensure all staff have an approved CPR/First Aid certification as stated by this rule. Submit a program improvement plan identifying how the program will ensure this rule is met and maintained.”

Correction date in the state record: Jul 14, 2023

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.

“Staff A was issued a Fingerprint Authorization Certificate on 12/27/2019 which required Staff A to complete fingerprinting requirements. There is no documentation in Staff A's quality and credential account to support that the requirement was completed. Corrective Action: Staff A will complete the fingerprint requirements. Staff A will not be left alone with children until this is done and refected in their BFIS quality and credential account. The program will create a plan to ensure that staff complete the fingerprint requirements when a Fingerprint Authorization Certificate is received.”

Correction date in the state record: Apr 6, 2021

Regulation 5.11: The licensee shall ensure that any new individuals regularly present at the Afterschool Child Care Program submit a Records Check Authorization form to the Division prior to working with children in the Afterschool Child Care Program.

“Staff B who was working with children the day of the visit as an aide is not on the associated parties list. Corrective Action: Submit a records check authorization form for Staff B. Ensure that the program has submitted record check authorization forms for staff prior to them working with children. Provide a description of how the program will maintain compliance with this regulation.”

Correction date in the state record: Mar 12, 2021