VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Capital Kids Preschool & Learning Center
8758 Richmond Highway
Alexandria, VA 22309
(703) 360-3668

Current Inspector: Mahrukh Aziz (571) 835-4718

Inspection Date: March 14, 2024

Complaint Related: Yes

Areas Reviewed:

8VAC20-780 ADMINISTRATION 8VAC20-780 STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING. 8VAC20-780 Physical plant 8VAC20-780 STAFFING AND SUPERVISION 8VAC20-780 PROGRAMS. 8VAC20-780 Special care provisions and emergencies. 8VAC20-780 SPECIAL SERVICES 20 Access to minor's records 22.1 Background Checks Code 63.2 Child abuse and neglect

Comments:

An unannounced complaint inspection was conducted on 3/14/24 from approximately 8:15 am to 1:15 pm. The inspection was conducted in response to a complaint received by the department related to sight and sound supervision of children, care and protection of children, and serious injuries sustained by children while in care. During this investigation, 8 staff members were interviewed and documents reviewed included: 2 children?s records, injury and incident reports, center?s policies, transportation logs and attendance records. A follow up visit was conducted on 3/25/24 to review some additional records and information. The evidence gathered during the investigation supported the allegations of non-compliance with standards or law and violations were issued. The exit meeting was held on 5/9/2024. Please complete the ?plan of correction? and ?date to be corrected? for each violation cited on the violation notice and return it to the department within 5 business days from receipt. Please specify how the deficient practice will be or has been corrected. Please do not use staff names, list staff by positions only. Any plans of correction not received within 5 business days will result in the plans not appearing on the Violation Notice and public website. For any questions regarding this inspection, please contact me at (571)-835-4718 or mahrukh.aziz@doe.virginia.gov.

Violations:

Standard #:	63.2-1509-A
Complaint related:	Yes
Description:	Based on staff interviews, the center did not report immediately an incident of suspected abuse or neglect to the local department of social services or to the Department's toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline. Evidence: 1. On 10/26/23, at approximately 9:20 am, Child # 1 (3 yrs. old) was left alone and unsupervised on the center?s van after Staff # 1 returned from the morning scheduled school runs. 2. Child # 1 was found by Staff # 2 in the van at approximately 9:56 am, 36 minutes after being left on the van. 3. The center did not report this incident to the local department of social services or the Department of Social Services? hotline.
Plan of Correction:	Immediately upon being notified of the complaint regarding the incident, the owner of Capital Kids informed CPS of the incident for a thorough investigation. The owner, management, and staff fully cooperated with CPS throughout the entire investigation. An internal investigation was simultaneously conducted, responsible parties of neglect were terminated. Under the leadership and direction of new management, the Director will ensure that all cases of neglect and abuse are reported to the DSS hotline within 24 hours.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-40-E
Complaint related:	Yes
Description:	Repeat Violation, Systemic Deficiency Based on staff interviews, record reviews and observations, the center did not follow its own policies that are required by the licensing standards. Evidence: 1. The center?s policies states that all suspected child abuse will be reported by Capital Kids to social services, without notification of the parent. a. On 10/26/23, from approximately 9:20 am to 9:56 am, Child # 1 (3 yrs. old) was left alone and unsupervised on the center?s van after Staff # 1 returned from the morning scheduled school runs. The center did not report this incident to the local department of social services. 2. The center?s transportation policy states that, ?a. Always have at least one staff member on vehicle when children are present; b. Each van will have an attendance record which accounts for each child on board, and it must be thoroughly completed throughout the field trip, accounting for each child by a name to face process at each transition on and off the van until the children are returned safely inside the center; c. Staff must verify and log time when children have entered and exited van; take attendance on and off the van; d. Staff will ensure that all children have exited the van by doing a visual check of each seat and documenting the above on the van log; e. Staff must know the total number of children in their care at all times and record the total count periodically, as indicated on the ban attendance log?. a. On 10/26/23, Child # 1 was left on the center?s van after Staff # 1 returned from morning school runs. On 10/26/23, after the school age children had been dropped off to their respective schools, Staff #1 returned to the center with Child # 1 and Child # 4. Staff # 1 did not complete a visual check of the van, only got Child # 4 and went inside the center. After Child # 4 was taken to their classroom, Staff #1 clocked out and left for the morning. The van log dated 10/26/23 shows that 6 children were not checked off the van log after they had been dropped off to their schools or brought to the center. Child # 1 was one of the six children. b. On 3/14/23 at approximately 8:15 am, Staff # 3 left the center to take 12 school age children to their school. Staff # 3 did not take the log with her on the van run. The van log was sitting on a shelf in the hallway. None of the children were checked in on the van log when they left the center.
Plan of Correction:	The staff members responsible for these violations have been terminated from their positions and are no longer employed at Capital Kids. New management has been hired and has taken over the daily operations of the center and will ensure that all center policies and licensing standards are followed and enforced from here forward. Increased training to all new employees is ongoing to ensure that the safety o the children in our care is the highest priority and that all children are accounted for at all times. Staff trainings have been increased to monthly trainings to review policies and procedures. Increase mandatory trainings have been put into place for all employees to ensure the safety of the children moving forward. The previous Director in charge is no longer employed at Capital Kids New management was put in place effective 4/1/24.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-80-B-2
Complaint related:	Yes
Description:	Based on staff interviews, and records review, the center did not inform the department?s representative within two business days of injuries to a child that occurred while the child was under the supervision of the center and required outside medical attention. Evidence: 1. On 10/31/23 at approximately 11:50 am, Child # 2 (3 yrs. old) fell off a chair and hit his lip at the corner of the table, causing a deep cut on his lower lip. Child # 2 was taken to the physician by the parent for further medical care. 2. On 3/7/24, Child # 3 (18 months old) tripped and fell during music time, hitting her left eyebrow on the edge of the shelf. Child # 3 sustained a large cut which required outside medical treatment. 3. These two incidents were never reported to the department?s representative.
Plan of Correction:	Under the direction and leac ership of new management, the Director will ensure that all injuries requiring outside medical care will be reported to our licensing resentative within two business days.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-340-A
Complaint related:	Yes
Description:	Repeat Violation, Systemic Deficiency Based on staff interviews and records review, when supervising children, staff did not always ensure the care, protection and guidance of children in care. Evidence: 1. On 10/26/23, from approximately 9:20 am to 9:56 am, Child # 1 (3 years old) was left alone and unsupervised on the center?s van after Staff # 1 returned from morning school runs. a. At approximately 9:56am, Staff # 2 saw Child # 1 in the van in the parking lot, crying and looking out the window. Staff # 2 ran back inside the center and got Staff # 4 to help get Child # 1 out of the van. b. Child # 1 was seen by Staff # 2 and Staff # 4 sitting in the front row, crying and "scared". Child # 1 said to the staff who found them, ?The teacher left me in the van?. c. Child # 1 was alone and unsupervised in the van for approximately 36 minutes, including the estimated time from when Staff # 1 exited the van at 9:20am until found by Staff #2 at 9:56am. 2. From 10/26/2023 to 3/13/2024, there have been several documented incidents related to the behavior of Child # 4 (6 years old) toward other children and staff that jeopardized the care, protection and guidance of children in care. Incident reports reviewed included: a. 10/16/23: An incident report stated that between 8:30am ? 8:40 am, Child # 4 unbuckled his seat belt in the moving van, was very disruptive and began to ?pull, pluck, punch? the van driver. The van driver had to pull over the van ?several times? and get the child to buckle up again. The report also stated that Child # 4 was throwing booster seats across the van, hitting and pinching other children in the van, and ?going over seats in the van?. b. 10/23/23: Between 7:50 am to 8:00 am, Child # 4 knocked over several chairs as the school age children were lining up to go to school. As the teachers were picking up the chairs, Child # 4 went over to another student and kicked them in the stomach. Child # 4 then went to another student and punched them in the back. When Staff # 5 tried to intervene, Child # 4 punched Staff # 5 twice in the arm. When Staff # 1 tried to move him to another part of the room, Child # 4 bit her on the right wrist. c. 11/7/23: Child # 4 ran out the gate for the school age room and into the hallway. Other children ran after Child # 4 to bring him back in. One student grabbed Child # 4, in response to which Child # 4 pinched her on the arm, and both children started to hit each other. d. 1/22/24: Child # 4 hit another student while that student was trying to get on the van. The student hit Child # 4 back and they both began to punch each other. 3. On 3/13/24 at approximately 11:00am, there were two staff members in the Infant room. Staff # 7 was observed holding an infant in her arms while sitting in the rocking chair. Staff # 7 was heard snoring for approximately two minutes and had to be awakened by the other staff member.
Plan of Correction:	1. The driver of the van has been terminated. New policies have been put into place to prevent any future incidents, whereby the van driver calls the center upon arrival at the center for back-up from management before exiting the van. Management assists the driver with unloading the van to ensure that no child is left on the van and all children are accounted for. 2.We were working very closely with the CPS case worker who referred this family to us. All incidents and concerns regarding this child's behavior were reported to the CPS worker in an effort to get the proper services needed for this child. Simultaneously, steps were being taken and measures were put in place to ensure the safety of the other children in our care. The child has since been disenrolled from Capital Kids as it was determined that he needed additional support and other therapeutic services which Capital Kids is not equipped to provide. Moving forward, management will consult the guidance and direction of licensing and not the referring CPS case worker to determine the best course of action to ensure the safety of all children and staff involved. First and foremost, the safety, care and protection of everyone will take priority over any child who may need additional services to that which we are able to provide. 3. Staff #7 was a substitute teacher and was terminated from the position on 3/13/24.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-340-F
Complaint related:	Yes
Description:	Repeat Violation, Systemic Deficiency Based on staff interviews, and records review, children under the age of 10 years were not always within actual sight and sound supervision of staff. Evidence: 1. On 10/26/23, Child # 1 was left alone and unsupervised on the center?s van after Staff # 1 returned from morning school runs. a. On 10/26/23, after the school age children had been dropped off to their respective elementary schools, Staff # 1 returned to the center at approximately 9:20am with Child # 1 (3 years old) and Child # 4 (2 yrs. old). b. Child # 1 was seated on the third row and Child # 4 was seated in the front near the driver?s seat. c. Staff # 1 did not complete a walkthrough of the van, got only got Child # 4 out of the van and went inside the center. d. After Staff # 1 went inside the center, and took Child # 4 to their classroom, Staff #1 clocked out at 9:27am and left for the morning. e. At 9:56am, Staff # 2 saw Child # 1 in the van in the parking lot, crying and looking out the window. Staff # 2 ran back inside the center and got Staff # 4 to help get Child # 1 out of the van. f. When Staff #2 and Staff #4 returned to the van, Child # 1 was sitting in the front row, crying and "looking scared". Child # 1 said to staff, ?The teacher left me in the van?. g. Child # 1 was alone and unsupervised in the van for approximately 36 minutes, including the estimated time of 9:20am when Staff # 1 exited the van until the child was found by Staff #2 at approximately 9:56am.
Plan of Correction:	Under the direction and leadership of new management, the Director will ensure that all staff are properly trained and all children under the age of ten years will always be within actual sight and sound supervision of staff. The staff member responsible for this violation has been terminated and new management has been put in place to ensure that this will never occur in the future.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-350-G
Complaint related:	Yes
Description:	Based on staff interviews, staff not directly supervising children were counted in staff-to-children ratio for 2 year olds. Evidence: On 3/8/24, Staff # 1 and Staff # 6 were outside on the playground with 9 children (2 years old). a. While outside, Staff # 6 was observed laying on the playground bench, not engaging with or actively supervising children. b. A staff member called out to Staff # 6, but Staff # 6 did not immediately respond. When Staff # 6 was approached by the other staff member about not supervising the children, Staff # 6 said, ?I don?t feel good, what can I do?.
Plan of Correction:	Staff #6 was working as a substitute teacher. On 3/8/24 she informed her supervisor at approximately 9:15am that she felt dizzy and very ill and wanted to go home. She was told by her supervisor that as soon as we could get a substitute teacher to cover her, she would be able to leave, but because we cannot be over ratio and must maintain compliance with Licensing, she would need to stay until someone was able to relieve her, because the safety of the children aIways comes first. We had other teachers out that day and the supervisor was already in a classroom and could not relieve her at the time of her request. She was able to leave at 10:30 am when the next substitute teacher arrived. Moving forward, when possible, we will overstaff the schedule to ensure that there is always an additional stat member available to cover in the case of emergencies. Additionally, this staff member has been terminated from the substitute teacher status with Capital Kids.