VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Sons & Daughters, Inc.
240 Shenandoah Street
Woodstock, VA 22664
(540) 459-4100

VDSS Contact: Michelle Argenbright (540) 848-4123

Inspection Date: June 7, 2023

Complaint Related: No

Areas Reviewed:

8VAC20-790 Subsidy Program Vendor Requirements for Child Day Centers

Comments:

A subsidy health and safety unannounced inspection was conducted on 6/7/2023 in response to a complaint received by the department on 6/2/2023 for allegations regarding supervision, ratios, and infant care. Interviews were conducted relating to the allegations. The information gathered during the investigation does support the allegation, so the complaint is determined to be valid. There are violations resulting from this complaint investigation and violations were documented on the violation notice issued to the facility. If you have any questions, contact your licensing inspector at (540) 848-4123.

Violations:

Standard #:	8VAC20-790-670-C-1
Description:	Based on interview, the center failed to maintain ratios of one staff to four children for ages zero 16 months. Evidence: 1. Staff 1 stated "No one has ever covered breaks. Started working here two years ago and it has always been that way. Even when ratios were not met. At one time had 16 infants with four staff and still no one covered breaks." 2. Staff 5 stated they do not get coverage for breaks to meet ratios. 3. Staff 4 stated they do not need to get coverage to go to the restroom. "That has never been a thing before." 4. Staff 1 and staff 5 stated naptime ratios in the infant room were always doubled during nap until recently. 5. The director stated she, "didn?t realize ratios didn?t double at nap."
Plan of Correction:	Now that I know we cannot double ratios for infants during nap time, we will DEFINITELY make sure we have coverage. Since this inspection, we have had a "runner" who comes in each day to cover, making SURE ratios are met. This was merely a misinterpretation of the standards on my part.
Standard #:	8VAC20-790-670-C-2
Description:	Based on interview, the center failed to maintain ratios of one staff to five children for ages 16 months to 24 months. Evidence: 1. Staff 3 stated during outside play the ratios were often doubled per center policy. Staff 3 stated, "One staff can go inside to set up for snack." 2. Staff 2 stated outside ratios were doubled so teachers could bring children inside to go to the bathroom without having to get coverage and to come in to clean up snack. 3. Staff 6 stated outside ratios were doubled so you did not have to get coverage to go inside to take children to the restroom. 4. The director stated she thought they were allowed to double ratios during outside play for all ages.
Plan of Correction:	We have made certain that this never happens again by having a "runner" cover to meet ratios while outside. This was a misinterpretation of the standards on my part.
Standard #:	8VAC20-790-670-C-3
Description:	Based on interview, the center failed to maintain ratios of one staff to eight children for ages 24 months to 36 months. Evidence: The director stated she thought they were allowed to double ratios during outside play.
Plan of Correction:	We have made certain that this never happens again by having a "runner" cover to meet ratios while outside. This was a misinterpretation of the standards on my part.
Standard #:	8VAC20-790-670-C-4
Description:	Based on interview, the center failed to maintain ratios of one staff to 10 children for ages 36 months to five years. Evidence: The director stated she thought they were allowed to double ratios during outside play.
Plan of Correction:	We have made certain that this never happens again by having a "runner" cover to meet ratios while outside. This was a misinterpretation of the standards on my part.
Standard #:	8VAC20-790-690-D
Description:	Based on interviews, the center failed to allow infants to sleep when needed. Evidence: 1. On 6/2/23, a visitor at the center was observing the infant room and stated the "children seemed tired and there was a lot of crying..." The visitor stated she questioned the staff on why they did not put the infants down for a nap and she stated, "All four teachers acknowledged that its their policy to keep the children awake until naptime which is 12:00 to 2:30." She was advised by the staff that at 6 months they were moved to one naptime and should be kept up until then. The visitor stated "By 10:15 the screaming was overwhelming." 2. Staff 1 stated that up until this week infants ages 6 months and up only had one nap. 3. Staff 2 stated that infants only took one big nap. 4. Staff 5 stated they were withholding nap until 11:00 for infants over 6 months. 5. Staff 4 stated in the 2 1/2 years she has been working at the center they have had scheduled naps for infants ages 6 months and up at 11:00. They could not sleep before then. 6. The director stated she was unaware, "that we couldn?t put infants on a schedule and that we needed to let them sleep at will."
Plan of Correction:	I was unaware that infants could not be put on a schedule until we had the infant toddler specialist come in for coaching. At that time, she informed us that the standards were that infants must be able to sleep at will. Since this complaint we have been in conversation with our licensing inspector to make sure we are complying with the standards. Since this inspection, infants are able to sleep at will until they are 16 months.