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ImagiNation Learning Center, Gainesville
14421 Newbern Loop
Gainesville, VA 20155
(703) 754-8566

Current Inspector: Sharon Allen (540) 272-2941

Inspection Date: June 24, 2021

Complaint Related: No

Areas Reviewed:
22VAC40-185 ADMINISTRATION.
22VAC40-185 STAFFING AND SUPERVISION.

Technical Assistance:
Consultation provided on not using cell phones while supervising children, the need to eliminate the hidden area on the Infant/Toddler playground, staff's responsibilities when supervising children and in ensuring their care, protection and guidance.

Comments:
This inspection was conducted by licensing staff using an alternate remote protocol, necessary due to a state of emergency health pandemic declared by the Governor of Virginia.
A monitoring inspection resulting from a self report was initiated on 6/7/21 and concluded on 6/15/21. The director/assistant director were contacted by telephone to initiate the inspection.

Interviews were conducted as well as reviewing photographs and the inspection resulted in two violations regarding sight and sound supervision and care, protection and guidance.
Please return you plan of correction to me by 3 pm on 6/24/21.

Violations:
Standard #: 22VAC40-185-340-A
Description: Based on interviews and a review of photographs, it was determined that the center failed to always ensure the care, protection and guidance of children.

Evidence:

1. On 6/4/21 at approximately 4 pm, staff A took 6- two year old children outside onto the Infant/Toddler playground. Soon after arriving onto the playground, staff A received a message on her cellphone and looks to read the message and at some point the staff looks up and doesn't see any of the 6 children.

2. Staff A proceeds to the back of the playground and locates 4 of the children in a hidden area between the center and the back fence.

3. Upon locating the 4 children, staff A believed that she was missing 1 child ( and not two). Staff A went looking for the one child and checked with her co-teacher who was in the classroom with another 6 children. Staff A looked in the kitchen and then proceeded out the gate and looked on the parking lot for the 1 child but to no avail.

4. The 2- two year old children ( child A and B) were observed unsupervised walking in the parking lot behind park cars by a parent. The parent was at the front entrance of the center in the process of picking up her child when she observed the two children in the parking lot. While unsupervised in the parking lot, a car entered the lot, noticed the two children and slowed down accordingly. The parent who retrieved the two children escorted them safely into the center. The children were unsupervised for approximately 1.5 minutes.


5.Staff A did not have an attendance log on the playground with her and the 6 children to reference to assist in determining that there were 2 children missing and not the one missing child.

Plan of Correction: Imagination Learning Center, Gainesville, agrees that this incident is of a serious nature, and will take any and all appropriate steps to correct the matter and ensure that is never occurs again. It is important to us that our clients recognize the extenuating circumstances that came together to create the opportunity for two children to exit the playground unobserved. Immediately preceding the playground time, our phone company had entered the playground to repair a cut cable. When the serviceman was done with the work, he failed to properly secure the gate. The gate is a swing loaded gate, and I believe that he felt it latched into place properly. Upon the teacher?s entry to the playground, she observed that the gate was closed, and failed to recognize that it had not latched properly. At the same time as the children began playing on the playground, the teacher received a parent message via the parent communication app called Brightwheel. As the teacher looked down to respond to the Parent Message, she failed to see that children had leaned against the improperly latched gate and accidentally discovered the gate was open and they could go out. As the teacher looked up, she did see a flash of color and immediately recognized there was a problem. The teacher immediately accounted for the remaining children and began a quick search for the others. As the director, I was present in the classroom and quickly joined in the search. According to our interviews of involved parties, the children were found in ? to 1 ? minutes. We informed the families of the children involved and immediately self-reported this incident. Our company has a 30+ year history of providing safe, nurturing and stimulating environments for children and we take very seriously any opportunity for improvement to our programs. Therefore, we submit to you the following plan of correction to prevent any related events in the future.

1. Effective immediately ? staff will no longer take electronic devices to the playground for the purposes of communicating with families through the Brightwheel App. They have been instructed to save all updates and responses to parents for inside at a time when it is safe to do so ONLY. For example, when the children are sitting at a table working on an activity.
2. Effective immediately ? staff have been retrained to position themselves on the playground in an area that ensures that all children are in sight and sound supervision at all times. If there is only one staff person, that person MUST have sight and sound supervision of every part of the playground being utilized. When at all possible, staff are highly encouraged to staff playground time in pairs for highest level of safety and supervision.
3. Effective immediately ? child count roster shall accompany the entire group of children as they move from location to location within the center and on the playground. We have already begun a system of frequent checks of the playground gate.
? Opening staff shall ensure that the playground gate is properly latched upon arrival to the building each morning.
? Closing staff shall ensure that the playground gate is properly latched upon departure each evening.
? The Acting Director shall make frequent checks throughout the day to ensure that the playground gate is proper latched.
? The staff using the playground shall immediately check the gate to the playground upon entry from the classroom.
4. Vendors will be cautioned and reminded to properly secure the gate each time they enter the playground area. In addition, the Acting Director will ensure that the gate is closed correctly immediately upon departure of any ILC vendors.
5. Fencing Companies have been contacted, and within 6 weeks, the toddler playground fencing will be revised
(Contact Licensing for the center's additional plan of correction)

Standard #: 22VAC40-185-340-F
Description: Based on interviews and a review of photographs, it was determined that children under 10 years of age were not in sight/sound supervision.
Evidence:
1. On 6/4/21 at approximately 4 pm on the Infant/Toddler playground, 4- 2 year old children were located by staff A at the back of the playground in a hidden corner, all four children were out of sight and sound supervision of Staff A. Interviews further revealed that children would go to this hidden corner of the playground and be out of sight/sound supervision of staff when the staff were not positioned in the back of the playground.


2. On 6/4/21 at approximately 4pm, two children ( child A and B) outside on the playground with staff A managed to leave the playground through the playground's front gate unobserved and ended up in the parking lot over 20 feet from the playground. The children were unsupervised for approximately 1.5 minutes.

Plan of Correction: Imagination Learning Center, Gainesville, agrees that this incident is of a serious nature, and will take any and all appropriate steps to correct the matter and ensure that is never occurs again. It is important to us that our clients recognize the extenuating circumstances that came together to create the opportunity for two children to exit the playground unobserved. Immediately preceding the playground time, our phone company had entered the playground to repair a cut cable. When the serviceman was done with the work, he failed to properly secure the gate. The gate is a swing loaded gate, and I believe that he felt it latched into place properly. Upon the teacher?s entry to the playground, she observed that the gate was closed, and failed to recognize that it had not latched properly. At the same time as the children began playing on the playground, the teacher received a parent message via the parent communication app called Brightwheel. As the teacher looked down to respond to the Parent Message, she failed to see that children had leaned against the improperly latched gate and accidentally discovered the gate was open and they could go out. As the teacher looked up, she did see a flash of color and immediately recognized there was a problem. The teacher immediately accounted for the remaining children and began a quick search for the others. As the director, I was present in the classroom and quickly joined in the search. According to our interviews of involved parties, the children were found in ? to 1 ? minutes. We informed the families of the children involved and immediately self-reported this incident. Our company has a 30+ year history of providing safe, nurturing and stimulating environments for children and we take very seriously any opportunity for improvement to our programs. Therefore, we submit to you the following plan of correction to prevent any related events in the future.

1. Effective immediately ? staff will no longer take electronic devices to the playground for the purposes of communicating with families through the Brightwheel App. They have been instructed to save all updates and responses to parents for inside at a time when it is safe to do so ONLY. For example, when the children are sitting at a table working on an activity.
2. Effective immediately ? staff have been retrained to position themselves on the playground in an area that ensures that all children are in sight and sound supervision at all times. If there is only one staff person, that person MUST have sight and sound supervision of every part of the playground being utilized. When at all possible, staff are highly encouraged to staff playground time in pairs for highest level of safety and supervision.
3. Effective immediately ? child count roster shall accompany the entire group of children as they move from location to location within the center and on the playground. We have already begun a system of frequent checks of the playground gate.
? Opening staff shall ensure that the playground gate is properly latched upon arrival to the building each morning.
? Closing staff shall ensure that the playground gate is properly latched upon departure each evening.
? The Acting Director shall make frequent checks throughout the day to ensure that the playground gate is proper latched.
? The staff using the playground shall immediately check the gate to the playground upon entry from the classroom.
4. Vendors will be cautioned and reminded to properly secure the gate each time they enter the playground area. In addition, the Acting Director will ensure that the gate is closed correctly immediately upon departure of any ILC vendors.
5. Fencing Companies have been contacted, and within 6 weeks, the toddler playground fencing will be revised (Contact Licensing for the center's additional plan of correction)

Disclaimer:

A compliance history is in no way a rating for a facility.

The online compliance history includes only information after July 1, 2003. In addition, the online compliance history includes information regarding adverse actions that may be the subject of a pending appeal. An adverse action is not final until a provider has exhausted or waived all due process rights. For compliance history prior to July 1, 2003, or information regarding the status of pending adverse actions, please contact the Licensing Inspector listed in the facility's information. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) is not responsible for any errors in or omissions from the compliance history information.

Virginia Quality is a voluntary quality rating and improvement system for early care and education facilities serving children ages birth through pre-K. To find programs participating in Virginia Quality, click here.

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