VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Merritt Academy
9201, 9203, 9205 & 9211 Arlington Blvd
Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 273-8000

Current Inspector: Karen Dickens (571) 423-6978

Inspection Date: Sept. 7, 2023

Complaint Related: No

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. ? 8VAC20-820 THE LICENSE. ? 8VAC20-820 THE LICENSING PROCESS. ? 8VAC20-820 HEARINGS PROCEDURES. ? 8VAC20-770 Background Checks (8VAC20-770) ? 20 Access to minor?s records ? 22.1 Background Checks Code, Carbon Monoxide ? 63.2 Child Abuse & Neglect ? 8VAC20-790 Subsidy Regulations.

Comments:

An investigation in response to a self-reported incident was initiated on September 7, 2023 and concluded on September 18, 2023. The report received by the department included information of a child being unsupervised for 28 minutes. The Center?s video recordings were observed, staff interviews were conducted, the center?s policies and procedures were reviewed, and the center?s staff and children?s records were reviewed in response to the self-reported incident. The evidence gathered during the investigation supported the self-report of non-compliance with supervision, care and protection, and not following center?s policies and procedures. 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 corrections not received within 5 business days will result in the plans not appearing on the Violation Notice and public website. If you have any questions about this inspection, please contact the Licensing Inspector, Karen Dickens at Karen.dickens@doe.virginia.gov.

Violations:

Standard #:	8VAC20-780-40-E
Description:	Based on review of Center?s policies and procedures, video review and staff interviews, the licensee did not ensure that the center?s own policies and procedures were followed. Evidence: 1. Documentation of the Center?s procedures entitled ?Merritt Procedures - the Details?? states under the SIGHT AND SOUND heading the following: ? ?The sight and sound requirement means you must be able to see and hear children at all times within the class and while moving around campus.? ? ?Helpful hints when transitioning from place to place and keeping sight and sound: ? Name to face recognition before leaving the class by using supervision log/Tadpoles (Supervision logs should be used when changing location)? ? ?Visibly review the room/playground before leaving? ? ?Frequent student headcount? 2. Staff #1 stated, ?We are supposed to do Name to Face when you leave the classroom and enter another place?. Staff #1 stated ?I did not do Name to Face before leaving the classroom?. 3. Staff #2 stated, ?I should have done Name to Face after [Staff #1] and children joined us in line to go to the playground?. Staff #2 confirmed that staff are trained on Name to Face procedures every year and teacher workdays. 4. On August 30, 2023, at approximately 9:11am, Staff #1 was observed exiting the classroom door without visibly reviewing the room before leaving.
Plan of Correction:	We deeply regret that this incident happened and it is unacceptable that supervision protocol was not followed even though it was early in the new school year. Both staff members were given disciplinary action regarding their lack of following of procedures. Additionally, all staff who work with students were required to attend a mandatory training 2 days later, on September 1st. At this training staff were reminded of the importance and necessity of adhering to name to face recognition and visibly reviewing the room and playgrounds in order to follow site and sound requirements. We also added new ?stop and count? reminder signs throughout the campus. We are very thankful this incident did not result in injury.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-340-A
Description:	Based on video observation and staff interviews, staff did not ensure the care, protection, and guidance of a child. Evidence: 1. On August 30, 2023, at approximately 9:11am, Child # 1 (2 years old) was left alone and unsupervised in a classroom for approximately 28 minutes. 2. Staff #1 confirmed that they walked out of the classroom with two children and left Child #1 inside of the classroom. 3. Staff #2 confirmed Child #1 was left alone and unsupervised in the classroom. 4. The video of the classroom shows that upon being left alone in the classroom, Child #1 stood up and looked at the door, then moved to the window and looked out of the window for approximately three minutes. At approximately 9:16am, Child #1 went to the classroom door and stood by it. At approximately 9:21am, Child #1 began to cry loudly for one minute. Child #1 began to cry again at 9:24am and continued to cry off and on for another ten minutes. 5. At approximately 9:39am,Staff #3 went into the classroom and can be heard on the phone stating, ?[Child #1] has been in this classroom by himself since 9 o?clock. They just noticed as they were leaving the playground that [Child #1] was not there.? Staff #3 then left the classroom with Child #1.
Plan of Correction:	We deeply regret that this incident happened and it is unacceptable that supervision protocol was not followed even though it was early in the new school year. We contacted the student?s parents quickly and added multiple steps for supervising students including ID cards for face to name recognition, new ?stop and count? reminder signs on campus and a mandatory retraining of our staff for supervision. In addition, disciplinary actions and retraining were given to the staff involved. We are very thankful this incident did not result in injury.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-340-F
Description:	Based on video observation, staff interviews, and documentation review, a child under 10 years of age was not always within actual sight and sound supervision of staff. Evidence: 1. On August 30, 2023 a video confirmed that Child #1 (2 years old) was left alone and unsupervised in the classroom for approximately 28 minutes: a. At approximately 9:08am, the children in the Two?s classroom (Room 44) were observed on video lining up to go to the playground. Staff #2 led a group of children outside of the classroom door while Staff #1 remained in the classroom with three children. Staff #1 was cleaning and sanitizing the tables while one child stood by the door crying, another child followed Staff #1 around while cleaning the tables, and Child #1 sat on the floor in front of a tall bookshelf. At approximately 9:11am, Staff #1 stated ?Let?s go, let?s go, let?s go? and took two children by the hands and exited the classroom, leaving Child #1 sitting in the library area alone in the classroom. 2. Staff #1 and Staff #2 confirmed that Child #1 was left unsupervised in the classroom for approximately 28 minutes. 3.A ?Team Member Incident Report? confirmed that Child #1 was left unsupervised in the classroom.
Plan of Correction:	We deeply regret that this incident happened and it is unacceptable that supervision protocol was not followed even though it was early in the new school year. While we are thankful this incident did not result in injury, we contacted the student?s parents quickly to inform them of what had occurred. We spoke at length with the staff involved and investigated what steps were needed to improve supervision. We implemented student ID cards in our Infant-K2 classrooms. Staff must have the ID cards of the students in their care and verify name to face identification before leaving the classroom and at multiple stop signs and transition locations around campus. We reminded staff of visibly inspecting the room or playground and doing frequent head-count. We also rearranged the classroom furniture to maximize site-lines so students can be seen as people exit the room. We believe child safety and supervision should be every staff member?s first priority.