VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

La Petite Academy #7143
1569 Mill Dam Road
Virginia beach, VA 23454
(757) 481-6078

Current Inspector: D'Nae Goodwin (757) 404-3063

Inspection Date: Aug. 29, 2023

Complaint Related: No

Areas Reviewed:

8VAC20-780 Administration. 8VAC20-780 Staff Qualifications and Training. 8VAC20-780 Physical Plant. 8VAC20-780 Programs.

Comments:

An investigation was initiated on 8/14/23 in response to a self-reported incident received by the department regarding staff/child interactions. Video footage of the incident was reviewed on 8/29/23 at the center's corporate office and an on-site inspection was conducted on 11/6/23. Interviews with staff were completed and documentation and records related to the incident were reviewed. Based on the information gathered during the investigation, the self-reported incident is determined to be valid. Violations are cited on the violation notice and were discussed with center management at the conclusion of the investigation.

Violations:

Standard #:	8VAC20-780-40-E
Description:	Based on interviews, video footage and a review of the center?s policies, the center failed to ensure that the center?s services are maintained in compliance with the center?s own policies and procedures that are required by these standards. Evidence: The center failed to follow their written procedures for inappropriate redirection as demonstrated by the following incident: 1. The center?s written procedure regarding inappropriate redirection states ?The use of physical, mental, or emotional punishment on or demeaning behavior toward any child is prohibited. No staff member is permitted to utilize the following means of punishment or redirection on any child, including his/her own or a relative?s child, while on company property: Hitting, shaking, biting, pinching, pulling, pushing, physical force or inflicting any other form of corporal punishment to hurt a child?restricting a child?s movement by binding, tying or any other type of physical restrain or timeout, including lifting or carrying a child.? a. On 8/10/23, staff 1 pulled multiple children by their arm and sat them down on the floor, lifted a child up in the air by his arm to move him and grabbed a child on both sides of his mouth with her hand. On that same date, staff 2 pulled a child by his arm, hit him on his back after he fell to the floor and then pulled him by his arm again to sit him down on the floor. 2. Center management confirmed that staff 1 and staff 2 did not follow the center?s written procedures regarding inappropriate redirection.
Plan of Correction:	The center responded with the following: Staff # 1 & Staff # 2 no longer works for the company. This classroom was reset and re equipped to ensure better engagement. Staff are trained upon being hired and before being put into ratio on positive guidance and redirection. Management are conducting regular classroom observations to ensure compliance.
Standard #:	8VAC20-780-410-1
Description:	Based on interviews and a review of video footage, it was determined that the center failed to ensure actions that are considered forbidden do not occur. Evidence: 1. On 8/14/23, the center director self-reported that a staff member witnessed staff 1 ?grabbing a child by his cheeks? on 8/10/23 in the two-year-old classroom. The center director also reported that upon review of the video footage for the two?s classroom on 8/10/23, additional incidents were observed of staff 1 and staff 2 roughly handling multiple children. 2. On 8/29/23, the licensing inspector, along with the district manager, viewed video footage from 8/10/23 of the two-year-old classroom, at which time staff 1 and staff 2 were responsible for the children in care. The video is of an approximate 20-minute time period. The video showed the following incidents of forbidden actions by staff 1 and staff 2: a. Staff 1 is sweeping the floor and picks up child 1 (age 2 years) by his upper left arm, lifts him off his feet into the air, and sets him back on the floor to move him out of her way. Staff 1 continues to sweep the floor and then takes child 2 (age 2 years) by her left arm and pulls her by the arm to move her out of the way. b. Child 3 (age 2 years) is standing by a shelf and takes his shoe off. Staff 1 walks over to child 1, takes him by his upper right arm and pulls him down to a sitting position on the floor to put his shoe back on his foot. c. Child 1 is sitting on the floor when staff 1 bends down to talk to him. Staff 1 then stands up and grabs child 1 with her hand by both sides of his mouth. d. Child 4 (age 2 years) is running in the classroom when staff 1 takes him by his upper right arm and pulls him down to a sitting position against the wall. e. Staff 2 takes child 3 by his left forearm and pulls him up to a standing position and pulls him across the carpet. Child 3 can be seen moving his arms and legs trying to get loose from staff 2. Child 3 then falls to the floor and staff 2 hits him on his back. Staff 2 then picks child 3 up, pulls him over to the window and sits him down on the floor. 3. Staff 3 stated that on 8/10/23 she was on the playground with her class and was standing by the window of the two-year-old classroom. Staff 3 stated she was looking through the window and witnessed staff 1 ?grab? child 1 by the face on both sides of his mouth. 4. Center management confirmed that staff 1 and staff 2 engaged in multiple forbidden actions of roughly handling children and striking a child in the two-year-old classroom on 8/10/23.
Plan of Correction:	The center responded with the following: Staff # 1 & Staff # 2 no longer works for the company. This classroom was reset and re equipped to ensure better engagement. Staff are trained upon being hired and before being put into ratio on positive guidance and redirection. Management are conducting regular classroom observations to ensure compliance.