A day care in Rutherford College lost its license in April after multiple violations. Here’s how day care inspections are conducted and what parents can do to find out about their child’s day care.
Hannah Jones, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, said child care facilities licensed by the agency’s Division of Child Development and Early Education must be inspected at least once a year.
She said none of the inspections are announced. Consultants are checking to make sure child care facilities follow regulations for health and safety, criminal background checks, CPR, first aid and other necessary trainings, and to make sure they have implemented developmentally appropriate practices for the children in their care.
Consultants use a checklist highlighting many of the areas they observe, both inside and outside the facility. Any violations found must be corrected immediately or within an approved timeframe.
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Facilities are visited again to make sure violations have been corrected. If they haven’t been corrected, administrative action may be taken against the operator’s license.
If someone files a complaint against a facility, consultants will visit it again in a confidential manner, she said.
A compliance history of 75% must be maintained for the last 18 months of the program or the length of time the facility has operated. Before a license can be revoked, Jones said two internal reviews are conducted and operators are given 15 days to tell the agency why it should not revoke the license.
If a license is revoked, the provider can appeal it to the Office of Administrative Hearings.
Debbie’s Daycare Preschool, at 631 Malcolm Blvd., had its license revoked April 2 after an investigation that started in September 2024, according to state records. The state said there were multiple violations and a claim of child abuse.
Burke County day cares are inspected at least once a year.
How to find recent inspections
NCDHHS maintains an online search program where parents can search for child care facilities by name, city, county and other information.
In Burke County, 43 providers are listed on the website. Inspection information includes details of any violations found and how the facility corrected the violation. This table has information for the most recent inspections of all of the Burke County facilities, current as of May 1.
Visit to find full inspection reports and previous inspections.
