Charlotte · Licensed center

Early Foundations Academy

Medium Creative Curriculum center, licensed for 96 children.
Run by a for-profit business, which holds the license.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 5 of its 11 licensing inspections since August 2023.

Of the 256 Charlotte-area centers with 10 or more licensing inspections, more than 99% had rules cited at some but not all of them, as this center did. Fewer than 1% had rules cited at all of them.

Licensing inspections

May 27, 2026No rules cited

May 18, 202611 citations

“Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience. Two (2)staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/4/2026
“Medical exam or health assessment record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission. A medical exam was not on file for two (2) enrolled child.”
Violation confirmed corrected by follow-up visit made by consultant on 5/27/2026
“Each child was not immunized as per Article 6 of Chapter 130A and an immunization record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission An immunization record was not on file for two (2) children.”
Violation confirmed corrected by follow-up visit made by consultant on 5/27/2026
“A child care operator did not notify the Division of any new child care providers who were hired or moved into the home within five business days by submitting the Change of Information form provided by the Division. The child care operator did not complete and verify the facility's roster in the ABCMS.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/4/2026

7 more from this inspection

“Staff/child ratios applicable to a classroom, were not posted in each classroom. Staff/child ratios applicable to a classroom were not posted in space five (5) and space three (3).”
Violation confirmed corrected by follow-up visit made by consultant on 5/27/2026
“A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. A current activity plan was not posted in space one (1).”
Violation confirmed corrected by follow-up visit made by consultant on 5/27/2026
“All corrosive agents, pesticides, bleaches, detergents, cleansers, polishes, any product which is under pressure in an aerosol dispenser, and any substance which may be hazardous to a child if ingested, inhaled, or handled were not stored in a locked room or cabinet. Two (2) aerosol cans were observed on top of a cabinet in space five (5). An aerosol can was located in an unlocked cabinet in space one (1).”
Violation corrected during visit
“All staff records, except financial records, were not made available for review. Some staff and program records were not available for review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by follow-up visit made by consultant on 5/27/2026
“Emergency medical care information was not on file in the center on the child's first day of attendance and/or was not updated as changes occurred or at least annually for each child. Emergency medical care information was not updated at least annually for one (1) child.”
Violation confirmed corrected by follow-up visit made by consultant on 5/27/2026
“Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced after the last one (1) in January 2026.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/29/2026
“The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. The mulch on the toddler playground is not based on the height of the equipment.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/4/2026

Mar 3, 2026No rules cited

Dec 15, 2025No rules cited

Jun 11, 20255 citations

“Fire drills were not practiced monthly and/or the drill record was incomplete. A fire drill was not practiced for the month of April 2025.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025
“A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. A current activity plan was not posted for the school-age group.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025
“Each employee's personnel file did not contain an annual staff evaluation and a staff development plan. Four (4) employee's personnel file did not contain an annual staff evaluation and two (2) did not have a staff development plan.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025
“Emergency medical care information was not on file in the center on the child's first day of attendance and/or was not updated as changes occurred or at least annually for each child. Emergency medical care information was not updated at least annually for two (2) children.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025

1 more from this inspection

“Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. A shelter-in-place or lockdown drills was not practiced every three months. The last one was completed February 2025.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025

Dec 10, 20241 citation

“All staff records, except financial records, were not made available for review. Four (4) staff member's records were not made available for review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/20/2024

Jun 24, 20243 citations

“Food substitution was not of comparable food value or recorded on the menu prior to the meal or snack being served. Food substitution for breakfast and lunch was not recorded on the menu prior to the meal being served.”
Violation corrected during visit
“Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience. One (1) staff member required to receive ten (10) on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 7/2/2024
“The child care administrator and all staff did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment. One (1) staff member did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment training within 90 days of employment.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 7/2/2024

Dec 18, 2023No rules cited

Nov 7, 2023No rules cited

Sep 27, 2023No rules cited

Aug 17, 20231 citation

“Each staff member did not have the required medical report, proof of tuberculosis test or screening and/or completed health questionnaire in a medical file, maintained separately from the staff member's individual personnel file. Four staff personnel files were observed to have TB, health questionnaires and medicals on file and not filed separately from the staff member's personnel file.”
Violation corrected during visit

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — North Carolina DCDEE

Last visit: May 27, 2026
On file: 11 visits since August 2023 — 6 cited nothing, 6 of those unannounced
Fixed?: All 21 record a correction, in the licensor’s own words.
Most serious: North Carolina DCDEE does not publish a severity level for a citation, so there is no most-serious to name.

North Carolina DCDEE describes every citation in the licensor’s own words and records the correction in that same text — the only one of the six states that publishes whether a violation was fixed. It attaches no rule number and no report document.

May 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited

May 2026 Unannounced visit 11 findings

Unannounced visit · May 18, 2026

Staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience. Two (2)staff required to receive on-going training had not completed the required number of hours according to their education and experience.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/4/2026

Medical exam or health assessment record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission. A medical exam was not on file for two (2) enrolled child.