Stallings · Licensed center

Leafspring School At Matthews

Large developmental center, licensed for 193 children.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 5 of its 10 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

Dec 11, 20258 citations

“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. Staff member K.P. did not have verification of training on file.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025
“Prior to the expiration date of the qualification letter, the child care provider did not complete and submit required forms to complete a criminal background check (a qualification letter is valid for a maximum of five years for the date of issuance). Staff member E.E. began the criminal background/qualifying letter process but it has not been completed. There is not a valid qualifying letter documented in her file.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025
“New staff, who had contact with children, did not receive at least 16 hrs. orientation within first 6 weeks. Staff members J.G, A.S, and E.E, did not have documentation of trainings required within the first six (6) weeks of employment.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025
“All staff did not successfully complete certification in CPR training appropriate to the age of the children in care. Verification of staff completion of the CPR course from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Staff members J.G, and K.P, did not complete CRP training hours.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025

4 more from this inspection

“The Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy was not reviewed with new staff prior to providing care with children and/or a signed acknowledgement with all the required information was not maintained in the staff person's file. Staff member K.P did not have a signed copy of the required policy on file.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025
“All staff did not successfully complete certification in First Aid appropriate to the age of children in care. Verification of staff completion of First Aid training from an approved training organization was not in the staff file. Staff members J.G, and K.P, did not have current First Aid training in their files.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025
“Within the first two weeks of assuming responsibility for supervising a group of children, staff did not complete at least 6 hours of training on topics outlined in this rule. Staff members L.M, A.O, and J. LC, did not have documentation of at least six (6) hours of training within the first two weeks of supervising children.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025
“A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. Staff members E.E, A.O, and S. M, did have a current Qualifying Letter but they were not on file for review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/23/2025

Oct 1, 2025No rules cited

Jun 5, 20252 citations

“Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. In space number four (#4) an emergency medication had expired and was not returned within seventy-two (72) hours.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025
“Shelter-in-place or lockdown drills were not practiced every three months and/or drill record was incomplete. The last lockdown/shelter in place drill has not been practiced or recorded, there was no record of the last time the drill occurred available to review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/24/2025

Dec 20, 2024No rules cited

Dec 17, 20241 citation

“Leftover medicines were not returned to the parent after the course of treatment was completed, after authorization was withdrawn or after authorization had expired and/or medication was not discarded within 72 hours of completion of treatment or withdrawal of authorization. The authorization form in space five (5) had expired and the cream was not returned or discarded within the proper time frame”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/18/2024

Nov 7, 2024No rules cited

May 2, 2024No rules cited

Mar 20, 2024No rules cited

Jan 3, 20242 citations

“Operator has not scheduled and obtained a fire inspection within 12 months of the previous inspection. Operator did not submit the original approved report to DCDEE within one week of the inspection visit on a form provided by the Division. The facility did not complete the annual fire inspection during the last twelve (12) months.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/4/2024
“Monthly playground inspections were not completed and/or they were not completed by an individual trained in playground safety requirements. The provider completed the monthly playground safety inspection, and will conduct another inspection towards the end of the month.”
Violation corrected during visit

Aug 29, 20231 citation

“A child was given over the counter medication without written authorization from a parent to follow the direction of the NC State Health Director during a public health emergency and/or the authorization did not contain the required information. A child, 5 years of age, was given Benadryl at the verbal request of a parent. The staff did not have proper authorization to give the medication as the medication had a label warning that would require a doctor's authorization and a parent's signature along with other required information including proper distribution of the medication.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/26/2023

Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — North Carolina DCDEE

Last visit: December 11, 2025
On file: 10 visits since August 2023 — 5 cited nothing, 2 of those unannounced
Fixed?: All 14 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.

Dec 2025 Unannounced visit 8 findings

Unannounced visit · December 11, 2025

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. Staff member K.P. did not have verification of training on file.