First Steps Childcare & Learning Center
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Reviews
I am writing to express my profound disappointment and utter disbelief in the manner in which my recent interaction with First Steps Daycare has been handled. The events that have transpired have left me feeling not only deceived but also appalled by the lack of professionalism and concern for the well-being of the children entrusted to your care. As the President of the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce, I have had the privilege of working closely with various local businesses, and I must emphasize that I have never encountered such a disheartening and unprofessional experience as I have with First Steps Daycare. This situation not only reflects poorly on your establishment but also undermines the trust that the community places in businesses such as yours. I had made the careful decision to enroll my daughter, Harper, in the "Private Pre-K" class at First Steps Daycare based on information I received during our initial discussions. We don't qualify for NC Pre K, and I was ENSURED the 'other' class they had would be the same as Pre-K, she would be with all her friends and that this program would provide her with the educational advancement and curriculum needed to ensure her growth and development at this crucial stage of her early education. I had inquired extensively about the curriculum, the necessary school supplies, and the nature of the class to ensure a seamless transition for my daughter. Imagine my shock when, on what was meant to be Her first day of school, I discovered that she was placed in the same class she had been a part of for the last year and a half! Doing the SAME THINGS she's been doing since she was three! This blatant misrepresentation has not only caused tremendous emotional distress to my four-year-old daughter but has also disrupted the trust and faith I had in the professionalism of First Steps Daycare. My daughter, had to witness EVERY OTHER CHILD IN HER CLASS excitedly meet their teachers for their first day of school, while she was relegated to a class with the 3 year olds - a situation she had already outgrown. The very foundation of trust upon which educational institutions are built has been shattered by this situation, leaving me with no choice but to express my extreme discontent. Furthermore, my attempt to address this issue with the director was met with shocking unprofessionalism. Clearly I am upset, especially now two days AFTER the school year starts with EVERY other ACTUAL pre k FULL.... Instead of acknowledging the gravity of the situation and the impact it had on my family, the director responded with callousness and outright hostility. To be told that I should "unenroll Harper right now" due to my "attitude" is an unacceptable response, particularly when the situation was created by the mismanagement and misinformation provided by the school itself. The fact that I am now left with no suitable option for my daughter's education is a reflection of the negligence that runs rampant in your institution. I strongly encourage parents to look elsewhere for their childcare needs, as this situation exemplifies a severe lack of professionalism and care that no family should have to endure.
Facility has bugs, kids look dirty and unkept. No structure and staff is constantly exposing kids to social media.
Not a good center. Schoolage/ pre k assistant teacher abuses the children. She has been seen jerking the children by one arm and lifting them up off the ground by one arm with their feet dangling in air. Director is aware of this and allows it. Parents be aware
The child care center is a 4 star but thats mostly because of the education. But the employees are very unprofessional and screams and yells at the children. One teacher in the after school room even snatched a child up by there shrit. PLEASE DONT BRING CHILDREN HERE there more focused on disipline a child than loving and caring for them.
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About the Provider
Hours of Operation
- Days of Operation Monday–Friday
Inspection/Report History
Where possible, ChildcareCenter provides inspection reports as a service to families. This information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. We encourage families to contact the daycare provider directly with any questions or concerns. Reports can also be verified with your local daycare licensing office.
| Date | Type | Violations | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2025-10-28 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | |
| 2025-10-28 | Violation | 1048 | .1102(c) |
| 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. One staff did not have First Aid Training from an approved organization with in 90 days of hire. | |||
| 2025-10-28 | Violation | 1049 | .1102(d) |
| 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. One Staff did not have an approve CPR training from an approved organization within 90 days of hire. | |||
| 2025-10-28 | Violation | 1065 | .1102(f) |
| Child care providers scheduled to work in the infant room, did not complete ITS-SIDS training within two months of employment or did not complete the training every three years. Child care administrators did not complete the ITS-SIDS training within 90 days of employment and every three years thereafter. The administrator did not have a current ITS-SIDS training on file. Training certificate expired 9/14/2023. | |||
| 2025-03-18 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2024-12-04 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | 1124-252L |
| 2024-12-04 | Violation | 509 | .0901(h) |
| Food required for any special diet was not provided by parent or center. During a complaint investigation, it was determined through the interview process that a child with a cow’s milk allergy was served bagels with cream cheese as well as macaroni and cheese on November 12, 2024. A child with a cow’s milk allergy was served goldfish crackers on November 13, 2024. A child with a cow’s milk allergy was served beef and cheese tacos on November 14, 2024. A child with a cow’s milk allergy was served chicken alfredo on November 15, 2024. During today's visit, lunch consisted of spaghetti with meat sauce, peas, mandarin oranges, and milk. | |||
| 2024-12-04 | Violation | 510 | .0901(h) |
| Food required by special diet prescribed by health care professional or parent did not have written instructions and/or was not maintained on file at the center. During a complaint investigation, it was determined through file reviews that a parent did not have written instructions for a child's dietary needs while allergy testing documentation was pending from the child's doctor. During today's visit, I was informed that the child is no longer enrolled at the facility. | |||
| 2024-10-09 | Unannounced Inspection | No | 1024-064L |
| 2024-10-03 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | |
| 2024-10-03 | Violation | 840 | .2820(b) |
| 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. In Space #2, two aerosol cans containing air freshener spray were stored on a shelf in an unlocked cabinet, below five feet from the finished floor. When it was brought to the teacher's attention, she immediately locked the cabinet. | |||
| 2024-09-24 | Unannounced Inspection | No | 0524-292A |
| 2024-07-30 | Unannounced Inspection | No | 0524-292A |
| 2024-05-22 | Unannounced Inspection | No | 0524-292A |
| 2024-04-09 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2023-11-15 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | 1123-106L |
| 2023-11-15 | Violation | 209 | GS 110-91(1)&(4-5) |
| Children used space that was not approved. It was stated that a child was taken into the kitchen while a staff prepared sanitation solution. This was corrected. No children were observed in the kitchen during today's visit and the provider stated that a procedure has been put in place to ensure it does accrue again. | |||
| 2023-11-15 | Violation | 401 | 10A NCAC 09 .0806(a) |
| Diapers were not changed whenever they were soiled or wet and/or were changed on a shift basis. It was stated that one child having a soiled diaper had accrue on one occasion. This was corrected by observing staff changing diapers during the visit and by staff completing documentation for the time a child is changed and providing that document to the parents daily. | |||
| 2023-11-15 | Violation | 445 | .0510 (e ) (1)(A-G) |
| For children under three years of age, developmentally appropriate toys and activities were not provided as outlined in Rule. It was stated that a child was taken into the kitchen with a staff member while the staff prepared sanitation solution. This was corrected during today's visit. All children were in an approved space where developmentally appropriate toys and activities were provided. | |||
| 2023-11-15 | Violation | 1842 | .0713(a)(8) |
| Staff members and child care administrators who were counted in meeting the staff/child ratios concurrently performed food preparation or other duties that are not direct child care responsibilities. It was stated that one staff member who were responsible for children did take a child in to the kitchen while the staff prepared sanitation solution. This was corrected by the provider putting a procedure in place to ensure it does not happen again. | |||
| 2023-10-06 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | |
| 2023-10-06 | Violation | 840 | .2820(b) |
| 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. Accessible to children in space #5, a staff member's bag was stored on the floor behind the changing table. | |||
| 2023-10-06 | Violation | 858 | .0604(q) |
| Plastic bags, materials that could be torn apart and toy parts small enough to be swallowed were accessible to children under three years of age. In space # 5 Ziplock bags were found in three (3) cubbies, two others holding art material, plastic bags hanging from the bathroom door handle, and rubber gloves on top of a shelf were found accessible to children all located under 5 feet | |||
| 2023-09-07 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | |
| 2023-09-07 | Violation | 1032 | 10A NCAC 09 .0701(a) |
| Child care providers and uncompensated providers who are not substitute providers or volunteers, including the director did not have a medical report on file prior to employment that was signed by a health care professional and/ or the medical report was older than 12 months. A medical report for one new staff member was older than 12 months. The staff hire date was 7/17/2023, and the date of the report was 3/22/2022. | |||
| 2023-07-06 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2023-04-11 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2023-02-16 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2022-08-18 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2022-05-17 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
| 2022-05-11 | Unannounced Inspection | Yes | |
| 2022-05-11 | Violation | 707 | .0601(d) |
| Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. On the playground there was a small playhouse that was cracked and had holes in the roof of it. | |||
| 2022-05-11 | Violation | 303 | .1801(a)(1-5) |
| Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Based on information provided in the report and a statement from the provider of had fallen asleep due to a medical issue. The staff is no longer employee at the facility. | |||
| 2022-01-28 | Unannounced Inspection | No | |
If you are a provider and believe any information is incorrect, please contact us. We will research your concern and make corrections accordingly.
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