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Charlotte · Licensed center

Bright Horizons At Mallard Creek

brighthorizons.com

At a glance

  • Large center, licensed for 199 children.
  • Hours 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week, year round.
  • Run by a for-profit business, which holds the license.

What to know

They serve: 2 months to 5 years (their website).

The license is the range the state allows. It does not say which ages have openings.

What the state has found

The state cited rules at 6 of its 12 licensing inspections since December 2023.

See each inspection

Licensing inspections

  • Sep 15, 2026Nothing cited
  • Sep 2, 20261 citation
    • Citation
      • “A child was yelled at, shamed, humiliated, frightened, threatened or bullied. On August, 24, 2026, a child two years of age was spat on by a teacher and was close to the child's face while saying to the child "how do you like that"?, "You don't like that do you"?, "You wouldn't want anyone else to do that to you" and "it's not okay to spit". The Teacher's tone was loud enough that two teachers turned around to see what was occurring.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/14/2026

  • Jul 28, 2026Nothing cited
  • Jan 22, 20263 citations
    • Citation
      • “All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. One (1) employee did not update her annual health questionnaire upon returning to work after a leave of absence. The form was dated 8/12/24.”

        Violation corrected during visit

    • Citation
      • “Child care providers, including the director, uncompensated providers, substitute providers, and volunteers did not have the required Emergency Information Form on file on or before the first day of work, which included all the required information and/or the information on the form was not updated as changes occur and at least annually. One (1) employee did not update her emergency information upon returning to work after a leave of absence. The form was dated 8/12/24.”

        Violation corrected during visit

    • Citation
      • “The trained staff did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information was current. The printed EPR plan was last updated/reviewed on 10/25/24.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/23/2026

  • Oct 14, 20253 citations
    • Citation
      • “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 last fire inspection was completed 8/22/24.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/24/2025

    • Citation
      • “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). One (1) employee, C.F., had an expired CBC qualification letter. The letter expired on 10/7/25.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/24/2025

    • Citation
      • “A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. One (1) employee, C.F., did not have a valid qualification letter on file for review.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/24/2025

  • Jul 9, 2025Nothing cited
  • Jun 18, 2025Nothing cited
  • Feb 5, 20252 citations
    • Citation
      • “A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The posted activity plan in Space 8 was not current.”

        Violation corrected during visit

    • Citation
      • “For children under three years of age, materials were not offered in sufficient quantity to allow all children to use them at some time during the day and to allow for a range of choices. Two (2) music instruments were observed present in Space 4. There were eleven (11) children enrolled in the classroom and four (4) children present at the time of the observation.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/12/2025

  • Jun 25, 20242 citations
    • Citation
      • “Formula and other beverages which require refrigeration were not identified for each child or properly refrigerated. A prepared nutritional shake that required refrigeration after opening was observed stored on a child's cubby.”

        Violation corrected during visit

    • Citation
      • “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 employee hired 3/4/24 did not complete First Aid training within 90 days of employment.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 7/5/2024

  • Feb 22, 2024Nothing cited
  • Feb 9, 20244 citations
    • Citation
      • “Equipment and furnishings were not sturdy, stable and free of hazards. The bottom of the exterior wall of the gym facing the playground was rusted and peeling away from the foundation. The sharp edges were accessible to children.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/23/2024

    • Citation
      • “Outdoor play area was not enclosed by fence with a minimum height of 4 feet. The top of the fence, less than six feet, was not free from protrusions. The fence on the outer edge of the early preschool playground measured below 4 feet.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 3/14/2024

    • Citation
      • “Air conditioning units were accessible or did not have a guard to keep objects from being thrown into the unit. The gate to the air conditioning units was not locked.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/23/2024

    • Citation
      • “Prescribed medicine was not in original labeled container or accompanied by signed and dated written instructions from prescribing physician or health care professional. One (1) child's Epi pen was stored in the original box that did not have the prescription attached.”

        Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/23/2024

  • Dec 5, 2023Nothing cited

The state cited rules at 6 of this center's 12 inspections. Most Charlotte-area centers inspected 10 or more times had rules cited at some but not all of theirs, as this center did: more than 99% of 271.

How all 271 Charlotte-area centers inspected 10 or more times compare

Of the 271 Charlotte-area centers the state inspected 10 or more times, how many of those inspections cited a rule:

  • Someover 99%This center
  • Allunder 1%
Read every record and the state’s reports

State record — North Carolina DCDEE

Last visit
September 15, 2026
On file
12 visits since December 2023 — 6 cited nothing, 6 of those unannounced
Fixed?
All 15 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.

Sep 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Sep 2026 Unannounced visit 1 finding

Unannounced visit · September 2, 2026

A child was yelled at, shamed, humiliated, frightened, threatened or bullied. On August, 24, 2026, a child two years of age was spat on by a teacher and was close to the child's face while saying to the child "how do you like that"?, "You don't like that do you"?, "You wouldn't want anyone else to do that to you" and "it's not okay to spit". The Teacher's tone was loud enough that two teachers turned around to see what was occurring.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 9/14/2026

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 60004036 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Jul 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jan 2026 Unannounced visit 3 findings

Unannounced visit · January 22, 2026

All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. One (1) employee did not update her annual health questionnaire upon returning to work after a leave of absence. The form was dated 8/12/24.

Violation corrected during visit

Child care providers, including the director, uncompensated providers, substitute providers, and volunteers did not have the required Emergency Information Form on file on or before the first day of work, which included all the required information and/or the information on the form was not updated as changes occur and at least annually. One (1) employee did not update her emergency information upon returning to work after a leave of absence. The form was dated 8/12/24.

Violation corrected during visit

The trained staff did not review the EPR Plan annually or when information in the plan changed to ensure all information was current. The printed EPR plan was last updated/reviewed on 10/25/24.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/23/2026

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 60004036 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Oct 2025 Unannounced visit 3 findings

Unannounced visit · October 14, 2025

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 last fire inspection was completed 8/22/24.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/24/2025

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). One (1) employee, C.F., had an expired CBC qualification letter. The letter expired on 10/7/25.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/24/2025

A valid qualification letter was not on file and available to review at the facility. One (1) employee, C.F., did not have a valid qualification letter on file for review.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/24/2025

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 60004036 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Jul 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jun 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Feb 2025 Unannounced visit 2 findings

Unannounced visit · February 5, 2025

A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference. The posted activity plan in Space 8 was not current.

Violation corrected during visit

For children under three years of age, materials were not offered in sufficient quantity to allow all children to use them at some time during the day and to allow for a range of choices. Two (2) music instruments were observed present in Space 4. There were eleven (11) children enrolled in the classroom and four (4) children present at the time of the observation.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/12/2025

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 60004036 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Jun 2024 Unannounced visit 2 findings

Unannounced visit · June 25, 2024

Formula and other beverages which require refrigeration were not identified for each child or properly refrigerated. A prepared nutritional shake that required refrigeration after opening was observed stored on a child's cubby.

Violation corrected during visit

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 employee hired 3/4/24 did not complete First Aid training within 90 days of employment.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 7/5/2024

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 60004036 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Feb 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Feb 2024 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · February 9, 2024

Equipment and furnishings were not sturdy, stable and free of hazards. The bottom of the exterior wall of the gym facing the playground was rusted and peeling away from the foundation. The sharp edges were accessible to children.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/23/2024

Outdoor play area was not enclosed by fence with a minimum height of 4 feet. The top of the fence, less than six feet, was not free from protrusions. The fence on the outer edge of the early preschool playground measured below 4 feet.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 3/14/2024

Air conditioning units were accessible or did not have a guard to keep objects from being thrown into the unit. The gate to the air conditioning units was not locked.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/23/2024

Prescribed medicine was not in original labeled container or accompanied by signed and dated written instructions from prescribing physician or health care professional. One (1) child's Epi pen was stored in the original box that did not have the prescription attached.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 2/23/2024

DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 60004036 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.

Dec 2023 Unannounced visit nothing cited

Shortlist replaces people’s names in the state’s text with initials. This is done by rule, not by hand, so it can miss a name or shorten a word that isn’t one. The state’s report, linked on each row, has the original.

A day here

7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 days a week, year round

Updates for parents
Updates for parents
My Bright Day mobile app for daily photos, real-time updates, and notifications

Details

Phone
(704) 548-8076
Address
9215 Mallard Creek Road, Charlotte, 28262
License
60004036
Quality program
Five Star License
Chain
Bright Horizons
Owner
Public shareholders (NYSE: BFAM)

We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, teaching approach, ratios and staff, and sick and biting policies. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.

Run Bright Horizons At Mallard Creek? Correct or add anything here, free.
Sources and dates

Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.

State record

From North Carolina DCDEE’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.

A day here

Details

  • Phone, Address, License, Quality program — Checked July 2026 ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 60004036 under License Number, and open the result.
  • Website — Checked July 2026 brighthorizons.com
  • Ages they serve — Checked July 2026 brighthorizons.com
  • Who runs it — Checked October 2026 ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 60004036 under License Number, open the result and expand Owner Information: the licensee is listed as Primary Owner.
  • Chain — Checked October 2026 brighthorizons.com
  • Owner — Checked October 2026 sec.gov/…/bfam-20251231.htm

Bright Horizons is a public company. Its annual report to the SEC for 2025 (Form 10-K, filed February 2026) lists its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BFAM. sec.gov

Large means the biggest quarter of Charlotte-area’s 605 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 163 to 528 children. Small is 11 to 50; medium is 51 to 162.

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