Concord · Licensed center
Firststart Kids Academy
At a glance
- Medium center, licensed for 162 children.
What the state has found
The state cited rules at 10 of its 20 licensing inspections since November 2023.
See each inspection
Licensing inspections
Sep 29, 20269 citations
Citation
“The written feeding plan did not include the child's name, parent signature, and/or was not dated when received by the center. The written feeding plan for two children enrolled in Space 8 did not include a parent signature.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Citation
“Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. In Space 8, I observed a sleeping infant and no documentation indicating the child had been visually checked. The staff member documented the child had been asleep since 9:20 am.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“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 ITS-SIDS training for staff member assigned to the infant room (DOH: 12/28/23) expired on 5/11/2025.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Citation
“Before children were transported, written permission from a parent was not obtained that included when and where the child was to be transported, expected time of departure and arrival, and the transportation provider. Two children, last transported on 9/28/2026 did not have written permission on file which included when and where the child was to be transported, expected time of departure and arrival, and the transportation provider.”
Violation corrected during visit
Citation
“Each employee's personnel file did not contain an annual staff evaluation and a staff development plan. Two staff member's (DOH: 12/28/23 and 1/1/21) personnel's file did not contain an annual staff evaluation.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Citation
“Emergency information did not name childs health care professional. The emergency information for a child enrolled on 9/12/2024 did not have a choice of health care professional documented.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Citation
“Medical exam or health assessment record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission. A medical exam or health assessment was not on file for a child enrolled on 5/6/2026.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Citation
“Application for enrollment did not include all required information. The application for enrollment for two children (DOE: 9/12/24 and 5/6/2026) did not include particular fears, allergies and symptoms, unique behavior characteristics, or health care concerns.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Citation
“Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A child enrolled in Space 2 did not have a medical action plan on file for asthma.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
- Oct 7, 2025Nothing cited
- Aug 14, 2025Nothing cited
Aug 6, 20252 citations
Citation
“Children were not adequately supervised at all times. On July 11, 2025 a two year old child was left unattended in the Two's classroom.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/11/2025
Citation
“A child was handled in a rough way, including shaking, pushing, shoving, pinching, slapping, biting, kicking, or spanking. A teacher in the Two's classroom grabbed a child by their arm and forcefully swung the child away from the gate and on to the carpet in the classroom.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/11/2025
- Jul 15, 2025Nothing cited
Jun 4, 20253 citations
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. A staff member hired on 11/17/22 did not have a First Aid certificate on file and available for review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/16/2025
Citation
“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. A staff member hired on 11/17/22 did not have a CPR certificate on file and available for review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/16/2025
Citation
“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. A staff member hired on 1/1/21 did not have a Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment certificate on file and available for review.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/16/2025
- May 12, 2025Nothing cited
May 8, 20251 citation
Citation
“A child was handled in a rough way, including shaking, pushing, shoving, pinching, slapping, biting, kicking, or spanking. A teacher in space #2 removed a three year old child from the classroom and dragged them down the hallway of the facility by their ankle, to another classroom.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/21/2025
Mar 24, 20251 citation
Citation
“Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. A staff member pulled a one-year-old child by one arm to redirect the child away from another child.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 3/26/2025
- Jan 23, 2025Nothing cited
Jan 13, 20252 citations
Citation
“Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. A three-year-old child was yelled at and told to lay down and be quiet at nap time. A three-year-old was not assisted with their personal hygiene process.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/27/2025
Citation
“Child was handled roughly. Child was handled rough when removed from classroom. Child was handled rough when placed in a chair and on carpet.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/27/2025
- Jan 8, 2025Nothing cited
Jan 2, 20251 citation
Citation
“Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. Teacher was not feeding and caring for infants in a nurturing way. It was observed from a video that the teacher was feeding an infant a bottle in a harsh manner.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/14/2025
- Nov 7, 2024Nothing cited
- Oct 8, 2024Nothing cited
Oct 1, 20243 citations
Citation
“Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Eight staff verified phone usage in the classroom while children were present.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/15/2024
Citation
“A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. There was an exposed storm drain on the 2-year-old playground that is hazardous and children have access to.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/15/2024
Citation
“Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. During four staff interviews specific times were stated when children were not verbally and physically cared for in a nurturing manner.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/15/2024
- Apr 30, 2024Nothing cited
Apr 22, 20243 citations
Citation
“Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Teachers stated that children are not supervised at all times in the classrooms and on the playground.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/3/2024
Citation
“Staff did not wash their hands thoroughly before beginning work, before/after handling food, before bottle feeding or serving to other children, after toileting or handling body fluids, after diaper changing and after handling soiled items. Staff did not wash hands after cleaning a child's nose.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/3/2024
Citation
“Incident logs were not completed and maintained as required. Incident log was not complete for the month of March and April 2024.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/3/2024
- Mar 7, 2024Nothing cited
Nov 9, 20237 citations
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. In the toddlers classrooms there was not a sufficient quantity of toys for children.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
Citation
“All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean and in good repair. Walls in all classroom need to be cleaned and or painted.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/15/2023
Citation
“All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. Some playground toys were not in good repair and all toys need to be washed.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
Citation
“Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. 5 diaper creams forms did not have the amount of cream to be applied.”
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. 3 employees did not have the emergency information form on file before the first day of work.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
Citation
“The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. On the school age playground and the older preschool playground the surfacing was not critical height of equipment.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
Citation
“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. One staff member that started 10/30/23 has not completed the Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy.”
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
The state cited rules at 10 of this center's 20 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 29, 2026
- On file
- 20 visits since November 2023 — 10 cited nothing, 10 of those unannounced
- Fixed?
- All 32 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 9 findings
Unannounced visit · September 29, 2026
The written feeding plan did not include the child's name, parent signature, and/or was not dated when received by the center. The written feeding plan for two children enrolled in Space 8 did not include a parent signature.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Caregivers did not document compliance with visually checking on sleeping infants aged 12 months or younger and/or the documents were not maintained for a minimum of one month. In Space 8, I observed a sleeping infant and no documentation indicating the child had been visually checked. The staff member documented the child had been asleep since 9:20 am.
Violation corrected during visit
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 ITS-SIDS training for staff member assigned to the infant room (DOH: 12/28/23) expired on 5/11/2025.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Before children were transported, written permission from a parent was not obtained that included when and where the child was to be transported, expected time of departure and arrival, and the transportation provider. Two children, last transported on 9/28/2026 did not have written permission on file which included when and where the child was to be transported, expected time of departure and arrival, and the transportation provider.
Violation corrected during visit
Each employee's personnel file did not contain an annual staff evaluation and a staff development plan. Two staff member's (DOH: 12/28/23 and 1/1/21) personnel's file did not contain an annual staff evaluation.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Emergency information did not name childs health care professional. The emergency information for a child enrolled on 9/12/2024 did not have a choice of health care professional documented.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Medical exam or health assessment record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission. A medical exam or health assessment was not on file for a child enrolled on 5/6/2026.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Application for enrollment did not include all required information. The application for enrollment for two children (DOE: 9/12/24 and 5/6/2026) did not include particular fears, allergies and symptoms, unique behavior characteristics, or health care concerns.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
Application did not have a medical action plan attached for any child with health care needs such as allergies, asthma, or other chronic conditions that require specialized health services. A child enrolled in Space 2 did not have a medical action plan on file for asthma.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/12/2026
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Aug 2025 Unannounced visit 2 findings
Unannounced visit · August 6, 2025
Children were not adequately supervised at all times. On July 11, 2025 a two year old child was left unattended in the Two's classroom.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/11/2025
A child was handled in a rough way, including shaking, pushing, shoving, pinching, slapping, biting, kicking, or spanking. A teacher in the Two's classroom grabbed a child by their arm and forcefully swung the child away from the gate and on to the carpet in the classroom.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 8/11/2025
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Jun 2025 Unannounced visit 3 findings
Unannounced visit · June 4, 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. A staff member hired on 11/17/22 did not have a First Aid certificate on file and available for review.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/16/2025
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. A staff member hired on 11/17/22 did not have a CPR certificate on file and available for review.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/16/2025
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. A staff member hired on 1/1/21 did not have a Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment certificate on file and available for review.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 6/16/2025
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
May 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding
Unannounced visit · May 8, 2025
A child was handled in a rough way, including shaking, pushing, shoving, pinching, slapping, biting, kicking, or spanking. A teacher in space #2 removed a three year old child from the classroom and dragged them down the hallway of the facility by their ankle, to another classroom.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/21/2025
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Mar 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding
Unannounced visit · March 24, 2025
Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. A staff member pulled a one-year-old child by one arm to redirect the child away from another child.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 3/26/2025
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Jan 2025 Unannounced visit 2 findings
Unannounced visit · January 13, 2025
Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. A three-year-old child was yelled at and told to lay down and be quiet at nap time. A three-year-old was not assisted with their personal hygiene process.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/27/2025
Child was handled roughly. Child was handled rough when removed from classroom. Child was handled rough when placed in a chair and on carpet.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/27/2025
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Jan 2025 Unannounced visit 1 finding
Unannounced visit · January 2, 2025
Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. Teacher was not feeding and caring for infants in a nurturing way. It was observed from a video that the teacher was feeding an infant a bottle in a harsh manner.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 1/14/2025
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Oct 2024 Unannounced visit 3 findings
Unannounced visit · October 1, 2024
Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Eight staff verified phone usage in the classroom while children were present.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/15/2024
A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children. There was an exposed storm drain on the 2-year-old playground that is hazardous and children have access to.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/15/2024
Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. During four staff interviews specific times were stated when children were not verbally and physically cared for in a nurturing manner.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/15/2024
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Apr 2024 Unannounced visit 3 findings
Unannounced visit · April 22, 2024
Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Teachers stated that children are not supervised at all times in the classrooms and on the playground.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/3/2024
Staff did not wash their hands thoroughly before beginning work, before/after handling food, before bottle feeding or serving to other children, after toileting or handling body fluids, after diaper changing and after handling soiled items. Staff did not wash hands after cleaning a child's nose.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/3/2024
Incident logs were not completed and maintained as required. Incident log was not complete for the month of March and April 2024.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/3/2024
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
Nov 2023 Unannounced visit 7 findings
Unannounced visit · November 9, 2023
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. In the toddlers classrooms there was not a sufficient quantity of toys for children.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean and in good repair. Walls in all classroom need to be cleaned and or painted.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 12/15/2023
All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair. Some playground toys were not in good repair and all toys need to be washed.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
Parent's medication authorization did not include required information. 5 diaper creams forms did not have the amount of cream to be applied.
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. 3 employees did not have the emergency information form on file before the first day of work.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
The depth of the loose surfacing was not based on critical height of the equipment. On the school age playground and the older preschool playground the surfacing was not critical height of equipment.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
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. One staff member that started 10/30/23 has not completed the Shaken Baby Syndrome and Abusive Head Trauma policy.
Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 11/22/2023
DCDEE facility lookup On that page, enter license number 13000578 in the License Number box, choose Search and open the result; the record is listed under Visits.
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.
Details
- Phone
- (704) 786-4198
- Address
- 1009 Union Street S, Concord, 28025
- License
- 13000578
- Quality program
- Four Star License
We couldn’t find some information that may matter to your decision: openings, child care subsidies, cost, hours and late pickup, teaching approach, ratios and staff, a typical day, sick and biting policies, and who owns it. We can ask the program for you and copy you in.
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.
All checked July 2026.
State record
From North Carolina DCDEE’s published reports, last checked November 8, 2026.
Details
- Phone, Address, License, Quality program ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. To check it, open ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov/childcaresearch, enter licence 13000578 under License Number, and open the result.
Medium means the middle half of Charlotte-area’s 605 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 51 to 162 children. Small is 11 to 50; large is 163 to 528.