Gina's Kids First CDC

Center · Gastonia · 2437 Redbud Dr

What kind of place is this?

Size 82 children licensed In the middle half for Charlotte centers, where the middle half licenses 50–162. Measured across 598 Charlotte centers, 2026-08-17.
Established 2000
Approach creative-curriculum

In the program’s own words

“Our comprehensive creative curriculum program supports a nurturing environment in which each child's earliest learning experiences are encouraging, engaging, and of the highest possible quality—where all children develop a love for learning and become creative, confident, and caring learners.” ginaskidsfirst.com, July 2026

How this compares

North Carolina DCDEE cited something at 3 of the 10 visits below. Across Charlotte centers it cites something at about 57% of visits. Each state decides what gets written up, so this compares Charlotte with Charlotte and never with another state.

Will it fit our family?

Ages served 16 months to 12 years
Accepts subsidy Yes

What will it cost us?

This provider does not publish pricing.

What Shortlist has verified

State quality rating Four Star License
License status Active

State record — North Carolina DCDEE

Last visit
June 2, 2026
On file
10 visits since December 2023 — 7 cited nothing, 5 of those unannounced
Fixed?
All 18 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.

Jun 2026 Announced visit nothing cited
Feb 2026 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Aug 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Jun 2025 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Mar 2025 Unannounced visit 4 findings

Unannounced visit · March 18, 2025

A summary of the NC Child Care Law was not given to a parent of every child enrolled in the center. One (1) child, enrolled on January 3, 2025, did not have a signed statement by the parent attesting that he or she received a copy of the summary of the North Carolina Child Care Law on file.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 3/21/2025

Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. In Space #2, two (2) outlets on the outlet extender in the outlet on the wall to the right of the computer table were not covered with safety plugs.

Violation corrected during visit

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. One (1) bottle of Great Value Toilet Bowl Cleaner, with multiple warnings, was in an unlocked cabinet above the toilet used by children, accessible to children, in the bathroom across from Space #2.

Violation corrected during visit

Center staff did not comply with the safe sleep policy. In Space #5, one (1) sleeping infant, nine (9) months of age, had a visual sleep check documented on March 5, 2025, at 11:58am and not again until 12:15pm. In Space #5, one sleeping (1) infant, ten (10) months of age, had a visual sleep check documented on March 4, 2025, at 10:45am and not again until 11:05am, on March 5, 2025, at 11:55am and not again until 12:15pm, and on March 11, 2025, at 12:55pm and not again until 1:15pm. In Space #5, one (1) sleeping infant, eleven (11) months of age, had a visual sleep check documented on March 6, 2025, at 11:50am and not again until 12:10pm, on March 11, 2025, at 12:25pm and not again until 12:45pm, and on March 13, 2025, at 12:55pm and not again until 1:15pm.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 3/21/2025

DCDEE facility lookup

Sep 2024 Unannounced visit 6 findings

Unannounced visit · September 24, 2024

Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. In Space #5, three (3) bottles of formula were not labeled with a date, and five (5) bottles of formula were not labeled with a name or date. In Space #5, two (2) bottles of formula were labeled September 23, 2024, one (1) bottle of formula was labeled September 22, 2024, and one (1) bottle of formula was labeled September 21, 2024.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/6/2024

The written feeding plan did not include the child's name, parent signature, and/or was not dated when received by the center. In Space #5, the infant feeding plan for one (1) infant, eight (8) months of age, was not updated to allow the infant to be fed baby food and table food at the facility. Per staff report, the child is consuming bottles, baby food, and table foods while present at the facility.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/6/2024

Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. On playground #1, there was a broken, wooden train track with sharp shards of wood protruding out from the broken pieces. On playground #3, there were two (2) broken, plastic buckets, one (1) broken, plastic cone, and one (1) piece of plastic broken off of a toy.

Violation corrected during visit

Electrical outlets and power strips, not in use, which were located in space used by children did not have safety outlets or were not covered with safety plugs unless located behind furniture or equipment that cannot be moved by a child. In Space #2, two (2) outlets on an outlet extender on the wall to the right of the teacher’s desk were not covered with safety plugs.

Violation corrected during visit

Center staff did not comply with the safe sleep policy. In Space #5, there were no infant safe sleep checks documented since August 2, 2024.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/6/2024

Center did not maintain a record of daily attendance. In Space #1, attendance was not documented on September 23, 2024. In Space #3, attendance was not documented on September 23, 2024.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 10/6/2024

DCDEE facility lookup

Aug 2024 Unannounced visit nothing cited
Apr 2024 Unannounced visit 8 findings

Unannounced visit · April 22, 2024

Daily records of arrival and departure times for children enrolled at the center were not maintained as children arrive and depart and/or were not made available for review. In Space #1, one (1) child was not signed out on April 19, 2024. In Space #5, one (1) child was not signed out on April 19, 2024. In Space #6, one (1) child was not signed out on April 19, 2024.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/8/2024

Human milk, formula and other bottled beverages including sippy cups, sent from child's home were not fully prepared, dated, and labeled for the appropriate child. In Space #5, four (4) bottles, containing formula, in the refrigerator, and one (1) bottle, containing formula, on top of the cubbies, were not marked with the date they were received by the child care center.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/8/2024

Equipment and furnishings not meeting the requirements outlined in child care .0601(b) and (c) were not removed or made inaccessible. On Playground #1, there were sixteen (16) pieces of broken plastic toys. On Playground #2, there was two (2) pieces of broken plastic toys. On Playground #4, there was one (1) broken, cracked, plastic frisbee and four (4) additional pieces of broken plastic toys.

Violation corrected during visit

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. One (1) package of Sparkle City Air Freshener, and one (1) container of Great Value Low Streaking Wet Mopping Cloths, both with multiple warnings, were on the shelf above the handwashing sink in the bathroom, used by children, across from Space #4.

Violation corrected during visit

All staff, including the director, did not have an annual health questionnaire on file following the initial medical statement. The most recent health questionnaire on file for one (1) staff member, employed on January 31, 2023, was completed on January 31, 2023. The most recent health questionnaire on file for one (1) staff member, employed on April 12, 2023, was completed on April 11, 2023.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/8/2024

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. The most recent emergency information form on file for one (1) staff member, employed on September 1, 2021, was completed on March 1, 2023. The most recent emergency information form on file for one (1) staff member, employed on January 31, 2023, was completed on January 31, 2023. The most recent emergency information form on file for one (1) staff member, employed on April 12, 2023, was completed on April 11, 2023.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/8/2024

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, employed on July 25, 2023, did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment Training until January 25, 2024. One (1) staff member, employed on November 6, 2023, did not complete the Recognizing and Responding to Suspicions of Child Maltreatment Training until March 19, 2024.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/8/2024

Staff did not complete the health and safety training within one year of employment. One (1) staff member, employed on April 12, 2023, did not complete the health and safety trainings.

Violation confirmed corrected by letter received from provider on 5/8/2024

DCDEE facility lookup

Feb 2024 Announced visit nothing cited
Dec 2023 Unannounced visit nothing cited

Before you tour

Gina's Kids First CDC hasn’t published

Cost, sick and biting policies.

Ask which of these findings were serious.North Carolina DCDEE records the correction in its own words, but never says how serious it was.

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.

What kind of place is this

Will it fit our family

Not yet reported: hours, days / week, schedule, holiday closures.

Licensing and contact

State record

Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.

Do you run Gina's Kids First CDC? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.