What Makes a Good Corrective Action Plan for North Carolina Daycares Dealing with DCDEE?
When the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) finds compliance issues during a visit or investigation, the center may be required to submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). For many daycare owners and administrators, this can feel overwhelming—but it’s also an important opportunity to demonstrate accountability and a commitment to compliance.
A well-crafted CAP can make the difference between resolving an issue efficiently and facing ongoing scrutiny or even suspension of your child care license. Here’s what Brooks Peterson PLLC helps clients focus on when developing a CAP for daycare centers.
Work as a Team
Some daycare owners or administrators are not involved with every detail or day-to-day action that occurs at the facility. With this in mind, and so long as the license holder is comfortable sharing the compliance issue with trusted members of their administrative team, everyone should work together to develop a plan that DCDEE will accept.
A CAP is rarely successful when it’s written in isolation. Team collaboration allows the people closest to the problem—lead teachers, assistant directors, or staff supervisors—to contribute practical insight about what went wrong and how to fix it. This also makes it easier to assign clear responsibility later on for each corrective step.
Understand the Violation
Daycares are heavily regulated, and if an inspector notifies you of a violation, it likely was not a one-time or isolated event. Each rule exists under the North Carolina Administrative Code, which outlines detailed standards for everything from staff-to-child ratios to sanitation and recordkeeping.
To prepare a strong CAP, you should first identify the exact rule that was cited and understand why it was violated. This is not the time to argue the findings, but to demonstrate comprehension and responsibility.
It often helps to review the specific section of the administrative code tied to your violation and to talk through it with an attorney familiar with DCDEE enforcement. You may also contact the DCDEE representative who visited your facility to clarify expectations—but avoid relying solely on their informal advice. Your actions and responses should always be grounded in the law itself, not just another person’s interpretation.
Conduct a Full Compliance Check
A single violation often exposes broader compliance issues. Once DCDEE identifies one area of concern, subsequent visits can uncover others that may have existed for some time but were not previously cited.
Knowing this, use this moment as an opportunity to take a facility-wide compliance inventory. Review your administrative policies, staff training, recordkeeping, sanitation, safety equipment, and child supervision practices. Identify areas where your facility might not fully align with DCDEE regulations, even if they haven’t been cited yet.
This approach shows the agency that you’re being proactive, not reactive. It also gives you a chance to address potential problems before they escalate into more serious violations or licensing actions.
Show Clear Steps for Remediation
The strongest Corrective Action Plans include specific and measurable steps to fix the identified issue. Avoid broad statements like “We will ensure this doesn’t happen again.” Instead, outline exactly what actions will be taken, who is responsible for each, and by what date.
For example:
Violation: Failure to maintain updated staff training records.
Action: The Assistant Director, Jane Doe, will review all training files, update missing certificates, and create a new tracking spreadsheet by March 15, 2026.
Verification: Copies of training logs and staff sign-in sheets will be kept in a compliance binder for review.
Each violation should be tied to its own corrective step, timeline, and responsible person. DCDEE appreciates detail—it shows that your center understands the seriousness of the issue and is actively managing the solution.
Provide Supporting Documentation
Documentation is one of the most powerful tools you have when submitting a CAP. When you claim that you’ve corrected an issue, back it up with evidence. Examples of effective documentation include:
Copies of revised policies or procedures
Photos showing physical corrections (repairs, safety updates, etc.)
Staff training sign-in sheets or certificates
Communication logs with parents or staff
Receipts or invoices showing purchased safety or educational materials
Submitting this documentation at the same time as your CAP can shorten the review process and demonstrate that your center is organized and responsive. DCDEE officials rely heavily on written proof when determining whether corrective actions have been completed.
Assign Responsibility and Accountability
Every action item in your CAP should be assigned to a specific individual. This avoids confusion and ensures accountability. For example, assign one person to oversee staff retraining, another to maintain updated records, and another to verify that policy changes are followed.
Having a clear structure for responsibility also helps your facility maintain compliance over time. If DCDEE revisits your center, you’ll be able to show exactly who is in charge of ongoing monitoring and how compliance has been sustained since the original violation.
Focus on Preventing Future Violations
DCDEE’s primary goal is to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of children in care—not to punish providers. A CAP that only addresses the immediate issue without addressing prevention may not satisfy the agency.
Explain how you plan to monitor ongoing compliance after the violation has been corrected. This could include:
Regular internal audits or monthly walkthroughs
Quarterly staff meetings to review DCDEE standards
Adding compliance checkpoints to staff evaluations
Keeping a shared compliance log that tracks progress
Showing that you have systems in place to prevent recurrence builds confidence with DCDEE and helps protect your license long term.
Gather Support
Sometimes, community and parent support can help demonstrate that your facility remains a valued and trusted resource. Positive statements from parents, staff, or community members can show DCDEE that your daycare provides an essential service and that the public trusts your leadership.
This doesn’t replace compliance, but it does reinforce your credibility and demonstrate that the community has confidence in your ability to operate safely and responsibly.
When to Seek Legal Guidance
If your daycare is facing a serious violation, notice of administrative action, or potential suspension or revocation of your license, it’s wise to consult an attorney experienced in DCDEE investigations and professional license defense.
Brooks Peterson PLLC helps child care centers and administrators navigate the complexities of DCDEE compliance, draft and refine Corrective Action Plans, and represent licensees during investigations or hearings. Whether your goal is to resolve a violation, prepare for a review, or protect your license, we can guide you through each step of the process.
Final Thoughts
A Corrective Action Plan is more than a response—it’s a professional reflection of your daycare’s integrity, leadership, and commitment to children’s safety. A detailed, specific, and proactive plan not only satisfies DCDEE but also strengthens your overall compliance culture and reputation.
Taking the time to prepare a thorough CAP—and getting legal help when needed—can make the difference between moving forward successfully or facing further licensing consequences.
This is not legal advice. If you do need legal representation call the office at: 919-616-3317