Pinnacle Montessori Old Dorchester

746.4907(d) - Installation and Maintenance of Loose-fill Surfacing - Proper Depth Maintained

Not enough loose fill material was present. The dirt ground could be seen around the slide area. Loose fill material was not at appropriate depth. There was grass and weeds growing in the loose fill on the playground.

746.5101(a) - Annual Fire Inspection - Before Initial Permit Issued and Every 12 Months

The operation's last fire inspection was conducted in March 2025.

745.621(a)(2) - AP Initial background checks submitted - At the time you hire someone

During an inspection, a caregiver was observed to be present prior to a background check being entered through the online provider portal. The caregiver was sent home during the inspection.

746.307(b)(4) - Parental Communication - Situation that Placed a Child at Risk

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. The operation's staff did not inform the parent that the child had been left in a room unsupervised.

746.707 - Incident/Illness Report Form Shared with Parent

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. The operation did not share an incident report with the child's parent within 48 hours of the incident occurring.

746.1205(a)(4) - Supervision ensures each child?s safety, well-being, including physical proximity and auditory or visual awareness of each child?s on going activity

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. Video footage was obtained in which a caregiver was seen leaving a child in a room unsupervised for more than two minutes. Video footage also showed that another child entered a room unsupervised for less than one minute before being discovered by a caregiver.

746.305(a)(6) - Report Situation Placing Children at Risk

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. The operation's management did not report to CCR that a child was left unsupervised in a room.

746.1205(a)(4) - Supervision ensures each child?s safety, well-being, including physical proximity and auditory or visual awareness of each child?s on going activity

During the inspection the three year old and two year old classes were obesred playing outside on the playground. During this time two children were observed coming out of an empty classroom and onto the playground to join their class unsupervised.

746.2905(1) - Children Not Required to Sleep - May Not Force Child to Sleep

Video footage reviewed during the investigation showed that a caregiver attempted to force a child to sleep by placing a blanket over a child's head.

746.3317 - Food Service and Preparation Requirement - Safe and Sanitary

Video footage reviewed during the investigation showed that food was not kept safe and sanitary during lunch time when children were allowed to take and eat food off of other children's plates and drink out of the water bottles of other children.

746.3415(2) - Employee Handwashing Before Feeding a Child

Video footage reviewed during the investigation showed caregivers serving breakfast, lunch, and snack to children without washing their hands.

746.3417(1) - Children Handwashing Before Eating

Video footage reviewed during the investigation showed that a group of children came inside after participating in outdoor activities and ate breakfast without washing their hands. The same group of children came inside after participating in outdoor activities and ate lunch without washing their hands. The same group of children did not wash their hands prior to eating an afternoon snack.

746.2805(3) - Prohibited Punishments - Grabbing and Pulling

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. A caregiver grabbed the arms of a child and pulled the child down onto a nap cot during naptime, grabbed a child's hand after the child banged on a table, and grabbed the arm of a child

745.621(a)(2) - AP Initial background checks submitted - At the time you hire someone

During the inspection a person was present and caring for children in the infant classroom with an inactive background check. This was corrected during the inspection when the caregiver was sent home for the day.

745.621(a)(1) - Initial background checks submitted - At the time you submit your application

During the inspection a person was present and caring for children without an active background check.

746.1601 - Child/ Caregiver Ratio - 13 or More Children

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. The infant and toddler classrooms were out of ratio.

746.701(1) - Licensing Incident/Illness Report Form - Injuries Requiring Medical Treatment or Hospitalization

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. The operation did not share a copy of an incident report with the parent within two days of the incident occurring.

746.1315(b) - Each Caregiver and the Director Must Have Current Training in pediatric CPR

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. The caregiver in charge of a group of children in which one child required CPR, was not CPR certified.

746.1315(b) - Each Caregiver and the Director Must Have Current Training in pediatric CPR

The center director's CPR training certificate expired in March 2025

746.801(19) - Required Records Maintained and Made Available - Tracking System

During the inspection child daily tracking logs were not available for review. This was corrected during the inspection when the director created child tracking logs and distributed them to each classroom.

746.2427(a) - AP Must Place Infants in Face up Sleeping Position or Must Have Completed and Signed Sleep Exception Form for the Infant

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. During the investigation staff stated that infants are placed on their stomachs to sleep.

746.5101(b) - Annual Fire Inspection - Conducted by Fire Marshal

The operation's last fire inspection was conducted in September 2023.

745.621(a)(7) - AP Initial background checks submitted - At the time you become aware of anyone requiring a background check under 745.605

The designated person in charge of the operation during the time of inspection was present without an active background check. This was corrected during the inspection when the staff member left the facility.

746.311(a) - AP Parental Notification of Deficiency as described in 746.309 within 5 Days

The Notification of Safe Sleep Deficiency form 2970 was due to be sent out to all parents by 11/26/24. However this notification was not sent out to parents until 12/05/24.

746.3407 - Maintenance of Building, Grounds and Equipment

This standard was evaluated during the investigation and was found to be deficient. There is a gap between the fence and the building which was large enough for a child to slip through and leave the playground.