Next Step Childcare Center, Inc.
A child care center in Fayetteville, North Carolina 28303
566 N Reilly Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28303. (910) 860-4556.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. North Carolina’s own record is on ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov.
The short answer
- 6 violations in the last three years
- Aug 52026 the latest visit on record
- 24 children, its licensed capacity
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean5
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
- Quality rating
- Many states rate child care in a quality rating system that goes past the licensing rules, such as Texas Rising Star or Kentucky All STARS. Taking part is often voluntary, so a program with no rating hasn’t been rated low. Source: Each state’s quality rating system.
- Licence status
- Whether the state’s licence lets the place operate now, in the state’s own words: licensed, on probation (allowed to keep operating on conditions, after problems), provisional, pending or expired. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
- Capacity
- The most people the licence or certification lets the place care for at once: residents, children, beds or apartments, as the state counts them. It isn’t how many are there now. Source: Each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
7 DCDEE visits in the last three years, the latest on Aug 5, 2026.
6 violations cited in the last three years, 6 of them marked corrected.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
When those violations happened
6 violations in 2 months of the last 36. Last cited Aug 2026. The last 3 years, to Nov 3, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dec | |||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
Each violation, in its source’s words
Grouped by visit, newest first, with the level its source gave it.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
Aug 5, 2026: unannounced3 violations
-
A safe indoor and outdoor environment was not provided for the children.
“There were two pointed, broken sections of lattice on both sides of the railing at the end of the deck leading to the outdoor playground area, creating accessible hazards for children.”
-
All walls and ceilings including doors and windows were not kept clean, free of visible fungal growth, and in good repair.
“There was peeling paint and exposed sheetrock on the wall in the block area, as well as peeling paint and exposed metal on the corner edge of the wall near the entrance door in Space #1. Additional peeling paint and exposed sheetrock were observed on the wall near the shelf holding transportation vehicles and near the entrance wall in Space #4.”
-
Openings in equipment, steps, decks, handrails, and fencing were not less than 3 1/2 inches or greater than 9 inches.
“On the right side of the deck’s handrail leading to the outdoor playground area, there was an opening measuring 8½ inches by 9½ inches.”
Jan 15, 2025: unannounced3 violations
-
A current activity plan was not posted for each group of children for reference.
“Activity plans in spaces #1 and #2/3 did not have current dates. Current dates were placed on the activity plans.”
-
All equipment and furnishings were not in good repair.
“The brown couch in space #1, has exposed foam on the right and left arm of the couch.”
-
Each child was not immunized as per Article 6 of Chapter 130A and an immunization record was not on file before or within 30 days after admission.
“An immunization record was not on file for one child.”
All 7 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2026 | Unannounced visit | 3 violations cited |
| Jan 9, 2026 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Jul 29, 2025 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Jan 28, 2025 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Jan 15, 2025 | Unannounced visit | 3 violations cited |
| Jul 29, 2024 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
| Jan 23, 2024 | Unannounced visit | No violations cited |
Is it licensed?
- Child Care Center, holding a Four Star Center License since Dec 20, 2019.
- Licensed for 24 children, ages 0 through 12.
- Enrolled in North Carolina’s subsidized child care program.
- North Carolina’s licence number: 26002351.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
Has North Carolina acted against it?
- DCDEE says it has taken no action against this facility, for its current licence and location, in the last three years.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
Who does the caring?
- North Carolina’s page gives a staff-to-child ratio policy as the provider reports it, unverified by DCDEE, so it isn’t shown.
Who owns it?
- Owner, as North Carolina lists it: Next Step Developmental Learning Child Care Center.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
How is it rated?
- Star Rated License: 4 stars of five.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
How does it compare nearby?
- Among 260 child care providers in Cumberland County, the middle value for violations cited in the last three years was 9; this one had 6.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations. Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily.
| Place | Violations cited in the last three years |
|---|---|
| Next Step Childcare Center, Inc. This child care provider | 6 |
| Annie’s Day & Night Care | 12 |
| Ponderosa Daycare, LLC | 6 |
| Ruzie Childcare | 2 |
| Panda Day Care & Creative School III | 16 |
| Precious Lambs Quality Child Care Service | 2 |
| Bal Perazim Child Care Center | 3 |
| Village Baptist Preschool | 15 |
| Earlene’s Home Day Care | 6 |
| Los Querubines Home Daycare | 2 |
| Ms. Ann’s Day Care | 1 |
| Growing Minds Day Care and Preschool Academy, LLC | 8 |
| Benjamin Martin Prime Time | 3 |
What the record doesn’t say
- North Carolina doesn’t show a visit summary tied to an open child maltreatment investigation while the case is active, and shows an administrative action only after its 30-day appeal period, without saying what it was.
- DCDEE’s descriptions of violations are shown in its own words; a description that names or may name a person isn’t shown. Visit summaries, the consultants’ full reports, aren’t read.
- North Carolina’s page lists the provider’s own features (transport, ratios) as furnished by the provider and unverified by DCDEE, so they aren’t shown.
Sources
-
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Child Care Facility Search (ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov): licences, DCDEE visits and violations.
Checked Oct 21, 2026. Updated daily. nc.gov terms: copying and distribution for non-commercial use, without alteration, citing the source. Shown free and never sold; DCDEE’s own words are quoted.
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE). North Carolina’s own record is on ncchildcare.ncdhhs.gov. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
This copy of the record was made on Nov 3, 2026.
From the provider
The public record above comes first. Anything the provider adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the provider will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the provider”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.