First Step Day Care, Inc.
A day care center in Watertown, New York 13601
317 Washington St, Watertown, New York 13601. (315) 788-5437.
What New York’s list coversOutside New York City
Programs New York State’s Office of Children and Family Services licenses or registers outside New York City, each county added once it is read in full. Programs in the city’s five boroughs, including the day care centers its Health Department regulates, aren’t here yet.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. New York’s own record is on hs.ocfs.ny.gov.
The short answer
Record last released by New York State Office of Children and Family Services on Oct 27, 2026.
- 19 violations in the last three years
- Jul 102026 the latest visit on record
- 64 children, its licensed capacity
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean4
- 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.
- 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?
12 inspections in the last three years, the latest on Jul 10, 2026.
19 violations cited in the last three years.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
When those violations happened
19 violations in 7 months of the last 36. Last cited Sep 2026. The last 3 years, to Oct 27, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nov | 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 |
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.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Sep 11, 2026: complaint investigation4 violations
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The staff and volunteers must be in good health and be of good character and habits.
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The child day care center must employ staff who will promote the physical, intellectual, social, cultural and emotional well-being of the children.
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Corporal punishment is prohibited. For the purposes of this Subpart, the term corporal punishment means punishment inflicted directly on the body including, but not limited to, physical restraint, spanking, biting, shaking, slapping, twisting or squeezing; demanding excessive physical exercise, prolonged lack of movement or motion, or strenuous or bizarre postures; and compelling a child to eat or have in the child’s mouth soap, foods, hot spices or irritants or the like.
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Methods of discipline, interaction or toilet training which frighten, demean or humiliate a child are prohibited.
Jan 8, 2026: annual Unannounced1 violation
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The licensee must prepare a health care plan on forms furnished by the Office. Such plan must protect and promote the health of children. The health care plan must be on site, followed by all staff and available upon demand by a parent or the Office. In those instances in which the program will administer medications, the health care plan must also be approved by the program’s health care consultant unless the only medications to be administered are:
Aug 22, 2025: monitoring1 violation
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A firm clean crib, cot, bed or washable padded mat of age appropriate size and construction must be provided for all children requiring a rest period.
Jun 5, 2025: fire Safety - Other2 violations
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The program must maintain on file at the child day care center, available for inspection by the Office or its designees at any time, the following records in a current and accurate manner: documentation from the local health department or the New York State Department of Health showing that the facility has been approved in accordance with the requirements of the New York State Department of Health;
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The program must maintain on file at the child day care center, available for inspection by the Office or its designees at any time, the following records in a current and accurate manner: documentation from service personnel qualified to perform fire suppression systems maintenance, repair and testing showing that fire suppression equipment and systems have been tested and maintained during the current license period in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Fire and Building Code of New York State;
Feb 7, 2025: annual Unannounced1 violation
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All matches, lighters, medicines, drugs, cleaning materials, detergents, aerosol cans and other poisonous or toxic materials must be stored in their original containers. Such materials must be used in such a way that they will not contaminate play surfaces, food or food preparation areas, or constitute a hazard to children. Such materials must be kept in a place inaccessible to children.
Oct 15, 2024: complaint investigation1 violation
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Food must be prepared and stored in a safe and sanitary manner and served at appropriate intervals.
Aug 9, 2024: self Reported Serious Incident2 violations
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The program must maintain on file at the child day care center, available for inspection by the Office or its designees at any time, the following records in a current and accurate manner: children’s individual health care plans; parental consents for emergency medical treatment; child’s medical statement, immunizations, and any available results of lead screening for children not yet enrolled in kindergarten or a higher grade only; the name and dosage of any medications used by a child, the frequency of administration of such medications, and a record of their administration by child care center staff; daily health check documentation; a record of illnesses and injuries occurring while in care; and any indicators of child abuse or maltreatment;
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Children cannot be left without competent supervision at any time. Competent supervision includes awareness of and responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child. It requires that all children be within a teacher’s range of vision and that the teacher be near enough to respond when redirection or intervention strategies are needed. Competent supervision must take into account the child’s age emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
Aug 2, 2024: complaint investigation7 violations
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The Health Care Plan.
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When disposable diapers are used, soiled diapers must be disposed of immediately into an outside trash disposal, or placed in a tightly covered plastic-lined trash can inaccessible to children until outdoor disposal is possible.
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Equipment that is frequently used or touched by children on a daily basis must be cleaned and then sanitized or disinfected, using an EPA registered product, when soiled and at least once weekly.
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The program must maintain on file at the child day care center, available for inspection by the Office or its designees at any time, the following records in a current and accurate manner: daily attendance records, which must be filled out at the time a child arrives and departs, and must include arrival and departure times;
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The resting/napping places must: be at least two feet apart from each other.
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Children unable to sleep during nap time shall not be confined to a sleeping surface (cot, crib, etc) but instead must be offered a supervised place for quiet play.
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Children cannot be left without competent supervision at any time. Competent supervision includes awareness of and responsibility for the ongoing activity of each child. It requires that all children be within a teacher’s range of vision and that the teacher be near enough to respond when redirection or intervention strategies are needed. Competent supervision must take into account the child’s age emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
All 15 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Complaint | Complaint (Substantiated); 4 violations cited |
| Jul 10, 2026 | Monitoring | No violations found |
| Apr 9, 2026 | Mid-Point | No violations found |
| Apr 9, 2026 | Monitoring | No violations found |
| Jan 8, 2026 | Annual Unannounced | 1 violation cited |
| Oct 17, 2025 | Monitoring | No violations found |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Monitoring | 1 violation cited |
| Jun 5, 2025 | Fire Safety - Other | 2 violations cited |
| Jun 5, 2025 | Monitoring | No violations found |
| Feb 10, 2025 | Fire Safety - Alternate Year | No violations found |
| Feb 7, 2025 | Annual Unannounced | 1 violation cited |
| Oct 15, 2024 | Complaint | Complaint (Unsubstantiated); 1 violation cited |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Self Reported Serious Incident | 2 violations cited |
| Aug 2, 2024 | Complaint | Complaint (Unsubstantiated); 7 violations cited |
| Mar 25, 2024 | Annual Unannounced | No violations found |
Is it licensed?
- Day Care Center, open since Aug 19, 1991.
- School district: Watertown.
- Capacity, in New York’s words: 8 Infants, 8 Toddlers, 33 Preschoolers and 15 School-Aged Children.
- Keeps epinephrine auto-injectors for emergencies.
- Licence 40860, issued Aug 1, 2023, expires Jul 31, 2027.
- Capacity: 64 children.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Child Care Regulated Programs. Released Oct 27, 2026. Updated daily.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
Has New York acted against it?
- 3 complaints in the last three years. New York’s status for each: Complaint (Unsubstantiated) (2), Complaint (Substantiated) (1).
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Child Care Regulated Programs. Released Oct 27, 2026. Updated daily.
| Date | What | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | Complaint (Substantiated) | New York’s status for this complaint: Complaint (Substantiated). |
| Oct 15, 2024 | Complaint (Unsubstantiated) | New York’s status for this complaint: Complaint (Unsubstantiated). |
| Aug 2, 2024 | Complaint (Unsubstantiated) | New York’s status for this complaint: Complaint (Unsubstantiated). |
Who does the caring?
- New York doesn’t publish staffing levels for individual programs.
Who owns it?
- New York’s open data doesn’t list owners.
How is it rated?
- Takes part in QUALITYstarsNY, New York’s quality rating program.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
How does it compare nearby?
- Among 98 child care providers in Jefferson County, the middle value for violations cited in the last three years was 2; this one had 19.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history. Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily.
| Place | Violations cited in the last three years |
|---|---|
| Ward, Jan | 5 |
| Jefferson Campus Care | 0 |
| The Duck, Duck, Goose Day Care | 1 |
| Makuch, Christy | 0 |
| Pfister, Patti | 0 |
| Watertown Family YMCA, Inc. | 15 |
| New Day Children’s Center | 42 |
| First Step Day Care, Inc. This child care provider | 19 |
| Campaney, Fiona | 2 |
| Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County, Inc. | 25 |
| Watertown Family YMCA, Inc. | 16 |
| Watertown Family YMCA, Inc. | 24 |
What the record doesn’t say
- New York doesn’t grade violations by severity, so read what was cited.
- New York’s records give the regulation behind each violation, not what the inspector saw.
- New York’s program pages cover four calendar years; this page shows the last three years.
- New York doesn’t publish staffing levels or owners for individual programs.
Sources
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New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Child Care Regulated Programs (cb42-qumz).
Released Oct 27, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated daily. No licence stated.
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New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Program pages: inspection and complaint history.
Checked Oct 19, 2026. Updated daily. No licence stated.
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: New York State Office of Children and Family Services. New York’s own record is on hs.ocfs.ny.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 Oct 27, 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.