Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center
A day care center in Watertown, New York 13601
420 Gaffney Drive, Watertown, New York 13601. (315) 836-1329.
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
- Aug 102026 the latest visit on record
- 120 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?
13 inspections in the last three years, the latest on Aug 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 8 months of the last 36. Last cited Oct 2025. 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.
Oct 9, 2025: self-Report1 violation
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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 7, 2025: application - Renewal1 violation
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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;
May 15, 2025: self Reported Serious Incident1 violation
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Materials and play equipment used by the children must be sturdy and free from rough edges and sharp corners.
Feb 11, 2025: fire Safety - Alternate Year3 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 government authority having jurisdiction for determining compliance with the Fire and Building Code of New York State showing that the facility has been inspected and approved once every 12 months during the current license period for compliance with the applicable fire safety provisions of the Fire and Building Code of New York State;
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Buildings, systems and equipment must be kept in good repair and operate as designed.
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All corridors, aisles, and approaches to exits must be kept unobstructed at all times.
Nov 6, 2024: monitoring3 violations
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The written medical statement from the health care provider must also state whether the child is a child with special health care needs and, if so, what special provisions, if any, will be necessary in order for the child to participate in child day care. When the written statement from the health care provider advises the day care program that the child being enrolled is a child with special health care needs, the day care program must work together with the parent and the child’s health care provider to develop a reasonable health care plan for the child while the child is in the child day care program. The health care plan for the child must also address how the day care program will obtain or develop any additional competencies that the staff will need to have in order to carry out the health care plan for the child.
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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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The following items must be used and stored in such a manner that they are not accessible to children: handbags, backpacks or briefcases belonging to adults; plastic bags; and toys and objects small enough for young children to swallow.
Aug 6, 2024: complaint investigation1 violation
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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.
Jul 30, 2024: serious Injury4 violations
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The written medical statement from the health care provider must also state whether the child is a child with special health care needs and, if so, what special provisions, if any, will be necessary in order for the child to participate in child day care. When the written statement from the health care provider advises the day care program that the child being enrolled is a child with special health care needs, the day care program must work together with the parent and the child’s health care provider to develop a reasonable health care plan for the child while the child is in the child day care program. The health care plan for the child must also address how the day care program will obtain or develop any additional competencies that the staff will need to have in order to carry out the health care plan for the child.
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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:
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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 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;
Jul 30, 2024: annual Unannounced4 violations
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The written medical statement from the health care provider must also state whether the child is a child with special health care needs and, if so, what special provisions, if any, will be necessary in order for the child to participate in child day care. When the written statement from the health care provider advises the day care program that the child being enrolled is a child with special health care needs, the day care program must work together with the parent and the child’s health care provider to develop a reasonable health care plan for the child while the child is in the child day care program. The health care plan for the child must also address how the day care program will obtain or develop any additional competencies that the staff will need to have in order to carry out the health care plan for the child.
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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:
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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 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;
Mar 22, 2024: complaint investigation1 violation
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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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | Monitoring | No violations found |
| May 7, 2026 | Monitoring | No violations found |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Annual Unannounced | No violations found |
| Oct 9, 2025 | Self-Report | 1 violation cited |
| Aug 7, 2025 | Application - Renewal | 1 violation cited |
| May 15, 2025 | Self Reported Serious Incident | 1 violation cited |
| Feb 11, 2025 | Fire Safety - Alternate Year | 3 violations cited |
| Jan 16, 2025 | Annual Unannounced | No violations found |
| Nov 6, 2024 | Monitoring | 3 violations cited |
| Sep 16, 2024 | Self Reported Serious Incident | No violations found |
| Aug 6, 2024 | Complaint | Complaint (Substantiated); 1 violation cited |
| Jul 30, 2024 | Annual Unannounced | 4 violations cited |
| Jul 30, 2024 | Serious Injury | 4 violations cited |
| Mar 22, 2024 | Complaint | Complaint (Substantiated); 1 violation cited |
| Dec 1, 2023 | Mid-Point | No violations found |
Is it licensed?
- Day Care Center, open since Sep 1, 2021.
- School district: Watertown.
- Capacity, in New York’s words: 12 Toddlers, 108 Preschoolers.
- Keeps epinephrine auto-injectors for emergencies.
- Licence 876834, issued Sep 1, 2025, expires Aug 31, 2029.
- Capacity: 120 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?
- 2 complaints in the last three years. New York’s status for each: Complaint (Substantiated) (2).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2024 | Complaint (Substantiated) | New York’s status for this complaint: Complaint (Substantiated). |
| Mar 22, 2024 | Complaint (Substantiated) | New York’s status for this complaint: Complaint (Substantiated). |
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 |
|---|---|
| Bright Beginnings Early Learning Center This child care provider | 19 |
| 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. | 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.