Amherst Presbyterian Church - Preschool
A child day center in Amherst, Virginia 24521
163 Second St, Amherst, Virginia 24521. (434) 946-5244.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. Virginia’s own record is on legacy.dss.virginia.gov.
The short answer
- 16 deficiencies in the last three years
- Apr 212026 the latest visit on record
- 30 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?
8 inspections on record, the latest on Apr 21, 2026.
16 violations cited in the last three years.
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each inspection’s page, with its violations. Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly.
When those deficiencies happened
16 deficiencies in 4 months of the last 36. Last cited Apr 2026. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 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 deficiency, in its source’s words
Grouped by visit, newest first, with the level its source gave it.
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each inspection’s page, with its violations. Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly.
Apr 21, 2026: inspection2 deficiencies
-
Hazardous substances such as cleaning materials shall be kept in a locked place using a safe locking method that prevents access by children.
“A can of disinfectant and a bottle of air freshener with warning labels, ?Keep out of reach of children,? were unlocked in the three-year-old classroom, within reach of children.”
-
Each center shall maintain and keep at the center a separate record for each child enrolled that contains all of the required information.
“The records for Child #2 (enrolled over 6 months) was missing several of the required components.”
Apr 4, 2025: inspection3 deficiencies
-
The required ratio for children ages 2 years is one staff per eight children.
“Staff #2 was observed supervising 12 children ages 2-4 years old from approximately 10:00-10:45 AM.”
-
The center is required to keep a current list of all known allergies, sensitivities, and dietary restrictions in each room or area where children are present. The list must be dated and kept confidential.
“Child # 5 has a diagnosed food allergy that was not on a list for staff.”
-
A written care plan for each child with a diagnosed food allergy, to include instructions from a physician regarding the food to which the child is allergic and the steps to be taken in the event of a suspected or confirmed allergic reaction.
“Child # 5 with a diagnosed food allergy did not a written care plan.”
Oct 9, 2024: inspection4 deficiencies
-
A tuberculosis (TB) screening is required every two years from the last screening.
“Staff #3 updated screening was due 3 months ago. The updated screenings have not yet been completed.”
-
An annual fire inspection is required.
“The annual fire inspection was due 6 months ago.”
-
An annual health inspection is required.
“The annual health inspection was due 7 months ago.”
-
Hazardous substances must be in a locked place that prevents access by children.
“In the two-year-old classroom, the cleaning solution and sanitizing solution were in an unlocked closet, out of reach of children.”
Jan 31, 2024: inspection7 deficiencies
-
Based on record review, the center failed to ensure that each report of immunization and physical examination shall include the date of the physical examination and dates immunizations were received and shall be signed by a physician, his designee, or an official of a local health department.
“Evidence: 1. The immunization report and physical exam in the record for Children # 2 and 4 was not signed by a physician, his designee, or an official of a local health department.”
-
Based on review of center, the center failed to ensure that all areas and equipment are safe, clean and operable condition.
“Evidence: The storm door at the entrance had cracks in the Plexi glass with duct tape keeping it together.”
-
Based on observation, the center failed to ensure that the ratio for 3?4-year-olds was met.
“Evidence: Upon arrival at 11:05 AM all three preschool classes were in the large pre-k room participating in Melody Makers. There were 22 children present. Staff # 1 was in her office with a window to view the children. The 2 Melody Maker Staff are not counted in ratio or supervision. The required ratio is 1 staff to 10 children. Three staff were required.”
-
Based on observation, the center failed to ensure that all food brought from home was clearly labeled and dated.
“Evidence: In the preschool room there were four lunch boxes that were not clearly labeled to identify the owner and dated.”
-
Based on observation, the center failed to ensure that staff sat with the children during meal time.
“Evidence: Observed two classes having lunch, staff was not sitting with the children.”
-
Based on record review, the center failed to ensure that the separate record for each enrolled child shall contain all the elements as required by the standards.
The inspectors’ words, 94 words
“Evidence: 1. The record for Child #1 did not include the following information: address of one of the two designated people to call in an emergency if a parent cannot be reached and parent work phone number. 2. The record for Child #2 did not include the following information: parents work phone number. 3. The record for Child # 3 did not include the following information: physician’s name and contact number and both parents work phone number. 4. The record for Child #5 did not include the following information: both parents work phone number.”
-
Based on review of the attendance and interviews with staff, the center failed to ensure that for each grouping of children, the center maintained a written record of daily attendance that documented the arrival and departure of each child in care as it occurred.
“Evidence: Reviewed four attendance records in four different groupings of children. Three attendance records did not indicate when children departed each day.”
Oct 30, 2023: inspection1 deficiency
-
Based on interviews with staff, the center failed to ensure that a carbon monoxide detector was in each building built before 2015.
“Evidence: Staff # 4 stated that the building used for care did not have a carbon monoxide detector.”
All 8 visits on record
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2026 | Inspection | 2 violations cited |
| Oct 24, 2025 | Complaint inspection | No violations cited |
| Sep 10, 2025 | Inspection | No violations cited |
| Apr 4, 2025 | Inspection | 3 violations cited |
| Oct 9, 2024 | Inspection | 4 violations cited |
| Jan 31, 2024 | Inspection | 7 violations cited |
| Oct 30, 2023 | Inspection | 1 violation cited |
| Aug 7, 2023 | Inspection | No violations cited |
Is it licensed?
- Child Day Center: Two Year license, expires Sep 28, 2027.
- Ages: 2 years - 5 years 11 months.
- Capacity: 30 children.
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each facility’s page. Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly.
Has Virginia acted against it?
- 1 complaint inspection on record.
- No complaint allegations published with findings.
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each inspection’s page, with its violations and Search for Child Day Care: each complaint’s page, with its allegations and findings. Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly.
Who does the caring?
- Virginia doesn’t publish staffing levels for individual providers. State rules set staff-to-child ratios by age.
Who owns it?
- Virginia’s search doesn’t list owners.
How is it rated?
- Virginia’s search doesn’t show a quality rating.
How does it compare nearby?
- Among 15 child care providers in Amherst County, the middle value for violations cited in the last three years was 7; this one had 16.
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each inspection’s page, with its violations. Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly.
| Place | Violations cited in the last three years |
|---|---|
| Little Learners Preschool | 7 |
| Ms. Pauline Henley | 20 |
| Amherst Presbyterian Church - Preschool This child care provider | 16 |
| Young Men’s Christian Association of Central Virginia - Amherst | 0 |
| Amherst Baptist Church | Not given |
| Amelon Early Learning Center | 17 |
| Caterpillar Clubhouse #3 | 13 |
| Step By Step Early Learning Center | 37 |
| E.M.R. Center | 33 |
| Providence Bible Day Center | 12 |
| Jessica Hartle | 3 |
| Little People’s Academy, LLC | 3 |
What the record doesn’t say
- Virginia doesn’t grade how serious a violation is, so no severity is shown.
- Virginia publishes a complaint’s allegations and findings only when its inspection found a violation and the records are linked.
- Virginia doesn’t publish staffing levels or owners for individual providers.
- A plan of correction sent late, or not at all, isn’t online: Virginia says to ask the inspector.
- Virginia’s pages show about the last five years of inspections; for older ones, Virginia says to contact the licensing inspector.
- Virginia says this information may not be accurate, up to date or complete, and shouldn’t be the only source in choosing care.
Sources
-
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each facility’s page.
Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly. No open licence; Virginia allows non-commercial use, so Care Ledger shows it free.
-
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each inspection’s page, with its violations.
Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly. No open licence; Virginia allows non-commercial use, so Care Ledger shows it free.
-
Virginia Department of Education, Search for Child Day Care: each complaint’s page, with its allegations and findings.
Checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated weekly. No open licence; Virginia allows non-commercial use, so Care Ledger shows it free.
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: Virginia Department of Education. Virginia’s own record is on legacy.dss.virginia.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 5, 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.