NEW ROCHELLE, NY (November 25, 2025) — The Treehouse Play Place. the name sponsor for last weekend’s New Rochelle Thanksgiving Parade, opened just 13 months ago but has already accumulated a lengthy violation record, with two serious issues — including failure to submit staff fingerprints for state and FBI criminal background checks — still uncorrected as of a Nov. 5, 2025 inspection, state records show.
Owned by Robert and Christina Rubicco, and licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) as Anna & Jack’s Treehouse of Larchmont (doing business as The Treehouse Play Place) the large day care center, approved for 169 children, is located at 7-11 North Avenue.
The Treehouse Play Place was cited Nov. 5 for exceeding licensed capacity or age-range limits and for failing to provide fingerprint images required for the OCFS to conduct criminal history reviews on staff and others with access to children.
Child Care Program Inspection OCFS Report Violation Summary November 5, 2025
Regulation Cited: 418-1.15(a)(4) – Provisions Specified on the License Are Binding; Number/Age Range Violations
Status: Not corrected at time of inspection
1. Regulatory Requirement
New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) regulation 418-1.15(a)(4) states that all provisions listed on a child day care center’s license are legally binding. This includes:
• Maximum total capacity
Approved age-range distribution
Maximum number of children permitted in each age category at any one time
The license functions as a contract between the provider and OCFS. Exceeding licensed capacity or age-group limits, even temporarily, constitutes a direct violation.
Facility’s Licensed Capacity
Total children: 169
• Infants (0-18 months): 32
• Toddlers (18-36 months): 86
• Preschool (3-5 years): 51
• School-age: 0
2. Description of Violation
During the most recent OCFS inspection, the program was found to be operating outside the limits or age-range distributions specified on its license. Specific details of the overage (e.g., which age group(s) exceeded capacity or whether total capacity was breached) are not itemized in the public violation summary; however, the citation confirms non-compliance with one or more of the binding capacity/age-range provisions.
3. Potential Implications and Risks
Safety and Supervision Risks
• Strain on required staff-to-child ratios (e.g., 1:4 for infants, 1:5 for toddlers, 1:10 for preschoolers)
• Reduced individual attention and increased risk of injury or illness transmission
• Complications during emergency evacuation or shelter-in-place procedures
Operational and Regulatory Risks
• Possible fines, enrollment restrictions, or placement on probationary status
• Delayed processing of new enrollment applications until compliance is verified
Impact on Families
• Highlights the importance of confirming current openings directly with the program director, as the program does not publish real-time availability online.
4. Correction Status and Required Actions
Current Status: Violation was not corrected at the time of inspection.
Required Corrective Actions (to be submitted to OCFS):
• Detailed corrective action plan
• Updated enrollment records and procedures for tracking daily attendance by age group
• Staff training on license capacity monitoring
• Implementation of daily head-count logs or electronic check-in system
• Evidence of sustained compliance
OCFS will conduct a follow-up inspection, typically within 30–60 days, to verify correction. Historical data indicate this program has successfully corrected similar capacity violations in prior inspection cycles.
Recommendation for Parents/Guardians
When considering this program, request the most recent inspection report directly from OCFS or the provider and confirm that this violation has been fully resolved.
Regulation Cited: 418-1.15(b) – Criminal History Review Requirements for the Office to Conduct
Status: Not corrected at time of inspection
1. Regulatory Requirement
New York State regulation 418-1.15(b) mandates that every child day care program must ensure that the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is able to complete comprehensive criminal history reviews on all individuals who are required to be cleared. This includes:
• All employees (full-time, part-time, and substitutes)
• Volunteers with regular or substantial contact with children
• Any other person who has the potential for unsupervised access to children
The program is responsible for submitting fingerprint images to the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the FBI. OCFS cannot grant clearance until the full criminal history record review is completed. Clearances are required before a person may begin work and must be renewed every five years.
2. Description of Violation
During the most recent inspection, the program failed to provide the necessary fingerprint images or supporting documentation, preventing OCFS from completing one or more required criminal history reviews. This violation has appeared repeatedly since the center opened in October 2024, with similar findings in January 2025 and April 2025 inspections (both of which were later corrected). The current lapse likely involves new hires whose fingerprints were not submitted in a timely manner, missing renewal records, or incomplete staff clearance files.
3. Potential Implications and Risks
Child Safety Risks
• The absence of completed background checks means that disqualifying criminal convictions (e.g., child abuse, sexual offenses, violent felonies) may not have been identified.
• This is considered one of the most serious administrative violations in child care regulation because it directly undermines the primary safeguard protecting children.
Regulatory and Operational Risks
• OCFS may prohibit the affected individual(s) from working until cleared.
• Repeated or prolonged non-compliance can trigger fines of up to $1,000 per violation per day, enrollment restrictions, or license suspension/revocation.
Impact on Families
• Signals a gap in the program’s hiring and compliance processes.
• Parents are advised to ask specific questions about staff clearance status during tours or enrollment discussions.
4. Correction Status and Required Actions
Current Status: Violation was not corrected at the time of inspection.
Required Corrective Actions
• Immediately submit missing fingerprint images to DCJS
• Obtain and provide OCFS with clearance letters or safety determinations for all affected individuals
• Update the staff clearance tracking system (e.g., spreadsheet or software) to flag upcoming renewals 90–120 days in advance
• Provide evidence of sustained compliance during the next OCFS visit
Previous occurrences of this same violation were corrected within a few weeks, indicating the program has the ability to resolve it quickly once identified.
State records list the fingerprint violation as “not corrected” on Nov. 5, marking at least the third time in 2025 that missing or incomplete fingerprint submissions have been cited at the facility. Earlier fingerprint violations from January and April 2025 inspections were later corrected.
Overall Assessment
The center remains in “Open” status with no enforcement actions (fines, suspensions, or revocation) have been taken. All other past violations in the facility’s brief history have been corrected, demonstrating general responsiveness. However, the recurrence of criminal-history-review lapses in a program only 13 months old is notable and merits close parental attention.
Recommendations for Prospective Families
• Contact the program director (Christina Rubicco) at (646) 296-1560 and directly ask:
“Has the 418-1.15(b) criminal history review violation from the most recent inspection been fully corrected, and may I see the updated clearance records?”
• Request a tour and ask to review the staff qualification binder (programs are required to make clearance letters available upon request).
• Monitor the OCFS public database (https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/lookup/) for confirmation that the violation has been marked “Corrected.”
• For questions about the corrective action progress, contact the OCFS Westchester Regional Office at (845) 708-2400.
The two uncorrected violations, while serious on paper, are typically administrative and correctable, but they involve important licensing and background-check compliance items. Timely resolution will restore full compliance with one of the cornerstone child-protection requirements in New York State child care regulation.
Since first opening Oct. 16, 2024, the center has faced citations for a range of issues, including improper child grouping, staff-to-child ratios, emergency medical consent forms, and outdoor play area rules. All previous violations have been corrected, according to the OCFS compliance history.
Despite the unusually active violation history for a program operating only about 13 months, the center has no record of fines, suspensions, revocations or other formal enforcement actions, and it remains open under a license that runs through Oct. 15, 2028.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.
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