Alexandria Day Care Could Lose License After Repeated Violations

ALEXANDRIA, VA – An Alexandria day care has accumulated a list of serious violations during inspections over the past six months, including failing to inform parents of a communicable disease at the school, rough handling of children, falsifying injury reports to parents, allowing children to consume known allergens and more.

Since April, state inspections at the Goddard School of Alexandria Old Town have turned up violations during the vast majority of visits.

During an inspection on Sept. 30, state records show that the center was twice informed of cases of communicable disease and failed to inform parents within 24 hours. In one instance, the center was informed of a case of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in writing, but did not inform the parents of children exposed to the disease until five days later. In the second instance, a parent had verbally notified the center of a communicable disease, but no notice was sent to parents informing them of possible exposure.

During an inspection on Sept. 3, state documents say that while a child was eating a food containing a known allergen, a staff member went with another child into the bathroom, allowing a third two-year-old child to pick up a food they were allergic to off the floor and begin eating it. The same child had apparently been allowed to eat an allergen in April.

The same September inspection found two uncovered outlets in a multipurpose room used by children.

In August, an inspection revealed that the prior month, a staff member had roughly pulled a three-year-old child’s arm twice in an attempt to get the child to line up.

In July, an inspection revealed that months earlier, a staff member had swatted an eight-month-old child on the bottom while the child was crawling, in an effort to push the child out of an area. The child pitched forward and sustained a bump on its face. The staff were then allowed to omit details about how the accident had occurred when reporting it to parents.

In May, seven children with prescribed emergency medication were in the care of staff who had not had training in administering the medication. At the time, no staff at the center had received such training.

In April, inspectors saw mouse droppings in six classrooms.

The inspections also found consistent paperwork violations related to maintaining appropriate background checks and other staff checks.

In all cases, inspectors laid out corrective actions, and in some cases staff resigned.

After this story was published, Patch learned of two additional serious incidents in March, just outside the scope of its initial investigation.

On March 31, a four-month-old child sustained a fractured leg while in the care of Goddard School staff. According to the inspection report, the child arrived at school calm in the morning with no visible signs of injury and left in distress, with redness and swelling in their foot. The child's parents were contacted at 2 p.m. and the child was later diagnosed with a fractured leg.

On March 30, an eight-month-old child sustained two fractured legs while in the care of Goddard School staff. According to the report, that child arrived at the center in the morning calm and with no signs of injury but later left in apparent pain. Though a witness confirmed that the child began crying and showing signs that they could not support themselves sometime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., no injuries were reported to the child's parents at pickup. After seeking medical attention, the child was diagnosed with fractures in both legs.

The plans of correction following both incidents included reviews of child supervision, injury recognition and reporting practices. A management corrective action meeting was held on May 29 and an all-staff training session on the above topics was held on June 1.

This story has been updated to include these incidents because of their severity.

The Virginia Department of Social Services issued a Notice of Intent to Revoke the License on Aug. 27 because of the high-risk violations.

Schools can contest these processes and enter into corrective action plans in collaboration with the department.

“The Goddard School of Alexandria Old Town remains open and operating, and our teachers and staff remain focused on the children and families we serve," a spokesperson for the school told Patch. "The licensing matter is part of an ongoing process, and an appeal is underway. There is no change to the school’s day-to-day commitment to providing a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment for students. Goddard representatives are engaged in the process and will help ensure continuity for the school community."

The Virginia Department of Social Services hasn't responded to requests for comment on the revocation or appeal process.

According to the department's website, the school's license is set to expire on Nov. 19.

The notice of intent to revoke should be displayed prominently at the school.

Goddard is a decades-old national early childhood education franchise with more than 650 schools, according to its website. It is nationally accredited by the global nonprofit Cognia.

The Goddard School of Alexandria - Old Town accepts children from six weeks old through kindergarten age for preschool, summer camps, language classes, private kindergarten classes and more. It also says it takes older children and provides expert teachers for homework assistance. The school promises a new, state-of-the-art facility, a nationally accredited curriculum and compassionate care for children.

This story has been updated to include comments from a Goddard School of Alexandria-Old Town spokesperson.