Arlington day care failed to report alleged child abuse, inspection finds

A day care in Northern Virginia failed to report alleged child abuse and mistreatment, and a recent surprise inspection revealed other problems.

Primrose School of Arlington is one of dozens of Primrose franchises across the country with a vision “to deliver the best and most trusted early education and care for children and families across America,” according to its website.

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Virginia’s Department of Social Services received a complaint about the center in mid-July, and an investigation found several instances of alleged abuse, including a staff member flicking a 13-month-old’s hand until it was red, a staffer hitting a 2-year-old in the stomach and pushing a toddler hard to the floor, and a staffer hitting a 2-year-old on the bottom and pushing a child onto the carpet.

Management was notified and both employees were fired shortly after the alleged incidents, the inspection report says, but no one reported the mistreatment to Child Protective Services.

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“These incidents were not reported to the local Department of Social Services as required by the code of Virginia,” the inspector wrote.

The inspector made a surprise visit to Primrose July 26 and found mice droppings in five classrooms. The report says staff explained they had a rodent problem and for the past two months had pest control coming in on a weekly basis.

A statement from the franchise’s owners says they only learned of the violations Thursday, writing in part, “We hold our teachers and staff to the highest levels of operational excellence and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary following our full review based on the findings.”