Day Care Staff Member Dismissed for Flicking Child; Second Discipline Incident in 4 Months

The Virginia Department of Social Services investigated an incident June 2 at KinderCare Learning Center at Sudley Manor in Manassas, where a staff member was observed using physical punishment to discipline a 19-month-old child.

According to Inspector Stephanie Reed, the day care center reported to the agency that one of its staff members was observed by other staff using her finger and thumb to “flick" the young child in the head because the child was under a table in the classroom

“The child cried and was visibly upset afterward,” Reed wrote in her report.

The VDSS considers this method of discipline to be a “forbidden action” and cited the facility.

“The teacher who the allegation was made against is no longer working at our center and hasn't since the allegation was made,” a KinderCare administrator responded to the incident. “All of the other teachers were retrained on proper child guidance.”

This incident marks the second time this year that the VDSS cited the facility for discipline issues.

In February, the VDSS investigated the Kindercare Learning Center at Sudley Manor for reports of a teacher grabbing a two-year-old child by the shirt and forcing the child to sit on the floor.

The investigation report indicated that the administration suspended the teacher when the incident was reported and ultimately fired her.

The administration said at the time all teachers received retraining on child guidance following the incident.

Representatives from KinderCare's corporate office in Portland, Oregon did not immediately respond to requests for additional information about their teacher training programs.

KinderCare operates 1,500 branded learning centers nationwide.