Disturbing allegations of child abuse have been leveled against a daycare in Old Town by the Virginia Department of Social Services.
Over seven months (October 2024 to May 2025), a now-fired employee at Two Birds Daycare (1737 King Street) was observed allegedly physically striking and roughly handling children, yanking children’s hair, putting them in a dark closet as punishment, making demeaning comments about their clothes, and slapping kids who had toilet accidents, according to a May 21 DSS inspection of the facility.
The unannounced inspection began on May 21 and concluded on June 12. The inspector determined that a systemic deficiency led to the negative report.
The inspection was prompted in response to a complaint received by the licensing office on May 20, 2025, related to allegations of “forbidden actions.” The staffer (listed as Staff #1 in the report) was placed on administrative leave on May 21 and fired the following day.
Specifically, the inspection found:
- Between October 2024-May 2025, the staff observing Staff #1 physically punish children did not fulfill their mandated reporter obligations and immediately report these concerns at the time of occurrence.
- Between October 2024-May 2025, Staff #1 was observed by other staff physically punishing children ages 2-3 years old by physically striking and roughly handling them on a daily and ongoing basis. Children were hit and smacked on their face/head, arms, legs and in the mouth.
- Children were picked up by the back of their shirts/collars lifting their feet from the floor. On at least two occasions, two children were lifted by their shirt/collar with their feet as high as Staff #1’s waist. In all situations children reacted by crying and screaming.
- On or about 11/14/2024, a child was made to hit themself in the face by Staff #1 using the child’s hand to hit the child in the face. Children were grabbed, pushed, pulled and yanked by their hands, arms, clothing and hair. During outside walks, the walking rope would often be wrapped tightly multiple times around the children’s upper arm if they were not listening and it would be removed before entering the school.
- On or about 5/14/25, staff observed Staff #1 interact with Child #13 in a demeaning and disrespectful manner, failed to promote the child’s well-being including when a decision was made to change the child’s clothing in an effort to reduce the demeaning interactions rather than report Staff #1’s inappropriate interactions to management.
- Between October 2024-May 2025, Staff #1 was observed by other staff punishing five children for their toileting accidents by smacking them in the head or speaking to them in a stern voice/manner.
- Between March 2025-May 2025, Staff #1 was observed by other staff lifting (a child) by their shirt and putting the child in the classroom closet, shutting the closet door and walking away for approximately 1 minute before returning, opening the door and allowing the crying child out. This was also reported by another child in the class to their parent.
The report includes correction plans agreed upon by Two Birds. One correction is a mandate that all Two Birds staff repeat child abuse and neglect recognition and reporting/mandated reporter training on a “regular basis.”
Two Birds also agreed to:
- Install cameras in all classrooms and studio spaces used by children
- Make a clinically trained counselor available to potentially impacted children and their families
- Retraining all employees regarding appropriate and inappropriate physical interactions with children as well as positive behavior reinforcement
The daycare launched in D.C. in 2019 and now has five locations. A monthly membership costs between $1,750 and $2,650, and the facility routinely cares for over 50 students daily, according to previous inspections. The daycare describes itself on its website as a “Reggio-inspired school for children, Infants through Pre-K.”
ALXnow reviewed previous inspections at the daycare.
- Sept. 30, 2021: There was no written playground safety plan procedures available for review during the inspection
- Dec. 16, 2022: Young children were seen doing a water bead activity… The water beads is not an appropriate activity due to the size of the item which can be a choking hazard. During walk-through of the toddler classroom, cotton balls were on a tray on a bookshelf. Staff stated cotton balls were used for a stretch activity with the children… The toddler classroom did not have a choking tube in the classroom which is used to determine if the item for activity is a choking hazard.
- March 28, 2024: Two bottles were found to not be labeled with the child’s name and date.
- Dec. 11, 2024: The facility was two months behind in its tuberculosis screening; one child was at the center without proper documentation for 43 days; the center did not have annual update for injury prevention procedures; several containers of soap with warning labels “keep out of reach of children,” were unlocked in the Pre-K classroom, within reach of children; the center had no record of shelter in place practice drills during the past year; and none of the labels on multiple foods brought from home by a child in one classroom, were dated.
- March 18, 2025: According to classroom attendance records, on 3/11/25, the attendance for 2 infant classrooms did not include documentation of the arrival and departure of each infant/child as it occurs. Additionally, on 3/11/25, an infant age classroom (birth-16 months of age) exceeded the maximum ratio of 1 staff to 4 infants. According to child attendance and staff sign-in records, from 10:00-10:26am there was 1 staff with 5 infants.
- April 18, 2025: The annual fire inspection report for the facility was expired, the last inspection having taken place in Jan. 2024; A low-level cabinet containing lotion and soap products labeled as “keep out of reach of children” was not locked in one classroom and were accessible to the children; the non-absorbent vinyl covering of a diaper pad in one classroom had peeled away on most of the exterior surface exposing the fabric absorbent covering underneath; The written authorization for a long-term prescription medication signed by parents and physicians for two children were expired; and two diaper cream products in one classroom were not labeled with the child’s name.
ALXnow has reached out to Two Birds Daycare and the Alexandria Police Department for comment and additional information.
