Crime & Safety

Reports: Woodbridge Daycare Center Investigated for 'Abused Toddlers'

Minnieland Academy employees found abuse of toddlers "humorous and entertaining," report says.

Allegations that workers at a Woodbridge daycare center abused toddlers "for their own enjoyment" have prompted a criminal investigation by Prince William County police, according to news reports.

The incidents occurred over a six-month period at the Minnieland Academy at the Glen in the 4200 block of Prince William Parkway, according to The Washington Post, which cited an inspection report by the Virginia Department of Social Services.

violation summary released by the department outlines abusive behaviors from February through August, according to InsideNoVa.com. The children, ages 17 months to 24 months, were “clearly in distress in the classroom and although this distress was observed by several staff,” the summary says, no one reported the abuse until August.

The company's website says that Minnieland offers, "learning in a loving environment."

The Woodbridge facility is part of a chain of day-care centers that was founded in 1972 and has dozens of facilities in Prince William, Stafford, Loudoun and Fairfax counties, Fredericksburg and Richmond, according to the site.

No criminal charges have been filed and authorities are “in the middle of the investigation,” Officer Jonathan Perok, a spokesman for the county police department, told The Post. 

“We are investigating the assaults that allegedly took place at the facility,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the state report, two workers, identified in the report only as staffers A and B, abused the toddlers and have been fired.

Although the incidents were “observed by several staff, no staff took action” until August, according to the report. The report is based on two inspections, one done in August and the other in September.

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In a statement, Minnieland officials said they “deeply regret” the incidents, according to the paper. The daycare officials said the two employees were immediately fired when their conduct came to light and that management contacted child protective services and the division of licensing.

Minnieland officials said workers who witnessed the incidents and failed to report the conduct are no longer with the company.

The report says that staffers A and B mistreated toddlers “often for their own entertainment,” at times encouraging the toddlers to hit and smack each other.

According to the report, the two staffers stepped on the toes of toddlers, saying it was “humorous and entertaining.” One of the staffers told others who worked at the facility that she had fed several toddlers Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and to “look at the toddlers’ cheeks as their faces were turning red,” according to the report.


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