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Virginia daycare cited after toddler accessed administrator’s loaded firearm
A state inspection report says a 2-year-old at Thrive Learning Center East in Richmond put an administrator’s loaded gun in their mouth after finding it in an unzipped bag. The report also cited supervision and recordkeeping violations and said the incident was reported four days later.
A 2-year-old at a Richmond daycare accessed an administrator’s loaded firearm and put its barrel in their mouth, according to a Virginia Department of Social Services report on an incident at Thrive Learning Center East on Sept. 25.
The gun was inside an unzipped fanny pack placed on a low stack of cots in a classroom, the report said. The child carried it to a table near five other children, set it down and then picked it up again. The toddler had access to the firearm for about 15 seconds before adults noticed, according to the report.
The report said the administrator regularly brought the gun to work and routinely left the bag accessible to children. About 30 seconds before the child picked it up, one staff member and the administrator were looking at their phones, while another staff member had their back turned as they helped a different child put on socks.
The firearm was moved away from the children, placed in a lock box and removed from the building, the report said. The administrator and staff did not notify the state within 24 hours; the daycare reported the incident on Sept. 29, four days after it occurred.
A state inspection on Oct. 8 found other violations at the center, including children being left unsupervised and vaccination records not being maintained, according to the report.
As part of its required corrective plan, the department directed the daycare to retrain staff on mandated reporting and how to report suspected abuse or neglect. The plan also calls for a zero-tolerance policy on firearms and other weapons on the property, and says the center would seek safety training in partnership with the Richmond Police Department.