A report from the state’s Department of Social Services alleges a 2-year-old child at Thrive Learning Center East, a daycare in Richmond, Virginia, accessed a loaded firearm and placed the barrel in their mouth on September 25.
According to the state report, an administrator at the facility brought the weapon onto the campus in a fanny pack. The fanny pack was unzipped and left on top of a “low stack of cots” inside a classroom, making it accessible to children. The 2-year-old child retrieved the loaded gun from the fanny pack and put the weapon in their mouth.
The report details that the toddler then walked to a table with the firearm still in their mouth, placed the weapon on the table where five other children were seated on the floor, and subsequently picked the firearm up again. Social Services stated the child had possession of the gun for approximately 15 seconds before any adults at the daycare became aware of the situation.
The investigation by Social Services also found that the administrator routinely brought the gun to work and regularly left the fanny pack in an area accessible to children. Leading up to the incident, the report alleges that roughly 30 seconds before the toddler grabbed the gun, the administrator and another staff member were observed looking at their phones. A different staff member reportedly had their back turned to the 2-year-old, busy putting socks on another child.
Following the discovery, the gun was removed from the immediate area where children were present, secured in a lock box, and subsequently taken off the premises. However, Social Services noted a failure to report the incident in a timely manner. The administrator and staff did not report the event to the department within the mandated 24-hour period, instead waiting four days to report it on September 29.
During an inspection of Thrive Learning Center East on October 8, Social Services identified this as one of several violations. Other infractions found included leaving children unsupervised and failing to maintain up-to-date vaccination records for children in their care.
In response to these findings, Social Services mandated a plan of correction for Thrive Learning Center East. This plan requires all staff to undergo training or retraining on mandated reporting requirements, specifically covering what constitutes child abuse and neglect. Staff will also be trained on the proper procedures for reporting offenses to 911, the Department of Social Services, and/or the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Information regarding reporting will be provided to staff and prominently displayed in each classroom.
Furthermore, the plan outlines that Thrive Learning Center East must adhere to and train all staff on a “Zero Tolerance” policy for firearms or other weapons on daycare property. The daycare has initiated contact with the Richmond Police Department to arrange for safety training and defense strategies in the event of an intruder, and will seek to establish an annual training partnership with the police department.