The Gardner School of Arlington

8VAC20-780-340-A

“When staff are supervising children, they shall always ensure their care, protection, and guidance. On July 27th around 4:10 pm staff #1 did not use the name-to-face attendance while transitioning toddlers from one classroom to another classroom. Child #1, 17 months was left behind in Discovery A toddler classroom while staff #1 transitioned 3 other toddlers to Discovery B toddler classroom. The child is believed to be left alone for about 1 1/2 minutes.”

8VAC20-780-40-E

“The operational responsibilities of the licensee shall include ensuring that the center's activities, services, and facilities are maintained in compliance with these standards, the center's own policies and procedures that are required by these standards. The centers policy for direct supervision of children says that staff use the name-to-face attendance or Brightwheel to document transition from one location (classroom-playground) to another and when transitioning in the morning and afternoon. Staff #1 did not follow the center's own policy and procedure for transitioning. On July 27th around 4:10 pm staff did not use the name-to-face attendance while transitioning toddlers from one classroom to another classroom. Child #1, 17 months was left behind in Discovery A toddler classroom while staff #1 transitioned 3 other toddlers to Discovery B toddler classroom. The child is believed to be left alone for about 1 1/2 minutes.”

8VAC20-780-490-D Complaint related: Yes

“The center shall consult the local department of health if there is a question about the communicability of a disease. The center failed to consult with the department of health when a communicable disease broke out in the school. On 7/1/2026 a notification was emailed to parents there was positive confirmation of a communicable disease in the infant room. On 7/2 another infant was confirmed. The morning of 7/6, 4 cases were confirmed. The Director was told by another agency to contact the department of health. By the end of day on 7/6 there were 6 confirmed cases. The director contacted the department of health around 3:00 pm on 7/6/2026 to report the communicable disease. As of 7/14/26 around 11:00 am there have been 12 cases of the communicable disease affecting both the infant and toddler classes.”

8VAC20-780-410-5 Complaint related: Yes

“The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: forcing of food. Staff #2, #3 and #5 all said they observed staff #1 force feed the infants, saying she holds the infants close to her body, puts the bottle to their mouth as the infant’s head is moving back and forth. She would hold the infant’s free arm so they can?t swat the bottle away. Afterwards many of the infants would throw up. During an interview the witnesses demonstrated how staff #1 would force feed the infants. The interviews from staff #2, #3 and #5 were confirmed by video footage. The video dated 6/2/2026 around 8:10 am shows staff #1 feeding a bottle to an infant in the highchair. The infant is seen moving their head back and forth and pushing the bottle away with their hand. The staff then takes the infants left hand and holds while continuing to feed the infant, while their head is still seen moving back and forth until the bottle is finished. On this same day you see staff #1 cleaning up throw up from 2 different infants. On 6/17/2026 the video shows staff #1 feeding an infant sitting in the chair, then they move to the rocking chair which is out of the camera’s view. Seconds later you see staff #1 place the infant on the floor because the baby had thrown up while she is holding her arms out walking across the room. Staff #1 goes to the cabinet, pulling out fresh clothes while another staff changes the baby and cleans up the floor. Staff #1 is seen leaving the classroom, returning with a different top.”

8VAC20-780-570-B Complaint related: Yes

“Bottle fed infants who cannot hold their own bottles shall be held when fed. Staff are not holding the infants while feeding them their bottles. On 7/2/2026 an infant between the ages of 6-9 months was observed being fed a bottle by staff #1 while the infant was sitting in a highchair. The video dated 6/2/2026 around 8:10 am shows 2 babies sitting in highchairs with staff #1 sitting in a chair between them holding a bottle in each of her hands, bottle feeding the two babies as they sit in the highchairs. One of the babies is seen leaning to the side as if they were too little for the highchair.”

8VAC20-780-280-B

“Hazardous substances must be in a locked place that prevents access by children. The laundry room door located in the hallway was found unlocked with the key in the door, leaving laundry detergent accessible to children.”

22.1-289.035-B-4

“The center is required to obtain background checks from any state in which the individual has resided in the preceding five years. The center did not request a search of the criminal history check from one state for Staff #5, who has been employed for more than a month and was working with children at the time of the inspection.”

8VAC20-780-160-C

“A tuberculosis (TB) screening is required every two years from the last screening. Staff #3 updated screening was due 1 day ago.The updated screenings has not yet been completed.”

8VAC20-780-60-A

“Each center shall maintain and keep at the center a separate record for each child enrolled that contains all of the required information. The record for Child #4, enrolled for four months, was missing the address for the emergency contact. The record for Child #6, enrolled for one month, was missing the address for the emergency contact.”

8VAC20-780-510-E

“REPEAT VIOLATION: Long term prescription drug use and over the counter medications may be allowed with written authorization from parent and child's physician. There was no written authorization from a child's physician for child # 7 emergency long term medication.”

8VAC20-780-410-5 Complaint related: Yes

“The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: forcing of food. Staff #2, #3 and #5 all said they observed staff #1 force feed the infants, saying she holds the infants close to her body, puts the bottle to their mouth as the infant’s head is moving back and forth. She would hold the infant’s free arm so they can?t swat the bottle away. Afterwards many of the infants would throw up. During an interview the witnesses demonstrated how staff #1 would force feed the infants. The interviews from staff #2, #3 and #5 were confirmed by video footage. The video dated 6/2/2026 around 8:10 am shows staff #1 feeding a bottle to an infant in the highchair. The infant is seen moving their head back and forth and pushing the bottle away with their hand. The staff then takes the infants left hand and holds while continuing to feed the infant, while their head is still seen moving back and forth until the bottle is finished. On this same day you see staff #1 cleaning up throw up from 2 different infants. On 6/17/2026 the video shows staff #1 feeding an infant sitting in the chair, then they move to the rocking chair which is out of the camera’s view. Seconds later you see staff #1 place the infant on the floor because the baby had thrown up while she is holding her arms out walking across the room. Staff #1 goes to the cabinet, pulling out fresh clothes while another staff changes the baby and cleans up the floor. Staff #1 is seen leaving the classroom, returning with a different top.”

8VAC20-780-570-B Complaint related: Yes

“Bottle fed infants who cannot hold their own bottles shall be held when fed. Staff are not holding the infants while feeding them their bottles. On 7/2/2026 an infant between the ages of 6-9 months was observed being fed a bottle by staff #1 while the infant was sitting in a highchair. The video dated 6/2/2026 around 8:10 am shows 2 babies sitting in highchairs with staff #1 sitting in a chair between them holding a bottle in each of her hands, bottle feeding the two babies as they sit in the highchairs. One of the babies is seen leaning to the side as if they were too little for the highchair.”

8VAC20-780-280-B

“Hazardous substances must be in a locked place that prevents access by children. The laundry room door located in the hallway was found unlocked with the key in the door, leaving laundry detergent accessible to children.”

22.1-289.035-B-4

“The center is required to obtain background checks from any state in which the individual has resided in the preceding five years. The center did not request a search of the criminal history check from one state for Staff #5, who has been employed for more than a month and was working with children at the time of the inspection.”

8VAC20-780-160-C

“A tuberculosis (TB) screening is required every two years from the last screening. Staff #3 updated screening was due 1 day ago.The updated screenings has not yet been completed.”

8VAC20-780-60-A

“Each center shall maintain and keep at the center a separate record for each child enrolled that contains all of the required information. The record for Child #4, enrolled for four months, was missing the address for the emergency contact. The record for Child #6, enrolled for one month, was missing the address for the emergency contact.”

8VAC20-780-510-E

“REPEAT VIOLATION: Long term prescription drug use and over the counter medications may be allowed with written authorization from parent and child's physician. There was no written authorization from a child's physician for child # 7 emergency long term medication.”

8VAC20-780-410-5 Complaint related: Yes

“The following actions or threats thereof are forbidden: forcing of food. Staff #2, #3 and #5 all said they observed staff #1 force feed the infants, saying she holds the infants close to her body, puts the bottle to their mouth as the infant’s head is moving back and forth. She would hold the infant’s free arm so they can?t swat the bottle away. Afterwards many of the infants would throw up. During an interview the witnesses demonstrated how staff #1 would force feed the infants. The interviews from staff #2, #3 and #5 were confirmed by video footage. The video dated 6/2/2026 around 8:10 am shows staff #1 feeding a bottle to an infant in the highchair. The infant is seen moving their head back and forth and pushing the bottle away with their hand. The staff then takes the infants left hand and holds while continuing to feed the infant, while their head is still seen moving back and forth until the bottle is finished. On this same day you see staff #1 cleaning up throw up from 2 different infants. On 6/17/2026 the video shows staff #1 feeding an infant sitting in the chair, then they move to the rocking chair which is out of the camera’s view. Seconds later you see staff #1 place the infant on the floor because the baby had thrown up while she is holding her arms out walking across the room. Staff #1 goes to the cabinet, pulling out fresh clothes while another staff changes the baby and cleans up the floor. Staff #1 is seen leaving the classroom, returning with a different top.”

8VAC20-780-570-B Complaint related: Yes

“Bottle fed infants who cannot hold their own bottles shall be held when fed. Staff are not holding the infants while feeding them their bottles. On 7/2/2026 an infant between the ages of 6-9 months was observed being fed a bottle by staff #1 while the infant was sitting in a highchair. The video dated 6/2/2026 around 8:10 am shows 2 babies sitting in highchairs with staff #1 sitting in a chair between them holding a bottle in each of her hands, bottle feeding the two babies as they sit in the highchairs. One of the babies is seen leaning to the side as if they were too little for the highchair.”

8VAC20-780-280-B

“Hazardous substances must be in a locked place that prevents access by children. The laundry room door located in the hallway was found unlocked with the key in the door, leaving laundry detergent accessible to children.”

22.1-289.035-B-4

“The center is required to obtain background checks from any state in which the individual has resided in the preceding five years. The center did not request a search of the criminal history check from one state for Staff #5, who has been employed for more than a month and was working with children at the time of the inspection.”

8VAC20-780-160-C

“A tuberculosis (TB) screening is required every two years from the last screening. Staff #3 updated screening was due 1 day ago.The updated screenings has not yet been completed.”

8VAC20-780-60-A

“Each center shall maintain and keep at the center a separate record for each child enrolled that contains all of the required information. The record for Child #4, enrolled for four months, was missing the address for the emergency contact. The record for Child #6, enrolled for one month, was missing the address for the emergency contact.”

8VAC20-780-510-E

“REPEAT VIOLATION: Long term prescription drug use and over the counter medications may be allowed with written authorization from parent and child's physician. There was no written authorization from a child's physician for child # 7 emergency long term medication.”

8VAC20-780-510-E

“Long term prescription drug use and over the counter medications may be allowed with written authorization from parent and child's physician. There was no written authorization from the child's physician for Child #1 emergency long term medication.”

8VAC20-780-550-D

“The center shall implement a monthly practice evacuation drill. There was no documentation that the center had conducted a monthly fire drill in January 2026.”

8VAC20-780-240-B

“Staff shall complete orientation training prior to the staff member working alone with children and no later than seven days of the date of assuming job responsibilities. Staff #6 was observed caring for children and has not completed the orientation training which is overdue by 10 days.”

8VAC20-780-340-A Complaint related: Yes

“When staff are supervising children, they shall always ensure their care, protection, and guidance. A child received several injuries on 10/1/2025 while staff were engaged in other task in the classroom. The incident reports read that child #1 fell out of a riding toy car around 10:15 am, leaving a red mark on the child's right cheek. Around 11:13 am child #1 was standing on a stool in front of the sink, another child pulled on the child and the child lost their balance, hitting their lip on the sink. There was no staff to care for the 18 month child standing on the stool at the sink. Around 2:39 pm child #1 was sitting at the table with another child who was finishing snack, the other child scratched child #1 on the left cheek. One staff was diapering children and the other staff was picking up the cots from rest time. Neither of the staff were protecting the children as they were engaged in classroom tasks. Staff did not protect child #1 from ingesting foods that were highlighted on a menu from the parent as a food not to be served. The menu dated 6/27/2025 listed gold fish for an afternoon snack. The parent communication app showed that the child consumed the gold fish for afternoon snack.”

8VAC20-780-40-M Complaint related: Yes

“The center is required to keep a current list of all known allergies, sensitivities, and dietary restrictions in each room or area where children are present. The list must be dated and kept confidential. The posted list in the toddler room did not include one child's sensitivity to a food item that was addressed on the child's enrollment form dated 4/7/2025.”