Two Birds (Tenleytown)

[Anonymous]

Is this the thread? Names deleted? Imagine hiring one of these people as a nanny

https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/1lqa04n/removed_by_reddit/

[Anonymous]

Between this and the arrest at NCRC, how are DC parents supposed to trust any early education programs?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know whether there has been any communication from the school about how thet are addressing this and whether any other locations are being investigated?

[Anonymous]

Lots of helpful detail here :
https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/1lq4hoq/two_birds_in_old_town_daycare_is_in_hot_water_for/

[Anonymous]

You may want to read this article:
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/alexandria/day-care-alexandria-virginia-child-two-birds/65-733413f0-a283-47c9-9c14-c7e047a57d49

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of helpful detail here :
https://www.reddit.com/r/nova/comments/1lq4hoq/two_birds_in_old_town_daycare_is_in_hot_water_for/

Thank you for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m friends with parents who send their kids here and something about this setup and their self-promotion has always rubbed me the wrong way.

They don’t call themselves a daycare but rather a “school,” they have typical infant rooms but also coworking and a Reggio consultant. The website gives off the vibes of a legit nonprofit preschool but it’s for-profit.

Would clearly be better if they backed off the marketing and focused on fundamentals like their care of duty.

Who was the Reggio consultant?

[Anonymous]

I honestly think this institution should be shut down. Nobody reported the abuse for such as long time.

[Anonymous]

My son is at the Silver Spring location, and it's been wonderful so far. It opened in June and he's been there for about 1 month. He loves his teachers and the class size is tiny - he gets a ton of personal attention. It's also reasonably priced in comparison to most other options. Plus, as folks who can WFH, we enjoy the co-working space.

Regarding the Alexandria location, you can (and should) read the report from VA DSS before spreading misinformation. https://www.dss.virginia.gov/printer/facility/search/cc.cgi?rm=Details;ID=47497

MD and VA have daycare investigation records publicly available.

My husband and I think the school handled it well. After the investigation, they circulated a letter to parents with additional information. (DHSS told them to wait until after the investigation.) Staff did report the abuse and Two Birds self reported to DSS.

I'm not sure why anyone would think it's a nonprofit...

[Anonymous]

I just can’t imagine who would hit babies in the mouth. Evil.

[Anonymous]

I've worked in this field for a long time. The fact that this went on for EIGHT MONTHS before being reported is a huge red flag. The teachers didn't report it to the Director? Why? The Director didn't know it was going on. Why? Or worse, the Director knew it was going on but didn't report it to the owners. Why? Because there is a culture of fear and mistrust. If staff doesn't feel safe reporting something this horrific to their management team, there is a culture of fear and mistrust.

As someone mentioned on another post, these people are entrepreneurs. They most likely have investors who are funding their expensive expansions and build-outs. They're not paying attention to what is happening in their centers, nor are they cultivating a loving and safe environment for children or staff. They want to build value and cash out. Private equity is getting involved in this industry in a big way. You know once private equity gets involved, the goal is NOT providing quality care and education.

When looking for a quality program for your child, do your research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've worked in this field for a long time. The fact that this went on for EIGHT MONTHS before being reported is a huge red flag. The teachers didn't report it to the Director? Why? The Director didn't know it was going on. Why? Or worse, the Director knew it was going on but didn't report it to the owners. Why? Because there is a culture of fear and mistrust. If staff doesn't feel safe reporting something this horrific to their management team, there is a culture of fear and mistrust.

As someone mentioned on another post, these people are entrepreneurs. They most likely have investors who are funding their expensive expansions and build-outs. They're not paying attention to what is happening in their centers, nor are they cultivating a loving and safe environment for children or staff. They want to build value and cash out. Private equity is getting involved in this industry in a big way. You know once private equity gets involved, the goal is NOT providing quality care and education.

When looking for a quality program for your child, do your research.

Well said

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is at the Silver Spring location, and it's been wonderful so far. It opened in June and he's been there for about 1 month. He loves his teachers and the class size is tiny - he gets a ton of personal attention. It's also reasonably priced in comparison to most other options. Plus, as folks who can WFH, we enjoy the co-working space.

Regarding the Alexandria location, you can (and should) read the report from VA DSS before spreading misinformation. https://www.dss.virginia.gov/printer/facility/search/cc.cgi?rm=Details;ID=47497

MD and VA have daycare investigation records publicly available.

My husband and I think the school handled it well. After the investigation, they circulated a letter to parents with additional information. (DHSS told them to wait until after the investigation.) Staff did report the abuse and Two Birds self reported to DSS.

I'm not sure why anyone would think it's a nonprofit...

Just my two cents - we LOVED two birds, until 6 weeks ago. I think you would feel differently about how the owners "handled" the issue if your own kids were implicated.

Just so you know how the owners "handled" the situation... Sure, they fired the three teachers when they claim to have found out. But they let the director, who sat across the hall from the classroom where the abuse happened, stay in her role until this week. The director absolutely knew, and she turned a blind eye. They tried to make it go away. When they referred the issue to VDSS, they didn't think it would blow up like it did.

They kept it from parents, using the excuse that "The issue is under investigation" for as long as they could. They didn’t tell parents what actually happened. We found out from the report before the owner held a "townhall" to discuss it. During the townhall, they deliberately disabled the chat to prevent questions from being asked.

Imagine how you’d feel if you found out your kids were potentially abused, and instead of getting all the information you can possibly get, you have to piece it together? How would you trust the leadership of this brand?

The owners got greedy and focused on expansion. They had a good thing going, and they let it implode. I think anyone who still allows their kids to be cared for by them at any of their locations is a fool, just like we were. The trouble is going to follow them, and trust me, you don’t want to be around for that. You don’t want to find yourself or your kids in the same position we are in. It’s only a matter of time.

Oh and one last thing. They have a PR firm and are deleting negative reviews associated with their brands, so don't trust the reviews you find on the internet because they are sanitized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is at the Silver Spring location, and it's been wonderful so far. It opened in June and he's been there for about 1 month. He loves his teachers and the class size is tiny - he gets a ton of personal attention. It's also reasonably priced in comparison to most other options. Plus, as folks who can WFH, we enjoy the co-working space.

Regarding the Alexandria location, you can (and should) read the report from VA DSS before spreading misinformation. https://www.dss.virginia.gov/printer/facility/search/cc.cgi?rm=Details;ID=47497

MD and VA have daycare investigation records publicly available.

My husband and I think the school handled it well. After the investigation, they circulated a letter to parents with additional information. (DHSS told them to wait until after the investigation.) Staff did report the abuse and Two Birds self reported to DSS.

I'm not sure why anyone would think it's a nonprofit...

Just my two cents - we LOVED two birds, until 6 weeks ago. I think you would feel differently about how the owners "handled" the issue if your own kids were implicated.

Just so you know how the owners "handled" the situation... Sure, they fired the three teachers when they claim to have found out. But they let the director, who sat across the hall from the classroom where the abuse happened, stay in her role until this week. The director absolutely knew, and she turned a blind eye. They tried to make it go away. When they referred the issue to VDSS, they didn't think it would blow up like it did.

They kept it from parents, using the excuse that "The issue is under investigation" for as long as they could. They didn’t tell parents what actually happened. We found out from the report before the owner held a "townhall" to discuss it. During the townhall, they deliberately disabled the chat to prevent questions from being asked.

Imagine how you’d feel if you found out your kids were potentially abused, and instead of getting all the information you can possibly get, you have to piece it together? How would you trust the leadership of this brand?

The owners got greedy and focused on expansion. They had a good thing going, and they let it implode. I think anyone who still allows their kids to be cared for by them at any of their locations is a fool, just like we were. The trouble is going to follow them, and trust me, you don’t want to be around for that. You don’t want to find yourself or your kids in the same position we are in. It’s only a matter of time.

Oh and one last thing. They have a PR firm and are deleting negative reviews associated with their brands, so don't trust the reviews you find on the internet because they are sanitized.

+1 the delay in reporting is appalling. All the statements suggesting "Two Birds" reported as soon as they were aware, months after it started, make zero sense. Why didn't they know sooner?

My kid attended a daycare where the director is on top of everything that occurs there. She has self reported and dismissed teachers engaging in behavior that was far less serious.