Little Me Daycare, unfair termination refusal of security deposit neglect of child's welfare Ripoff Winchester Virginia

My child was enrolled at Little Me Daycare for approximately 6 months. When I first enrolled her, I paid a security deposit of $100 as well as the application fee. The security deposit was to ensure that I give the center 2 weeks notice before withdrawing my child from the center. Due to personal circumstances, my child has been suffering from a lack of a father and so her behavior at daycare and at home has also suffered. After explaining to the "teachers" our home situation I was assured that they would do their best to work with my daughter on her behavior and I assured them that I was working on it as well at home. During this rough period for my daughter, they switched her teachers 3 times and frequently sent her to the 2 year old room when she wouldn't behave. My daughter is 4 1/2 and was not receiving the proper education (that I was paying for) while spending her days in the 2 year old class. From Monday October 2nd until Friday October 6th, I received 'good notes' for my daughter and was thrilled that she had finally made a turn around in behavior. I even called on Thursday afternoon asking about her behavior and was told that she had a good day. I was rewarding her for her good behavior based on the feedback I received from the teachers at the center. On Friday October 6th, at 5:30pm when I picked my daughter up from daycare she was sitting in the office with her teacher and the director of the center and all of her things. The director handed me a hand-written notice of my daughter's termination from the school for abusive behavior and lack of support from home. Attached to the note were little yellow slips of paper from that week that I had not previously seen. When I questioned the director about the lack of notice and at least a phone call so that I could attempt to find an alternate center, the director insulted me by saying that it was no wonder my daughter acted the way she did because of the way I carried myself and threatened to call 911. At no point had I become violent with this woman. I had merely questioned her on her unprofessional approach at terminating my child without the proper notice. When I asked her why she hadn't called me during the day to let me know what was going on, her response was "What, are we supposed to call you all day??" It was her stance that as a privately owned daycare she could terminate children as she wished. After leaving the daycare, I recalled my security deposit and called back to the center. I asked the director if I would be receiving my security deposit mailed back to me. She stated that she would not only be keeping my security deposit but also that I was lucky that she wasn't going to charge me an extra $100 for the early termination fee and then proceeded to hang up on me. I feel that the lack of notice on the director's part was unprofessional and does not follow the standards of good business practice. It is my contention that if I am required to give a 2 week notice or else forfeit my security deposit that the center as well should be required to give notice or forfeit their hold on my security deposit. The behavior of my child was not abusive towards other children, rather she was apparently being placed in time-out for "disrespecting" a teacher and the director got involved and my daughter kicked at her and apparently made contact. While I do not condone my daughter's actions, I do not feel as if this is sufficient reason to terminate an already struggling child. If my child was having these issues, I should have been brought into the office and spoken to directly and not in front of my child. There should have been a warning or at least a notice period. The director made no attempt to shield my daughter from telling her how bad she was, in fact I had my daughter's head held to my leg with my hand over her ear to protect her from some of it.

I am thankful now that my daughter is out of that daycare. The teachers and director are obviously not in the business for the welfare of the children.

V
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
U.S.A.