Virginia daycare seekers could be missing red flags: How to make an informed decision
VENN
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Virginia parents and guardians who hope to make an informed daycare decision for their children could be left without key safety information when a daycare closes its doors, then reopens.
Parents and guardians always want the best for their kids. That includes choosing the best childcare center for their children while they are away. To ensure their kids' safety, some might review state records for licensed facilities to view inspection and violation history -- but what if the picture they paint is incomplete?
Currently, the state of Virginia isn't required to share inspection records for daycare facilities that have closed down, then opened up again -- meaning parents may not be able to get the full story.
The Chesterfield County daycare center once known as Fortress of God Childcare, then Serenity Faith Academy and now Jesus is The Lord of The Sabbath, Inc., is one such example. While Fortress of God was plagued with troubles, none of those violations are visible when looking up Jesus is The Lord of The Sabbath.
8News connects the dots of a troubled history
Jesus is The Lord of The Sabbath is a childcare center that can be found near W. Hundred and Harrowgate roads. The center was approved for a religious exemption to operate on Dec. 16, 2025, according to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). A religiously exempt child day center is a childcare facility that is allowed to operate in the state without the same inspection requirements and qualifications as a licensed childcare facility.
Jesus is The Lord of The Sabbath, Inc., a childcare center owned by the former head of the troubled Fortress of God Childcare and operated from the same Chesterfield County address. (Photo: 8News)
Monique Ede is the owner of the center, according to records filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). Signage outside the center shows that the staff offers a faith-based daycare experience for $150 a week. The yearly cost is significantly less than the $17,000 Child Care Aware estimates the average Virginia parent spends.
Since opening the facility in December 2025, the center has received three violations for failing to properly background check and onboard staff. However, Jesus is The Lord of The Sabbath is not the first religiously exempt daycare Ede owned at the Chester location.
In February 2025, the name of a center at this location -- also owned by Ede -- was Fortress of God Childcare. The center gained attention after a toddler wandered from the facility into a busy road. The child was not hurt, and no charges were filed against Ede.
Fortress of God Childcare in Chesterfield County as of 8News' visit in March. (Photo: Brad Vassar/8News)
Fortress of God Childcare in Chesterfield County as of 8News' visit in March. (Photo: Brad Vassar/8News)
Fortress of God Childcare in Chesterfield County as of 8News' visit in March. (Photo: Brad Vassar/8News)
Dozens of previous violations surfaced at the time for the facility's inability to maintain proper staff-to-student ratios, along with safe and clean conditions. Ede spoke with 8News following the incident and addressed the wandering incident and past violations.
8News continued to follow developments involving the center. By May 2025, when 8News visited the location again, a new sign was placed outside the facility calling it “Serenity Faith Academy Early Childhood Education."
The VDOE launched an investigation into the name change. By July 2025, the facility was cited for false advertising.
Fortress of God Childcare's sign as seen in March 2025 [left], replaced at some point by a new "Serenity Faith Academy" sign [right], as seen in May 2025 (Photos: Brad Vassar, Eric Philips/8News)
In a consent agreement with the state, Ede forfeited her religious exemption and agreed to close Fortress of God Childcare by Aug. 31, 2025.
Then, just a few months later, Ede reapplied for her new religious exemption in Dec. 2025. She did so under a new business name -- making old violations and inspection history, including when a child wandered off 10 months prior, no longer publicly available.
How can this happen? State doesn't close the gaps
In 2025, the VDOE temporarily revoked a total of 16 licenses. In Virginia, a daycare operator's license cannot be permanently revoked.
"What we struggle with as well is the ability to reset," said Jeff Williams, Assistant Superintendent for Child Care Health and Safety. "How long does your history go against you?"
Williams said the VDOE can reevaluate a center's licensure when they are allowed to reapply after a six-month break.
Jesus is The Lord of The Sabbath, Inc., a childcare center owned by the former head of the troubled Fortress of God Childcare and operated from the same Chesterfield County address. (Photo: 8News)
8News did not receive a comment from Ede about her new business. A Facebook post from the religious center states that staff have strengthened policies, increased staff training, and enhanced health and safety procedures. The post went on to say they are working closely with regulatory and support teams.
"I consider what we're doing with them as success from the standpoint of the facility had some struggles, we closed, we worked together," Williams said.
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He said that staff asked the VDOE to "help [them] do better," adding that they reached out to the VDOE for assistance and "did the training."
Although old state records for facilities that have closed and reopened are not publicly available, Williams recommends that parents and guardians still utilize the VDOE search tool and ask follow-up questions if needed.
So how can you make an informed daycare decision?
Here's a few tips on how to navigate the daycare searching process:
- Ask if the child care facility is licensed by the VDOE
- Use the state's search tool to view inspection and violation history
- Ask about training requirements
- Ask what the health and safety practices, including background checks and CPR
- Ask about the staff-to-student ratio requirements
- Visit the facility
If you do not see inspection records older than six months, the facility is likely new. You can reach out to VDOE to verify and ask if the owner owned a different facility.
The state also offers a child care checklist for daycare seekers.
Those who believe a facility or individual is providing inadequate care are asked to file a complaint.
This is part of our series investigating the ways Virginia is and isn’t helping parents with the childcare burdens forcing many parents out of the workforce. To learn more about the costs associated with daycare in Virginia -- and the kind of relief that could be on the way -- click here.
