EXCLUSIVE: Why Are Babies Testing Positive For Cocaine At The Nation’s Biggest Daycare Chain?

In a recent exposé, investigative journalist Edwin Dorsey of The Bear Cave has unveiled a series of alarming incidents at KinderCare Learning Companies, the nation's largest private childcare provider with 1,500 locations across 41 states and over $2 billion in revenue, much of it coming from taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Take a quick scroll through KinderCare’s website and you’ll find soft pastels, smiling teachers, and glowing promises like: “Where every child’s journey begins with joy.” It’s the corporate daycare chain you’ve probably passed a dozen times, with its chirpy rainbow logos and promises of nurturing your child “every step of the way.”

Dorsey's report highlights several extremely distressing events. For example, in Washington state, a 3-year-old managed to escape a KinderCare center and was found wandering on a busy road. The center? Located next to a casino. 

In Indiana, a 1-year-old girl was left alone inside a locked KinderCare building for nearly an hour. Her parents arrived to find the center completely shut down, their baby alone inside, crying. No staff. No explanation.

A Wisconsin baby tested positive for cocaine after spending time at KinderCare. On May 15, 2024, Kimberly Hopson dropped her 11-month-old son off at a KinderCare in Oak Creek, Wisconsin," Dorsey wrote in his report. "Hours later, she was told to pick up her son, who was vomiting. After noticing scratch marks on her son’s body, she confronted KinderCare staff, who all denied wrongdoing. Ms. Hopson then filed a police report and took her son to an emergency room, where he tested positive for cocaine."

A search of Ms. Hopson’s home found nothing; however, a drug-sniffing dog “found cocaine in a plastic bag in a worker’s backpack in the infant room” at KinderCare.

Ms. Hopson said that her son now has developmental delays and told a reporter, “The baby I brought home that day is not the same baby I dropped off…I wish I didn’t send him to KinderCare that day. I wish I didn’t. That day changed everything.”

Dorsey's report also details employees allegedly pinching children, calling them “stupid,” and threatening to lock them in closets if they didn’t comply. One staffer reportedly “snatched” a child off the toilet so forcefully, he fell and hit his head.

You're probably thinking, "But surely those centers got shut down, right?" Not really. Most of these centers reopened after “internal investigations.” KinderCare’s official stance? That these are “isolated incidents” and not reflective of the company’s values. A KinderCare spokesperson also emphasized that the company has strict protocols for notifying families and licensing agencies when incidents occur and that they take swift action to address issues, including terminating staff when necessary. 

"Isolated" Incidents?

But the long list of scandals begs the question: How many isolated incidents does it take before it starts to become a pattern?

This isn’t just one chain with sketchy management. It’s a glimpse into the cracks of a system we’ve been told to trust with our most precious responsibilities. KinderCare has military contracts, government subsidies, and partnerships with public school districts. In short, this is a government-funded operation that pulled in over $2 billion last year. Their top executives earn seven-figure salaries. But in the report, several issues pointed back to low pay, poor training, and high turnover.

"You can’t run a babysitting empire on minimum wage and expect excellence," one ex-employee told local media after reporting unsafe conditions.

What Parents Say

Dorsey’s report draws heavily from public records and news stories, but if you dive into online reviews of local KinderCare centers, some parents love their location. Others describe absolute chaos:

"My child came home with scratches and bruises, and no one had an explanation. I pulled him out that day."

"They kept losing my daughter's belongings, and once gave her to the wrong pickup person!"

Even glowing reviews often mention high turnover, an endless rotation of unfamiliar faces. In the forum r/WorkingMoms, one mom asked for advice about choosing childcare.

The top reply from February 2025 states, in part, “I’d recommend heading over to the r/ECEProfessionals sub and searching for KinderCare. It is very widely considered the worst of the worst, and for good reason. Having worked for them and worked with many people who have worked for them in many different states, I would avoid them at all costs."

How to Vet a Daycare Center

A few quick tips for moms, dads, and guardians who want to do their due diligence.

Look up inspection reports: Most states have a website where you can search recent licensing violations.

Visit unexpectedly: Don’t rely on the guided tour. Drop in unannounced.

Ask tough questions: What’s the staff turnover rate? What happens in an emergency?

Talk to other parents: The best information rarely lives on the company website.

It's time to take a closer look at the “trusted” institutions we’ve let raise our kids while we trust that everyone’s doing their job. Because, according to this report, some of them absolutely are not.

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