CHESTER, Va. — A Virginia daycare agreed to cease operations on August 31 after the state took action to revoke its religious exemption following multiple safety violations, but they will be allowed to apply for a new exemption in December.
Fortress of God, a daycare on West Hundred Road in Chester, forfeited its religious exemption in a consent agreement signed this month between owner Monique Ede and state officials.
The action comes after a February incident where drivers rescued a 3-year-old boy from the daycare from a busy nearby road, along with several other violations.
As the revocation process played out, state inspectors have cited the facility for two additional violations in the past two months.
Parents CBS 6 talked to over the last several months who used to send their kids to Fortress of God said they supported the states efforts.
"I saw too many times kids running in and out of rooms," Andrea DunGee said in a February 2025 interview. "I never knew what staff was there it was always, 'Oh this is your new teacher, this is new your teacher.'"
"Within that time frame, I started seeing red flags, maybe the biggest one was not being able to go beyond the lobby entrance. To this day, I don't know what her teacher's name is. I just know there is plenty of staff in and out, and I saw different ones every day," Natasha Hughes said in March 2025.
The daycare has undergone name changes in recent months, switching from Fortress of God to Serenity Faith Academy and then back to Fortress of God.
During a June 2025 code compliance inspection, state officials cited the facility for the signage displaying the Serenity Faith Academy name stating "no child day program shall make, publish, disseminate, circulate or place before the public an advertisement of any sort regarding services so offered to the public that is untrue, deceptive or misleading."
Inspectors were also denied entry for nearly an hour during this visit.
A month later on July 24, the facility received another citation for the same violation after a Facebook post claimed Fortress of God would "officially reopen on December 4" and stated the center was "state licensed."
State inspectors noted the facility is not a licensed center but operates under a religious exemption, which it must reapply for on or after December 4, so it would be impossible for the facility to reopen on that day.
The state told CBS 6 it “can fine licensed child care programs for violations but not religiously exempt programs”
A spokesperson said "there are no other substantive enforcement tools for those types of programs.”
When CBS 6 asked how a daycare could continue operating with so many safety violations and also be allowed to re-apply for an exemption so quickly after agreeing to forfeit its ability to operate, the spokeperson highlighted that there is a “long, highly-negotiated legislative history related to religious-exemption centers and VDOE is obligated to operate in accordance with the law."
CBS 6 reached out to Monique Ede for comment on the violations and the daycare's upcoming closure but have not yet received a response.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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