CHICAGO (WGN) The parents of twin boys say a recent meeting with their sons’ teacher led to shocking revelations about a Chicago day care.

Joshua Rudolfi and his partner enrolled their twin boys at Ivy Garden Learning Center in the South Loop area in June. During a virtual meeting with a teacher to discuss a tantrum involving one of their toddlers, they were shocked to learn about a concerning practice that has since become the subject of serious allegations.

“For three months, most of the kids were being strapped to chairs,” Rudolfi shared with WGN-TV. “The teacher inadvertently mentioned that one of our twins had managed to escape from what they referred to as time-out chairs.”

Rudolfi asked for video footage from inside the classroom. After watching the video showing the children strapped to chairs, he immediately decided to remove the boys from the daycare.

“The video showed our first twin buckled into a seat for 25 minutes. We later realized our second twin had also been buckled into a chair next to him for 17 minutes, during which they were left unattended while trying to free themselves,” explained Rudolfi.

A pediatrician evaluated the boys and found bruising on their backs and stomachs, consistent with areas where straps were used, Rudolfi said.

“According to the daycare’s policies, they’re not supposed to use time-outs,” Rudolfi added. “They should use alternative methods, not even discipline, just redirection.”

Rudolfi expressed to WGN-TV that he wished the daycare had communicated any behavioral issues earlier, which could have allowed both sides to collaborate on addressing them effectively.

Rudolfi said that while he noticed his boys acting differently, he didn’t understand the cause behind it. His children are traumatized and refuse to sit down, Rudolfi added, even when they’re at home. 

“It’s going to take a lot of work to undo the harm that has been done,” he said.

The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) is conducting an investigation. WGN reached out to Ivy Garden Learning Center for comment and has not yet received a response as of the time of this publication.