Questions Grow as Lt. Michael Byrd, Who Shot Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6, Operates a Taxpayer-Funded Home Daycare as $190 Million in Federal Child Care Funds Flow to Maryland

Published by jan6

Byrd's Family Day Care in Brandywine, MD, showcasing the facility's exterior and a featured speaker discussing childcare services.
Captain Michael Byrd and his home daycare in Maryland.

In one of his autopen’s last acts before Joe Biden left office was to pardon Capt. Mike Byrd, the DC officer who shot and killed January 6 protester Ashli Babbitt in cold blood during the protests on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.

As TGP’s Brian Lupo noted, video evidence captured Byrd shooting an unarmed Babbitt without warning as she attempted to climb through a narrow window near a barricaded entryway to the Speaker of the House’s office area in the U.S. Capitol.

Following an investigation, Byrd was cleared of any wrongdoing, although questions remain about the escalation to lethal force without attempts to subdue or detain Babbitt.

In the video, other armed law enforcement officers are visible in the background, appearing available to provide backup if needed.

In addition to Byrd leaving his Glock 22 service weapon in a Visitor’s Center bathroom in February 2019, Byrd also had his police powers revoked on several occasions for failing to meet semi-annual firearms qualifications standards.

Byrd expressed defiance after being pressed about killing Babbitt during an NBC interview months following the killing. He claimed that he saved “countless lives” by killing Babbitt.

He also whined that he has been getting death threats since killing the Air Force veteran. The officer said that it was “disheartening” and that he was simply “doing my job.”

On Tuesday, investigative journalist Paul Sperry discovered and posted that Former Lt., now Captain Mike Byrd, and his wife, Kaleska Byrd, have operated a home-based day care called Byrd’s Family Day Care from their residence in Brandywine, Maryland, since 2008. That is nearly 17 years!

Public records and listings on sites like CareLuLu confirm the existence of this licensed family child care provider, operating under Kaleska Byrd’s name (Maryland license #255727) and located in Brandywine, MD, year-round.

The daycare is registered and licensed by the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care, meeting the basic state requirements for operation. However, it does not appear on Maryland’s list of accredited family child care providers (e.g., those meeting higher standards from organizations like NAEYC).

According to Townhall, “accreditation is optional and merely a sign that a daycare has demonstrated “high quality,” but it is not a requirement for federal funding.”

Sperry alleged that the daycare received $190 million in HHS funds. However, according to the Maryland State Department of Education, $193 million is the total allocation to Maryland, distributed across thousands of childcare providers.

Via Paul Sperry.

Via Karli Bonne at Midnight Rider:

Home-based daycare in Brandywine, MD, offering care for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years, including before and after school programs.

There are no reviews listed for the Byrd’s daycare on their website.

More from Susan Daniels’ Substack:

Kaleska Byrd ran a day care center since 2008 at their previous house, but the company was forfeited when she did not renew it in 2018 or pay $25. It now appears to have a new registration number, but the state record still shows the company as forfeited.

However, an inspection was conducted for the business on June 17, 2025, during which she had four children enrolled. The document notes that she is not accredited.

It was still a puzzle how this property was affordable until I discovered the following:

Maryland's Child Care Scholarship Program receives $488 million for FY2025 to support over 32,000 children, enhancing eligibility and increasing subsidy rates for low-income families.

All a company like Kaleska’s has to do is find some low-income families, and the government pays and pays. Some quick math shows that 32,000 children each have a value of $15,250 a year. I suspect Kaleska has not been in business since 2008 for the pleasure of changing dirty diapers.

The amount would not have always been that high, but I suspect that Kaleska has racked up a pretty penny during the last twenty-seven years.

Editor’s Note: The $190 million referenced reflects the total amount of federal HHS child care funds received by the state of Maryland, not funds received by a single daycare provider. Additionally, child care accreditation is optional in Maryland and is not required for state licensing. The update does not alter broader questions surrounding oversight and transparency.

 

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