Toddler Goes Missing for 2 Hours After Being Handed to Wrong Grandparent at Daycare Center
Getty An investigation is being carried out at a Sydney daycare center after a 1-year-old boy went missing for two hours after a grandfather was handed the wrong child at pick up, according to local media reports The grandfather's wife toldThe Sydney Morning Heraldthat her husband didn't realize the mistake until later as the kids at the center were asleep when he arrived and the room was dark Bangor's First Steps Learning Academy's Trisha Hastie said the center "sincerely apologizes" for the "deeply upsetting and isolated incident," per news.com.au An investigation is underway at a Sydney daycare center after a child was handed to the wrong family member, according to reports. A 1-year-old boy went missing for two hours after being sent home from Bangor's First Steps Learning Academy with the wrong grandparent on Monday, Sept. 1,The Sydney Morning Heraldreported. "I can't explain the feeling," the boy's mother told the outlet after learning that her son was given to a stranger. "They couldn't tell me his name, who he was, they couldn't tell me who he was meant to pick up, [or] what he looked like, apart from that he was wearing shorts and he was an older gentleman," she claimed. The daycare center reviewed CCTV footage and called other parents to try and locate the boy before eventually realizing that he'd been handed over to the grandfather of another child, per the outlet. The man then returned the boy to the daycare center. Google Maps According toAustralian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the daycare center alerted parents the next day of the "serious incident," stating that "a carer for a child in the nursery room, at our service, mistakenly picked up the wrong child from the centre." "We sincerely apologise to the families directly involved in this deeply upsetting and isolated incident, and to the broader First Steps community for the distress it has caused." Bangor's First Steps Learning Academy's Trisha Hastie said in a statement tonews.com.au. "The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is our highest priority," Hastie continued. "While we have always maintained strict protocols for drop-off and pick-up, in this case those processes were not followed correctly. The educator involved has been stood down." "We have acted immediately to strengthen our procedures and ensure this never happens again," Hastie said, adding that the center has made "immediate and significant changes around the drop off and pick up protocols to ensure this never happens again." The grandfather's wife said that he didn't realize the mistake at the time as the children at the center were asleep when he arrived and the room was dark. "He was asleep, and he'd got him out of the car," she said, perThe Sydney Morning Herald. "He was struggling with the car seat. He didn't really notice much difference because he doesn't do the car seat that often, so his biggest thing was trying to (work out) the seat." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "When he got him home, he just snuggled him and went to sleep, and he didn't realize. He has the same hair, and he had the dummy in his mouth, and (my husband) said, 'He's not well. He's not himself,' "she continued to the outlet, adding that the two of them had cared for their grandson on Sunday and he was teething and unwell. The pair are said to be "distraught" over what happened, per the outlet. "We don't blame him. We are not angry with him … we blame the day care," the boy's mom, who wishes to remain unidentified, added to the outlet. A spokesperson for the New South Wales Police told ABC that there will be no criminal investigation following the incident. The NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority is investigating the incident, per news.com.au. According to o7News Australia, the authority called the incident "deeply concerning and serious." A spokesperson for the authority told ABC a "thorough investigation" into the incident would take place, which would also "consider the service's compliance history." PEOPLE has reached out to Bangor's First Steps Learning Academy and the NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority for comment. Read the original article onPeople
Toddler Goes Missing for 2 Hours After Being Handed to Wrong Grandparent at Daycare Center Getty An investigation is being carried out at a ...
