Childcare Center Reportedly Handed Toddler Over To Wrong Grandparent: Missing For Two Hours

Authorities are investigating an Australian Childcare Center after a grandparent reportedly collected the wrong child from the premises. The infant, a 1-year-old toddler, was allegedly missing for several hours.

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What happened: According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the incident occurred on Monday at the First Steps Learning Academy in Bangor.

A mom arrived at the childcare center to pick up her kid. However, the staff told her the child was no longer there. Police reportedly told the outlet that a staff member handed over the wrong child to a grandparent. They allegedly took the child home before returning to the center hours later.
ABC reveals that the establishment notified parents on Tuesday about a “serious incident” that took place at around 3:40 PM. An email from the center allegedly reveals that a “carer, for a child in the nursery room, at our service, mistakenly picked up the wrong child from the center.” First Steps Learning Academy said they followed “emergency processes” to locate the child.

The Toddler’s Mom Blames The Childcare Center For The Blunder

We blame the daycare: Per News.com.au, the mother recalled the situation at the center. “They couldn’t tell me his name, they couldn’t tell me who he was, they couldn’t tell me who he was meant to pick up. They couldn’t tell me what he looked like, apart from that he was wearing shorts and he was an older gentleman,” she reportedly said.

The outlet reveals that the mother is not angry with the grandfather. She places the blame solely on First Steps Learning Academy. “We don’t blame him. We are not angry with him. We are not upset at him, we blame the daycare,” she allegedly said.
Per ABC, the service has stood down the educator who made the error while an investigation is underway.

This has never happened before: Trisha Hastie, the approved provider of First Steps, told ABC in a statement, “This has never happened before at Bangor, or at any of our other centers.” The police were reportedly notified about the incident, but there will not be any criminal investigations.