Daycare staff leave a child unattended on a hot bus for an hour before notifying parents of the blunder via email
- Daycare centre in Brisbane’s south sent email to parents
- They said a child, 2, was accidentally left unattended on bus
Parents are furious after a toddler was left on a bus by childcare centre staff on a hot day reaching more than 30C.
Capalaba Kids Early Learning Centre, in Brisbane‘s south, sent an email to parents informing them of the incident on Thursday.
The child, 2, was left unsupervised on the bus for about an hour during an excursion with temperatures rising to 31.1C in the area.
Parents are furious after a toddler was left on a bus by childcare centre staff on a hot day reaching more than 30C
An ambulance was not called while the child appeared unharmed and returned back to the facility the following day, Brisbane Times reported.
The email sent to parents said staff were ‘absolutely devastated’ and the incident prompted the centre to launch an investigation.
Capalaba Kids Early Learning Centre business manager Carly Pickett said all transportation of children would be suspended in the meantime.
‘We have met with the family this morning and are keeping them informed through the process,’ Ms Pickett wrote.
She said the department of Early Childhood Education and Care has been notified and is also completing their own investigation.
‘As you are aware, we have suspended all transportation and excursions immediately while we undertake a full review of the policies and procedures pertaining to the transportation of children,’ Ms Pickett wrote.
The incident has already sparked major changes with more likely to come.
‘All team members will be retrained in all policies, procedures and documentation around the safe transportation of children on Monday 20th March to support further quality improvement and ongoing enhancement to health and safety policies,’ Ms Pickett wrote.
It is understood staff are extremely upset over the issue, though the email did not mention if any have been suspended while the investigations are undertaken.
The incident comes less than a year after three-year-old Neveah Austin was left on a childcare centre bus on a hot day for six hours in May 2022.
She was then airlifted to Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane in a serious condition to undergo a brain scan and treatment for kidney failure.
Neveah has since recovered.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Capalaba Kids Early Learning Centre for comment.
An ambulance was not called while the child appeared unharmed and returned back to the facility the following day (stock image)
