The grandfather didn’t realise he had picked up the wrong child at Bangor’s First Steps Learning Academy in Sydney before taking him home
A toddler was reported missing after a grandfather picked up the wrong child from nursery.
A probe has been launched in relation to the “nightmare” situation in which a tot went missing for several hours from a childcare centre in southern Sydney on Tuesday afternoon.
The alarm was raised when the youngster’s horrified mum came to pick him up from Bangor’s First Steps Learning Academy but her little boy was nowhere to be found.
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After reviewing CCTV footage, staff contacted the other parents to make sure they hadn’t picked up the wrong child, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
They eventually learned that the grandfather of one of the children had come to collect them, but was given the wrong child accidentally and didn’t realise.
His wife said that when he arrived, the children had been sleeping in a dark room.
While sobbing, she said: “He was asleep, and he’d got him out of the car.”
“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.
“When he got him home, he just snuggled him and went to sleep, and he didn’t realise. 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’.”
Speaking to the Herald, the grandmother – who said they’re both “distraught” over the mistake – added that both of them had looked after him on the day. She said he had been feeling poorly and unwell.
In a statement, the New South Wales Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority said it was “deeply” concerned over the “serious incident” and would carry out a “thorough investigation”.
First Steps Learning Academy’s Trisha Hastie told news.com.au: “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. The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is our highest priority.
“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.”
It’s understood that this is the first incident of its kind the centre has faced at Bangor or any other branch.
“We have made immediate and significant changes around the drop off and pick up protocols to ensure this never happens again,” she added.