Perth ECEC service allegedly leaves baby locked inside after closing

Freya Lucas

Aug 21, 2024

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An early childhood education and care (ECEC) service in the Perth suburb of Mirrabooka will likely be investigated by the Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU) of the Department of Communities after a serious incident earlier this month where a 16 month old child was allegedly left in a closed and locked centre.

On 12 August 2024 the mother reported having arrived to collect her daughter shortly before the closing time of the service, finding the doors locked, lights off, and no one in attendance, 7 News shared.

The mother called the emergency number listed for the service, however says her calls were unanswered initially, with a staff member responding 40 minutes later, attending the service to unlock the doors, finding the child sleeping in a cot in the nursery space.

A statement from the provider was given to 7 News in response to the incident, which read, in part “last week, a sleeping child was left inside the nursery room for a short time after our Mirrabooka Centre closed.”

“Thankfully, the child was quickly located asleep in their cot and was not harmed. We respect the privacy of the family involved and have been supporting them directly. The safety and well-being of the children in our care is our top priority, and we are taking this matter very seriously.”

The statement allegedly went on to confirm that two staff members had been stood down pending further investigation into the incident, and no further clarity about how the incident may have occurred was provided.

Access the 7 News coverage of this story here.

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