Perth childcare centre cops hefty fine after child, 2, goes missing for several hours on nature reserve trip

By Jack Nivison

A childcare centre near a major Australian city has been fined $45,000 for failing to adequately supervise a child who wandered away from an excursion group in a nature reserve in September last year.

Aspire Early Education in Perth found itself in hot water after a “spontaneous excursion” launched by two employees of the childcare centre resulted in the momentary loss of the child, aged 2.

Findings from an investigation by the Western Australia Department of Communities found the child had been left unsupervised and the service provider failed to ensure “every reasonable precaution was taken” to protect a child in their care from any hazard likely to cause injury.

A judgment from the State Administrative Tribunal found the employees took a group of 13 children across the road to the Smirk Road Reserve.

A lead educator claimed she conducted headcounts every five minutes, despite having no means of recording those numbers.

Towards the end of the excursion, three children were collected by their parents but the educator realised the child was missing following another headcount, leading to a frantic search.

The educators saw the child “at least 60m away on the south side of the reserve … the child was being held by a member of the public,” the judgment states.

“Before then, the driver of a Transperth bus had spotted the child standing very close to the edge of Sixty-Eight Rd, which has a speed limit of 70km/hr.

“He slowed down and pulled into a nearby bus stop.”

“At the same time, another motorist following the bus also pulled over and walked over to the child, picked her up and walked her towards a grassed area. An educator then came running from about 50m away.”

“At her age and unsupervised in bushland situated close to traffic, the child was at risk from harm and from hazards including traffic hazards, likely to cause injury.”

Angelo Barbero, executive director of Regulation and Quality at the WA Department of Communities, said poor supervision within the education and care sector was “a significant concern”.

“A momentary lapse of supervision can significantly increase the risk of harm to children,” Mr Barbero said.

“Approved providers must ensure that appropriate risk assessments are in place to ensure the safety of children when on excursions that appropriate practices are in place at all times to keep children safe and to avoid being penalised.”

On top of the fine, Aspire will be forced to pay $2000 to pay the Department’s legal costs.

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