A childcare provider has been fined tens of thousands of dollars after three unsupervised toddlers were locked inside a storage shed for seven terrifying minutes.Â
Western Australia’s State Administrative Tribunal issued a $20,000 fine to Nest Early Education Services in relation to the shocking incident that happened at one of their daycare facilities in Perth’s north in September last year.
The tribunal heard that the toddlers had been left unsupervised for a few minutes when they managed to lock themselves in the shed ‘from the inside’ by lifting the door.
Facts agreed upon by the centre, which trades as Nido Early School Duncraig and Department of Communities revealed the children were trapped for seven minutes before anyone realised they were missing.
An educator fetched a key to let the toddlers out, after which they returned to the play area.
The trio returned to the unlocked shed shortly afterwards, ‘again in the absence of any educator’, the department found.
Its investigation found that the provider had failed to provide adequate supervision to the children.
The centre’s supervision plan was not followed at the time of the incident, which stated that all 70 children under its care were to ‘remain in sight at all times’, Seven News reported.Â
Nest Early Education Services has been fined $20,000 for leaving three three-year-old unsupervised at Nido Early School Duncraig (pictured)
On top of the $20,000 fine, Nest Early Education Services was also ordered to pay $2,000 in legal costs.Â
Department of Communities acting executive director of regulation and quality, Angelo Barbaro, reiterated that adequate supervision ‘is a required standard’.
‘The Education and Care Regulatory Unit will continue to work with education and care providers to ensure they have adequate measures in place to support their staff in delivering appropriate supervision of children,’ Ms Barbaro said.Â
Mirrors have since been added to blind spots in the centre and its supervision plan has been updated to include a new induction program for employees.
The State Administrative Tribunal found the children had been left unsupervised for seven minutes, in which time they managed to lock themselves inside a shed ‘from the inside’
Another Nest Early Education Services centre was previously found guilty of negligence when Nido Early School East Victoria Park was fined $22,000 in February 2023.
Staff at the time had left a two-year-old outdoors for 85 minutes without supervision.
The ‘hot and sweaty’ toddler was found crying in the back corner of the playground and staff used a wet towel to cool them off.
There was no evidence to suggest the child required immediate medical treatment.
On that occasion, the childcare provider was ordered to pay $2,500 for the Department of Communities’ legal costs.
