Day care hit by serial biting claim
A TODDLER who was coming home from a Townsville day care centre covered in bite marks was left “physically and emotionally scarred”.
Deeragun mum Hayley Dyer removed her two-year-old daughter Olivia from a Goodstart Early Learning Deeragun centre in Townsville this year after she was bitten by other children for the eighth time.
“The final straw for me was when she was bitten twice in two days in January, and once when she was sitting on an educator’s lap,” Ms Dyer said. “We’re moving her now, she’s enrolled in a new day care centre and will be beginning in March.” Incident reports seen by the Townsville Bulletin document several bite episodes dating back to September 2019.
A TODDLER coming home from a Townsville day care centre “bruised” and covered in bite marks prompted her concerned mum to pull her out as she was being “physically and emotionally scarred”.
Deeragun mum Hayley Dyer, 31, said she decided to remove her two-year-old daughter Olivia from the Goodstart Early Learning Deeragun centre this year after she was bitten by other children for the eighth time.
“The final straw for me was when she was bitten twice in two days in January, and once when she was sitting on an educator’s lap,” she said. “We’re moving her now, she’s enrolled in a new day care centre and will be beginning in March.”
Ms Dyer said Olivia had been bitten on parts of her body including the lower abdomen, shoulder blade and arm, “being physically and emotionally scarred”.
Incident reports from Goodstart Deeragun seen by the Townsville Bulletin, document several bite episodes dating back to September 2019.
“Olivia was playing in the sandpit when another child approached her wanting some of the toys,” one report reads. “Olivia refused, child then lent over and bit her on the stomach.”
Ms Dyer also submitted a complaint to the Department of Education over the management of the biting incidents, which did not find the centre in breach of regulations.
A North Queensland region early childhood officer wrote back to Ms Dyer stating that Goodstart Early Learning Deeragun had undertaken “improvement processes” including reviews of supervision stations and policies, additional training for educators and sharing development strategies with the families of children who bite others.
A Goodstart Early Learning spokeswoman said the organisation couldn’t comment on individual children for privacy reasons.
“We acknowledge that biting is a natural part of a young child’s development and we are committed to responding appropriately and professionally if it occurs,” she said.
“Biting is generally a temporary problem, occurring during the toddler stage, and rarely continues past the age of three.”