MY BABY COULD HAVE DIED
Mum ‘traumatised’ as bub left on hot childcare centre bus
A MUM is vowing never to leave her child in the care of strangers again after her daughter was left alone on a sweltering hot bus for more than an hour. Lisa Easton has quit her job to care for 16-month-old Violet after the incident at Goodstart Early Learning Centre in Parkwood on Tuesday. A staff member has been suspended while both police and the centre’s owners have launched investigations.
POLICE are investigating and a Gold Coast childcare worker has been suspended after a 16-monthold baby was left locked in hot bus for more than an hour.
Mum Lisa Easton had only been at work a couple of hours when she received a phone call from Goodstart Early Learning Centre in Parkwood she would never forget.
“I got a call from the centre, telling me that my daughter had been forgotten about, in a hot bus on a day over 30C,” she said.
“She called me and said, ‘I’m sorry Lisa I have done something terrible, I left Violet on the bus for a long time I’m so sorry’, after those words I went into a complete panic attack.”
Ms Easton raced to the centre, where she found her daughter in a high chair, looking “spaced out” with a sandwich in front of her.
No emergency services had been called and an incident report filed referred to what happened as an “accident or injury”.
Ms Easton was told another staff member heard Violet crying and found the child in the bus alone.
“I took her straight to hospital and she had severe signs of dehydration,” Ms Easton said.
“I’m just shocked, because I put my complete trust in these people and I didn’t even think something like this could ever happen.”
Ms Easton said she immediately withdrew Violet from the daycare centre and was so “traumatised” she had quit her job.
“It was such a close call to losing everything, my child is my whole world,” she said.
“I’m too scared to go to work and leave Violet in someone else’s care.
“Violet was picked up at 8.30am as usual ... The same driver comes every day and Violet is her only pick-up, but on Tuesday she somehow forgot,’ she said.
“Violet has been very clingy, she won’t let me out of her sight, and I am traumatised by this too, I had to quit my new job.”
Goodstart Early Learning Queensland state manager Lesley Jones said the staff member has been suspended and the company is investigating.
“We are deeply concerned that this has occurred and we find it totally unacceptable,” Ms Jones said.
“The safety and wellbeing of children is always our priority.
“We are co-operating with the relevant authorities, providing support to the family, and undertaking a comprehensive internal investigation to determine what happened and ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Ms Easton said she had filed complaints with various departments and would consider legal action.
“I’m getting a lawyer because it’s just disgraceful. It wasn’t a fatality but what if it was?,” she said.
“It could have been a few minutes from my baby dying that day.”
To add insult to injury Ms Easton also received an invoice for payment on the day of the incident.
“I think it will be a long road until I gain enough trust to let her be taken into someone else’s care,” she said.