I trusted daycare to keep my girl safe. Now she's having surgery on her mouth

"They won't tell me how this 'accident' happened. She's never going back," a furious and frustrated Queensland dad exclusively tells Kidspot. Please note: sensitive images

Queensland parents Simon and Grace* got the call from daycare recently, informing them that their three-year-old needed collecting because she had "injured herself."

That description would prove to be a significant understatement.

The parents, who chose to remain anonymous, want other parents to know that it's ok to push for answers, as they have had to.

"We still don't really know what happened to Annabel*, they won't let us see the CCTV, they've cancelled meetings," Annabel's dad, Simon, tells Kidspot.

"But look at her injuries. She needs surgery on her face. We are devastated as is our little girl."

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"Annabel needed emergency surgery on her teeth"

Simon, who approached Kidspot as a concerned and frustrated parent, is worried about his daughter after the incident, because he hasn't received a straight answer as to how it occurred.

"Grace got a call at 10:20 am and was told that Annabel had a fall, and her teeth were bleeding, so she needed to be picked up and taken to the doctor," Simon recalls. 

"My wife arrived at the centre just at 11:00 am and took Annabel to the dentist at 11:30 am. An assessment and scans showed that her front two teeth were completely fractured and not salvageable, so they must be removed.

"Annabel was immediately scheduled for an emergency surgery, due to infection risk, the next day. Unfortunately, the anaesthetist postponed her surgery for one to two weeks due to signs of an upper respiratory infection."

Annabel is now scheduled when she's fully recovered from her respiratory issue, but Simon knows that each day increases the risk of infection in her mouth. He's also worried about his daughter's emotional recovery, as she is able to recall what happened.

Annabel sustained injuries that require surgery. Source: Supplied

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A late, and unsigned, incident report

Simon says that according to Annabel, and by piecing together what he could of the story, the class was walking across the daycare carpark, to a children's gym. They were walking hand-in-hand in a chain formation. The child in front of her tripped on some debris from building work being done on the site, and because both of her hands were holding others and she was unable to break her fall, Annabel fell directly on her face.

Simon and Grace are upset about a number of factors.

Firstly, the centre did not obtain consent from the parents for Annabel to attend the gym. 

"We found out she's been four times, and they have the written consent of other parents, but not ours," Simon says.

Secondly, they were not given an incident report to sign for some hours later.

"It was emailed to us six hours after Grace collected Annabel - which means we couldn't explain things properly to the first treating doctors.  Secondly, it just says that she "tripped over", without giving details. So we have not signed it."

Simon is also frustrated at the centre's attitude, particularly since they still have not met with Simon and his wife

"They cancelled a meeting with us, and we've only spoken after I attended the centre to see them. They have refused to give us any CCTV footage, despite me insisting on it. Then, their lawyers sent me a letter out of the blue, stating they don't have insurance that covers this situation.

"I don't know why they sent that, I never asked to make a claim. Just tell us what happened. Their response has made no sense to me."

Simon adds, "As a concerned parent, I feel I have to know what happened to my daughter, who sustained a severe injury that requires hospital admission for surgery."

The horizontal black lines within the circle indicate fractures. Source: Supplied

"A heartbroken parent"

Grace and Simon now must wait until Annabel is cleared for surgery, but that isn't easy on any of them.

"My daughter has shown high distress and has not slept or eaten well since the incident," Simon shares.

"We are extremely concerned but at the same time angry with the childcare. As a heartbroken parent, I want to know the truth and what happened to my daughter. We trusted the childcare, so I sent my beloved daughter to them, and now I feel so betrayed."

*All names have been changed for privacy reasons.

Originally published as I trusted daycare to keep my girl safe. Now she's having surgery on her mouth