Investigation after child leaves Little Zebras Gracemere unsupervised

The Department of Education has confirmed an investigation is under way after a child left a centre near Rockhampton unsupervised as we can reveal more about the centre.

Generic images of children playing at a childcare centre.

An investigation is under way after a child reportedly left a childcare centre unsupervised near Rockhampton on Wednesday.

It has been reported to the Department of Education that the child, understood to be a girl, left the Little Zebra Gracemere childcare centre unsupervised.

The Department was advised the child was safe and was taken home by a parent for the remainder of the day.

The Department said it was “actively investigating this incident and liaising with other relevant authorities to establish the relevant facts and address any immediate risks”.

The Department is the Queensland Regulatory Authority for education and care services and monitors approved providers compliance with legislation around adequate supervision and protecting children in their care from harm and hazard.

The incident was not reported to police.

Little Zebra Childcare and Kindergarten has six child care centres across Rockhampton and Townsville.

The centre on John Street, Gracemere, provides care for children aged six weeks to school age.

The service was approved in 2017 for up to 90 children.

Little Zebra Gracemere declined to comment.

Little Zebra Gracemere was recently rated as ‘working towards meeting’ National Quality Standard.

QUEENSLAND CHILDCARE CENTRES RATED

GIRL LEFT ON BUS FOR ALMOST SIX HOURS

It is not the first time a concerning incident has occurred at a Gracemere childcare centre.

Two childcare workers were charged after a young girl was left on a bus at Le Smileys childcare centre Gracemere in May 2022.

The girl, who cannot be named due to legal reasons with the active court case, was picked up around 8.30am and driven to the Gracemere centre where they parked up the bus and left the child inside, before she was discovered unconscious about 2.45pm.

Staff began CPR and emergency services were called and the young girl was flown in a critical condition to a Brisbane hospital before making a miraculous recovery.

Bianca Maree Reynolds, 31, and Tara Alyce Steers, 30, were charged with one count of grievous bodily harm and are awaiting their next court date.