Townsville childcare centre fined after leaving 4yo on bus for over an hour

“Parents place an extremely high level of trust in childcare services and it’s submitted that the ultimate breach of that trust was committed here.” 

It was a sunny day in July 2021 when a parent completed a tour of Milestones Early Learning The Lakes in Townsville.

While walking through the building, she heard a voice scream. 

The horrifying sound came from a minibus parked outside. When the woman went to investigate, she spotted a four-year-old strapped in her seat, distressed and crying with red skin. 

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The 4yo was left alone on the bus. Source: Courier Mail

Four-year-old found alone on bus crying with red skin and an empty water bottle

Emergency services were called to attend to the young girl, who was “restrained in her seat,” Magistrate Rosemary Gilbert said. 

The child had been picked up from home that morning and dropped off at the early learning centre but was left alone inside after they arrived. 

She was left on the bus for over an hour before being discovered.

“Whilst the bus was not locked, the doors and windows were closed,” Gilbert explained. When they found the little girl, she had wet herself and “her water bottle was empty.” 

The maximum temperature outside at the time of the incident was 28.5C, with humidity reaching 95 per cent. 

An employee at the childcare centre apologised “frantically” and was in tears and distraught when they found the girl. 

The four-year-old was taken to the hospital for observation, but luckily she suffered no physical injuries. 

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Affinity Education, owner of Milestones Early Learning The Lakes, was slapped with a $35,000 fine. Source: Courier Mail

Childcare centre fined $35,000 for failing to adequately supervise children

At the time of the incident, the bus driver pleaded guilty to a charge of endangering the life of a child and was fined $1000.

Lawyer Sarah Ford for the Department of Education said the worker juggled three roles: driver, checker and supervisor. She believes at least one other person should have been there to reduce the strain. 

“It would normally be the case there would be another person present,” she said at the time. 

“Parents place an extremely high level of trust in childcare services and it’s submitted that the ultimate breach of that trust was committed here.” 

She noted similar incidents taking place, such as a child who was left on a bus for 90 minutes at Guppy’s childcare centre in Caboolture. 

“In light of the past incidents, the department had campaigned extensively prior to this incident to educate providers and prevent similar incidents from occurring,” she said.  

“To that end … between January 2020 and May 2021, nine newsletters, messages and bulletins about this exact subject matter were emailed to all providers. 

“Of particular concern in my submission is that only six weeks before this incident, the department’s newsletter reminded approved providers to ‘look before you lock’, and approximately three months before this incident, the department had published in their newsletter the prosecution of Guppy’s,” she said. 

The owner of Milestones Early Learning The Lakes, Affinity Education, pleaded guilty to charges of failing to adequately supervise children and failing to protect children from harm and or a hazard likely to cause injury. 

Affinity has been fined $35,000 for the charges and was ordered to pay an additional $1700 in costs to the Department of Education, however, no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Townsville childcare centre fined after leaving 4yo on bus for over an hour