Nido Early School operators front court after toddlers escape

A toddler wandered down the road and across two carparks and another walked out through an emergency gate in two escapes within six months from a Werribee childcare centre.

Operators of Nido Early School in Werribee were fined $20,000 after two toddlers escaped from the centre within six months.

The operators of a childcare centre in Werribee have copped a $40,000 in fine and court costs after two toddlers escaped from the creche within six months, including one who went missing for more than half an hour.

Nest Early Education Services Pty Ltd which runs Nido Early School on Hoppers Lane in Werribee pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for breaches of the Education and Care Services National Law, including for failing to supervise and protect children from harm and hazard.

Nest was fined $10,000 and ordered to pay $5000 in costs while Think Childcare Services Pty Ltd which was the approved provider of Nido, was fined $15,000 and will also pay $10,000 in court costs.

Court documents show the first incident involving a three-year-old boy occurred on December 16, 2021 shortly after a fire drill ended that morning.

The court heard that some staff at the centre were unaware a fire drill was to take place and there was confusion regarding the procedure to follow during the exercise.

Nido Early School’s negligence led to two toddlers escaping from the centre within six months.

Shortly after the fire drill finished about 11am, the toddler walked unsupervised through an unlocked outdoor side gate, across the road to the St Vincent’s Private Hospital carpark towards Old Sneydes Road.

Two children seen walking unaccompanied towards the unlocked gate after the toddler had escaped were brought back inside.

The escaped toddler walked down Old Sneydes Rd and into the Wyndham Private Medical Centre carpark before a member of the public took him to the medical centre which contacted police to report a lost child.

Two women informed Nido Early School that a child had been found in a carpark and the boy was brought back to the childcare centre at 11.38am and his mother was informed.

The second incident involved a girl, aged two-years-and-eight-months, happened on May 17, 2022 when gardeners were working at the childcare centre.

When the contracted gardeners arrived, a centre staff member disarmed the emergency exit gate alarm through which the toddler managed to escape after walking out unsupervised through a bathroom door and into an outdoor area.

The toddler was outside for 63 seconds before the parent of another child brought her back inside.

Magistrate Rosyln Porter said parents would understandably be alarmed at the incidents as they paid the childcare centre and expected it to fully supervise their children.

It was fortunate the escaped toddlers were safely returned to the centre, she said.