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Two five-year-olds escape Canberra childcare centre
A boy and his friend scaled a fence at Majura Early Childhood Centre and walked two kilometres before police found them. Their mother says the centre has not properly explained what happened.
In brief
A boy and his friend scaled a fence at Majura Early Childhood Centre and walked two kilometres before police found them. Their mother says the centre has not properly explained what happened. Two five-year-old boys escaped Majura Early Childhood Centre in Canberra by climbing a bench and scaling a fence, walking two…
Two boys escape childcare centre
A five-year-old boy and his friend ran away from Majura Early Childhood Centre in Dickson last Monday by turning play equipment on its side and scaling a fence during rest time.
Mother learns of escape from police
Naomi Brooks discovered her son was missing when a police officer knocked on her door. She said she froze, thinking something serious had happened to him.
“I just froze, because when a police officer comes to your house and asks [after] your child, you think they're dead or at least seriously hurt.”
Children found after walking two kilometres
The boys were spotted by members of the public who called ACT police sometime after one pm.They were reunited with their parents about two thirty pm after officers worked out where they were missing from.
Mother says centre lacks transparency
Ms Brooks said she had been flabbergasted by her struggle to get answers from Northside Community Services.She said the centre appointed an ex-AFP investigator but has not interviewed her or her son about what happened.
“It's clear that they're focused on media management and their reputation … because [as of Monday] they have not called me.”
Centre CEO promises investigation
CEO Dan English said investigations take time as information must be checked and verified. Northside confirmed it appointed an ex-AFP investigator with child-safety expertise and increased staffing at Majura.
“These investigations take time, as information must be checked and verified to ensure the findings are accurate and supported by evidence.”
Mother withdraws children from centre
Ms Brooks applied to withdraw her son and her other child from Majura because she can no longer trust the service's supervision, though she said the educators had been fabulous.
“That gives me complex feelings because our educators have been fabulous, but it says to me they were overworked.”
Northside commits to ongoing engagement
Northside Community Services said it continues to engage with the families of the two children involved, the childcare regulator, and ACT Policing.It stated any time outside its care and supervision for any child is unacceptable.
“Any time outside our care and supervision, for any child in our care, is unacceptable.”
The main idea
Two five-year-old boys escaped Majura Early Childhood Centre in Canberra by climbing a bench and scaling a fence, walking two kilometres before being found by police. Their mother says the centre's provider, Northside Community Services, has failed to give her answers.
