Busy Bees: Wellard childcare centre fined $22k after child leaves unnoticed and unsupervised for six minutes

A childcare centre in Perth’s south has been fined more than $20,000 by the State Administrative Tribunal after a child in its care left the centre unnoticed by staff, ran down the street and ran through the nearby train station carpark. Service provider Maragon Australia Pty Ltd, trading as Busy Bees at Wellard, was ordered to pay a $21,000 global penalty and $1000 in legal costs after a Department of Communities investigation into the incident last year. On August 16, 2021, about 4.25pm, the three-year-old boy walked out of Busy Bees’ front door and gate unnoticed and unsupervised by staff. CCTV showed the toddler left the childcare centre, which is next to the Wellard train station carpark, ran along the footpath, crossed the road into the station carpark and ran through the carpark. A parent leaving the service after collecting his own child followed the three-year-old into the carpark and another member of the public alerted the service. The child was unsupervised by staff at Busy Bees at Wellard for about six minutes before staff collected him from the carpark. The investigation found the door from the kindy yard to reception area was not locked during operational hours and that the three-year-old was able to slide the door open. The front entry to the service and external gate were opened by parents leaving the centre after picking up their children. The child followed people leaving the service through the front door and gate undetected. Executive director regulation and quality at the Department of Communities Phil Payne said the incident was a “completely preventable situation”. “This is yet another incident that shows the importance of vigilant supervision in childcare services,” Mr Payne said. He said the department may apply “additional sanctions” where children are put at risk by childcare providers. “The fact that a child was able to pass through unsecured doors undetected by staff — one of which was an entry and exit to the service — should serve as a warning to all services to continually check their physical boundaries to ensure they are secure at all times.”