For some parents, daycare is their only choice so they can resume work and provide for their family. But, imagine this mom's horror when she arrived at daycare only to find out her son was missing. She hurriedly reported the daycare's negligence in an emergency call.
Daycare Negligence Results in Missing Child Report
Orient Road Child Development Center may find their license to operate revoked after one of their staff gave a 7-month-old baby boy to a stranger. Apparently, the incident was not the first time the daycare was under fire for misplacing a child.
"Trinity McGoggle's son was the last child in the classroom," according to daycare owner Danice Donaldson. So when an elderly person came and pointed at the child saying he came to pick up her grandson, the daycare staff released the child. However, the staff did not ask for an ID and only assumed the elderly person was the guardian, Yahoo News reported.
When McGoggle arrived at the daycare to pick up her baby boy, Adonis, it was then they all discovered the child had been accidentally given away to someone else. According to McGoggle, a daycare worker went to the back to get the child, and returned saying, "He is not here." That was when she began to panic: "What do you mean my son is not here?"
Missing 7-Month-Old Returned to Mom After Childcare Gave Baby Away
911 call records have McGoggle on the end of the line in panic and asking for help. Within an hour after the baby was taken from the daycare, he was eventually returned by the woman who picked him up. Apparently, the elderly woman was the child's grandmother. The incident would have turned into a kidnapping case otherwise. The authorities have changed the case to an inactive missing person's report since the child was returned to his mother.
Investigation Reveals More Childcare Negligence by the Daycare
The incident was confirmed by the Hillsborough County Child Care Licensing Office which moved to revoke the daycare's operating license after receiving the complaint. Over the last 4 years, the county recorded several other instances of negligence on the part of the daycare.
One such incident was when a 4-year-old girl from the daycare woke up alone inside a broken-down van. The child was seen wandering into a building nearby when someone called the sheriff's office. The daycare business was fined $750 for leaving the child in the van. The daycare also had multiple violations of understaffing. The incident with the 7-month-old baby missing after the child's mother came to pick him up was issued a class one violation, ABC Action News reported.
The county spokesperson revealed that the incident along with the facility's compliance history resulted in the revocation of the daycare's license to operate. However, an attorney for the daycare revealed the daycare owner plans to appeal the county's decision.
Daycare Negligence and the Importance of a Background Check
"Had I known about the other incidents, I would have never taken my son there," McGoggle said. It is vital to know about the daycare's policies not just on basics like feeding and sleeping, but also discipline, missing and lost child policy. Before considering a daycare, find trusted referrals and ask for the daycare's license to operate.
Also, watch out for signs of child care negligence, such as not having enough adult care providers, and safety hazards like small clutter and cleaning supplies within children's reach, Chicago Lawyer advised. Children complaining about hunger, thirst, scratches, and bruises can also be a sign of daycare neglect.
Finally, if parents notice their child becoming withdrawn, this could also be a sign of mistreatment by a daycare provider.
